The Saint Lawrence River runs across the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and forms part of the boundary between Ontario and the state of New
York. It flows from southwest to northeast, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic
Ocean. The river was named by Jacques Cartier in 1535 when he arrived in the estuary
during the feast day for Saint Lawrence; as such, he named it the Gulf of St. Lawrence.1
Early explorers originally hoped that the Saint Lawrence River would offer a direct
route to China.2 Instead, it became the main route for European exploration of the North American
interior, pioneered by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.3