Complex sentence: Native Americans had historically used the River Otonabee and the Kawartha lakes as canoe routes between Lakes Huron and Ontario, Samuel de Champlain in 1609 traversed this route with a 24 canoe war party and is said to have camped near where the village of Lakefield now stands.
Split into simpler sentences: Native Americans had historically used the River Otonabee and the Kawartha lakes as canoe routes between Lakes Huron and Ontario. Champlainin 1609 traversed this route three hundred years ago and are said to have camped near where the village of Lakefield now stands.