It seems we use the terms interchangably.

"I'm going to Quetico."

I spend time in 'the Quetico'.

I will ponder this more when I'm up there.

Does anyone know what Quetico means and how it got its name?

Tom

According to the book "Quetico Provincial Park: An Illustrated History" by Shirley Peruniak, "The origin of the word "Quetico" is lost in time. It comes from a very old Indian word used to refer to a benevolent spirit whose spirit was felt in places of great beauty. The name Quetigo appears on an 1884 map showing the country between Lake Superior and the Red River".

Seems appropriate to me.

For me it has been "The Quetico" for the past 40 years. Perhaps just a shortened version of "The Quetico Park."

For my close friend and paddling partner, it has always been "Quetico". I think for him it is simply a place, not a park.

Neither of us corrects the other. I guess that is why we are still close friends.

For me it will always be GODS COUNTRY. Anthony

quote GraniteCliffs: "
For my close friend and paddling partner it has always been "Quetico." I think for him it is simply a place, not a park."

I think my mind sees it in two ways. The pragmatic side sees it as a park, because it had to be designated as such to keep it from being trashed. The idealistic side of me views it as one of the gems in the vast canoe country of the Canadian Shield, certainly not an island of wildland.

I would suspect the Indians who first referred to the area as "Quetico" had no set boundaries for it and no doubt would have included the current BWCA and Voyageurs NP, as well as the Northern Light Lake country.

Either one is fine, but it's Quetico Provincial Park.

Think of it this way - do people go to Boundary Waters or the Boundary Waters? The name is Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but it's commonly said that " we're going to THE Boundary Waters".

It doesn't matter. I like Miami1's comment. "God's Country" works for me.

My question was more philosophical than anything. It's just something I think about when I write about Quetico. I like the suggestion that Quetico is a place generally speaking. But it is also a provincial park. Therefore it depends on what you are implying when you say it.

As I write from my mountaintop I would say I'm in the Quetico, a place dear to me.

When I tell my wife I want to go camping, I tell her I want to go to Quetico, a specific location.

Tom

The Q. That's all.

quote BillConner01: "The Q. That's all."

Yup. The Q.

For me since 1978, it's been "Quetico" (although in the past few years, whenever I'm among canoe enthusiasts, I refer to it as "The Q" as well).

Tomato / tomahto, potato / potahto ???????

Adam X

For me its "I'm going to Quetico." or when posting "I like the Q because..."

Also, for me, the boundary waters has always been an inclusive term meaning the BWCA of Superior Nt'l Forest and Quetico PP. It is, geologically speaking, one lake system split by the national boundary. Technically, even the surrounding area can be inlcuded in the term boundary waters, but I use the term to mean the 2 park areas.