"River of Canoes" or "River of Canyons"?

The icy Cannon River, as seen from the Limberlost framed with snowy branches.

Apparently, the Cannon River was known to the early French explorers and fur traders as Rivière aux Canots, "river of canoes." But English speakers deciphered the term as heavy artillery.

Le Canón, with the accent, or tilde, over the "o" - in french, means "The Canyon", I think. French for the english word, canoe, is "Le canoë". It is fair to say that some doubt is creeping into my mind on this legend, based upon both the current english splling, and the topography of the river valley. So it goes.

FWIW, "Missouri" is Algonquin for "River of Canoes".

Also, the Sac and Fox (Wisconsin tribes) Indian word for "River of Canoes" is "Kickapoo".