The Saint Lawrence River, similar to the Mississippi River, serves as an international border for Ontario and New York, unlike the Mississippi River, however, which a state border. The Saint Lawrence River is 1900 miles long, and it connects to the Great Lakes which serves as its basin.
On this day June 9th, in 1534, Jacques Cartier discovers and names the Saint Lawrence River. King Francis of France appointed Cartier to discover an alternate route to Asia and was also hoping that Cartier would discover riches along the way. The area that Cartier explored was believed to be uninhabitable, yet Cartier provided information to the contrary, that the soil was fertile, so Cartier was sent again to North America in 1535.
It was as a result of Cartier’s geographical findings that led France to lay claim to Saint Lawrence Valley, which is 70 miles from Quebec City. Jacques Cousteau, an explorer, scientist, and filmmaker, utilized the Saint Lawrence River by travelling on it to make two films “Cries from the Deep” and “St. Lawrence: Stairway to Heaven.”