Wanapitei

Lake Wanapitei is a notable impact crater lake situated within the municipality of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and is also associated with the Wahnapitae First Nation. Its significance lies in its status as one of the world's largest lakes that are entirely contained within the boundaries of a single municipality. The lake's formation is attributed to an impact event that occurred approximately 37.2 ± 1.2 million years ago, during the Eocene period.

Geography and Formation

The crater lake itself measures 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles) in diameter. The Ojibwe name for the lake, Waanabidebiing, translates to 'place where the water is shaped like a tooth,' a description derived from its aerial perspective. While the impact origin is widely accepted, some studies have suggested a smaller diameter for the crater itself, between three and four kilometers, and have also proposed that large-scale faulting might have contributed to its formation. The lake is part of the Lake Wanapitei Subwatershed within the Great Lakes Basin watershed, encompassing extensive forests, lakes, and wetlands.

Human History and Recreation

Lake Wanapitei lies within the traditional territory of the Wahnapitae First Nation, signatories to the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. The area saw European settlement due to the fur trade and logging industries, with towns like Boland's Bay and Skead established on its shores. The lake is also a popular recreational destination, offering activities such as fishing and camping. In a more somber historical note, six RCMP officers tragically drowned in the lake during a training exercise in the 1960s.