James Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada

Facts & Statistics
Place Name	James Bay
Place Status (Type)	bay
Location	Northwest Territories, Canada, North America
Latitude	unknown
Longitude	unknown

James Bay , shallow S arm of Hudson Bay, c.300 mi/480 km long and 140 mi/230 km wide, E central Canada, in the N.W.T. bet. Ont. and Que. Numerous rivers flow into the bay. Of its many isls., the largest is Akimiski (1,158 sq mi/3,000 sq km). The bay was discovered (1610) by Henry Hudson but was named for Capt. Thomas James, an Englishman who explored much of it in 1631. An early fur-trading post established by Groseilliers and Radisson became (1670) Rupert House, the 1st post estabalished here by the Hudson's Bay Co. Other important posts on James Bay are Fort Albany, Fort George, and Eastmain. The shores of the bay and some of its isls. are wildlife reserves. Akimiski Island Bird Sanctuary; game sanctuaries at Twin Isls., Trodely Isl., Charlton Isl.; bird sanctuaries also at Hannah Bay, Ont. and Boatswain Bay, Que. Entire bay is set aside as James Bay Preserve. The James Bay Project, a colossal hydroelectric development on the E coast of James Bay, has evoked a tremendous negative response from environmentalists and Cree Indians, who claim that the project is disrupting the lives of the natives and destroying the region. Rivers have been diverted, forests have been incinerated, and wilderness areas have been inundated. Phase I, finished in 1984, created the world's largest underground powerhouse, a tiered spillway on Grand River 3 times the height of Niagara Falls, and 5 reservoirs that total ½ the volume of L. Ontario. The completion of the project was threatened in 1992 when the N.Y. State Power Authority refused to sign a purchase contract. Includes Great Whale R. (Hudson Bay), La Grande R., and Nottaway/Broadback R. Basins. The isls. within James Bay, Hudson Bay, and Ungava Bay belong to N.W.T.