This island-dotted lake straddles the Canada-US border, and covers over 4,000 square
km, most of which is on the Canadian side in western Ontario. It is fed from the south
by Rainy River and drains northwest to the Winnipeg River.1 Lake of the Woods and the surrounding lake-riddled lands were part of a vital fur-trade
route.2 Indigenous groups in the area include the Cree, Ojibwa, and Sioux.3