and the Mattawa River. Mattawa is the site of many large wooden statues depicting local historical figures, such as Champlain,
Pierre-Esprit Radisson,
Médard des Groseilliers, and others. The Mattawa District Museum prominently features a statue of
Big Joe Mufferaw, a regional folk hero. The statues are placed widely throughout Mattawa, and in two locations outside the town on nearby
Highway 17. Three crosses are on the mountain on the east side of the Ottawa River, immediately opposite the mouth of the Mattawa River. The crosses have been replaced several times. They are accessible via a trail which begins at the Quebec end of the railroad bridge which crosses the Ottawa. Mattawa provides access to numerous dropping off points for canoeing or boating on the Ottawa River. The river acts as a natural border between the hills of the province of Quebec and Ontario. The Mattawa River flows through the Canadian Shield, and wildlife can often be seen and heard. The area offers fishing, camping, and hiking. There are numerous motels, campgrounds, and retreat centres in and around Mattawa. Just west is
Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, on the Mattawa River. The park is also home of the
Canadian Ecology Centre, an eco-friendly retreat centre that is facilitated to accommodate business retreats.
Algonquin Provincial Park can be accessed from the north side in
Kiosk or the east side in
Brent. The town and nearby area contain over of year-round
ATV and
snowmobile trails, known as the Voyageur Multi Use Trail System (VMUTS). In 2007, Mattawa and the townships of
Bonfield,
Papineau-Cameron,
Mattawan and
Calvin were
rebranded as a single
Mattawa Voyageur Country tourist region, in order to promote the area.
Voyageur Days Every summer since 1997, the Mattawa Voyageur Days Festival is held the last weekend (Thursday-Sunday) of July. It is organized by the Town of Mattawa. Concerts take place behind the Museum on Explorer's Point, with many other events and attractions around town. Some of the events include a regional talent night,
car show, lumberjack competition, and
canoe race. Live music is a large part of the Festival, and has in the past included such notable Canadian musicians as
April Wine,
Trooper,
Saga,
Loverboy,
Honeymoon Suite,
Chuck Labelle,
David Wilcox,
Peter Frampton,
Heart,
Tom Cochrane and as well as
Survivor. Up-and-coming artists from inside and outside the region take the stage on the Thursday night. On the Sunday night, at dusk, there is a traditional choreographed fireworks show. Mattawa Voyageur Days celebrated its 10th anniversary in July 2007, selling out of its 7,000 admission wristbands before the event had begun. In 2008, Festivals and Events Ontario listed Mattawa Voyageur Days as one of the Top 100 Ontario Festivals. ==Musical references==