Churchill River, formerly Hamilton River, largest river of Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed from several river-lakes on the central plateau of western Labrador (a region of extensive iron-ore development) and meanders more than 200 miles (300 km) to Churchill Falls. There, the course is broken by a series of cataracts, one of the greatest hydroelectric-power sources in Canada. Beyond the falls, the Churchill flows through a deep canyon, 800 feet (250 m) below the level of the surrounding plateau, for the remaining 250 miles (400 km) past the lower Churchill Falls (near Goose Bay) to its mouth on Lake Melville (Hamilton Inlet). It drains a basin of about 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km). Originally named in 1821 for Sir Charles Hamilton, Newfoundland’s first colonial governor, the river was renamed in 1965 after Sir Winston Churchill. Several hydroelectric plants, including one at Menihek (1954) on the Ashuanipi (a source stream) and the giant Churchill Falls Power Project (1974), supply power for nearby mining establishments.
Alternative title: Hamilton River
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