Bobcaygeon is a community on the Trent–Severn Waterway in the City of Kawartha Lakes, east-central Ontario, Canada. Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village in 1876, and became known as the "Hub of the Kawarthas". Its recorded name bob-ca-je-wan-unk comes either from the Mississauga Ojibway word baabaagwaajiwanaang "at the very shallow currents", giishkaabikojiwanaang "at the cliffed cascades" or obaabikojiwanaang "at currented rocky narrows", or from the French beau bocage "beautiful hedged farmland". The first lock in the Trent-Severn Waterway was built in Bobcaygeon in 1833. The town is situated on three islands, along with the main land. Bobcaygeon's chief industry is tourism, particularly related to recreational fishing. Bobcaygeon is a hub for the region, providing many of the services unavailable in the smaller neighbouring communities. History French explorer Samuel de Champlain, during his 1615 military expedition through the French colony of Canada in New France, passed through the area that would later become Bobcaygeon. In 1763, France ceded the colony to Great Britain, and it continued as the British colony of the Province of Quebec. In 1791, the colony was divided, with the area including the future Bobcaygeon becoming part of Upper Canada. By the early 1830s, the colonial government of Upper Canada had completed its survey of the Township of Verulam and the area began to attract settlers. Thomas Need, who arrived in 1832, is recognized as one of the earliest settlers of the Township of Verulam and is the founder of Bobcaygeon. With his purchase of of land, Need built a sawmill, gristmill, and the first store. In 1833, the government began construction of a lock and canal at the narrows between Pigeon Lake and Sturgeon Lake. This was the first lock constructed on the Trent–Severn Waterway. The community began to develop around the lock, sawmill and gristmill. Need became the first postmaster of the growing community. The government had reserved and surveyed a town site on the north bank of Bobcaygeon River between Sturgeon and Pigeon Lakes, which was named Rokeby by visiting Lieutenant Governor John Colborne. Need laid out streets and plotted lots on the island, which was named Bobcaygeon. Today, Bobcaygeon designates an area on both sides of the Bobcaygeon River, after the post office was established on the island by postmaster Need. In 1841, the colony of Upper Canada merged into the new colony of the Province of Canada. In 1844, Need sold his profitable