The origin of the name are unknown, but researchers have speculated that the river might have been named after an explorer or a settler since Moisy is a rather common surname in France. That is largely contested since there seems to be no proof of anyone with that name in the archives. Another popular theory is that it come from the Old French word moise or moyse, meaning "wet river bank."[7]
The Mishta-shipiunnu ("Innu from the Moisie River") call it Mishta-shipu ("Great River"; mishau - ″big, great″ and shipu - ″river"). Like for thousands of years, they continue to use the river to reach their northern hunting and fishing grounds. Large parts of the river were also protected by private fishing clubs.
There were recent attempts to develop hydroelectric projects on the Moisie. However, in 2003, the Quebec government protected a large part of the river's watershed as an aquatic reserve and has prevented activities such as logging, mining, and power projects, but has permitted traditional uses such as hunting and fly-fishing.
Environment
Katchapahun Rapid with Salmon Ladder
A map of the Ecological regions of Quebec shows the river's tributary, the Rivière aux Pékans, rising to the northwest of Fermont just west of the Spruce/lichen domain of the boreal zone, and flowing south through the eastern spruce/moss domain.
The last section of the Moisie River flows through the fir/white birch domain of the boreal zone.[8]
The Moisie River is popular with experienced canoeists concerning its whitewater. It flows through a deep valley of glacial origin. The width of the valley varies considerably. At the spout of the river, the valley is very narrow, but it is wider in areas that are not obstructed by rapids.
The views of mountains and cliffs have caused the river to be used for canoe camping.[2][5] The Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway follows the lower section of the Moisie River and provides access to the Quebec-Labrador plateau from which canoeists can reach its headwaters.
The river's remoteness makes it have very few access points, and if an accident occurs involving a canoeist, the most common form of evacuation is by seaplane. Still, because of the narrow valley, some canoeists travel many kilometres to reach a spot for a plane to land. The railway crosses the river at the last whitewater rapid on the river, which is also the largest and the most well known. The rapids have been called train tracks because of their close proximity to the railway.
A forest fire in the summer of 2014 destroyed a lot of the ecosystem surrounding the river and made it unsafe for campers and canoeists to explore and venture.
The river is very remote and has very few inhabitants, with few cabins along the river.
Saucier, J.-P.; Robitaille, A.; Grondin, P.; Bergeron, J.-F.; Gosselin, J. (2011), Les régions écologiques du Québec méridional(PDF) (map), 4 (in French), Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, retrieved 2019-09-14
