So this past week was a great time for me, a few friends decided to go up to Quebec (far northern Quebec) and visit some snazzy towns along the way.
First off, here is a map showing exactly how far up it is. The furthest point north I went was Longue Pointe, and was able to stick my hands into the water of the James Bay near the 54th Parallel.. It isn't often that I get to say I've been north of London or Berlin or Paris.... But this was a fantastic chance to get to see a very different landscape.
So here are the photos, enjoy!
MAP of journey:
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First we'll start out at the bottom, Ontario hwy 63 before it enters Quebec on the Ottawa River border.
Ottawa River:
Video:
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Hwy 63 becomes Hwy 101 in Quebec
Skip way north through the towns of Amos and into Matagami, and here starts the infamous James Bay Road, built in the early 1970's to service the Hydro Quebec project in Radisson, QC. This is truly one of the continent's most remote roads... Only one gas station along a 680km track to Radisson, QC.
These are some more slides along the James Bay route... July 2nd was an interesting day, very muggy, a warm 30C, and cloudy... Much different from the sunless day before.
The southern James Bay Road within a few hundred kilometers of Matagami is a good mix between deciduous and coniferous trees and other plant life:
Virtually all the roads leading off the James Bay Road are gravel based, as it is remote with little traffic:
Various spots throughout the system have information signs, exclusively written in either French or the native Cree language of the region:
Something you quickly learn about this part of northern Canada is that there is water, water, and more water. Lots of water... Water here, water there, water everywhere. It is clear that Canada has the world's largest freshwater supply as it makes even Minnesota's 10,000 lakes seem dry.
Here are several photos showing the flora and plant life of the lower taiga, including natural wildflowers, lichen, and mosses all around:
Information will be 250m ahead, or so it says...
Why yes, there is, but it is only in French or Cree, so I have no idea what it is saying...
And I made it to the top, WEE!
It was incredibly windy, luckily it was 30C (or possibly hotter) this day..
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Sorry, I was narrating the positions of where things were, but the wind kind of stole my voice.
If you are a hunter, this guide gives you a bit of information:
Moving northward we eventually get to the Rupert River, and it started to rain as we progressed. The Rupert is a very large river, and I was surprised how large these northern rivers are. This is at kilometer marker 257:
And some video:
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It is always fun running through the brush and trails...
Be wary of the Moose
At kilometer marker 381, there is finally an official stop for fuel and food for the first time... Talk about a long drive between stops.
The "Gas Boy" is actually an older gentleman:
At 411 km you come upon the Opinaca River and a beautiful waterfall that is a short hike from the main roadway. The hills and valleys start to increase at this point, adding to the scenery. The reason my hand is around the lens is due to the heavy rain.
Video of the Opinaca River /w waterfalls:
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What? Do I see signs of civilization coming?? Do I see transmission lines?!?
Kilometer marker 524. I was rather surprised along the route how often forest fires have destroyed vast swaths of Boreal Forest...
At KM marker 544 you meet with the Trans-Taiga Highway, a gravel-only road specifically for Hydro Quebec trucks that need to deliver equipment. It makes the James Bay Rd feel surprisingly civilized, as this road dives deep into the Taiga eastward toward Northeast Quebec:
Just south of Radisson on the Trans-Taiga as it meets the James Bay Rd, you can see the Hydro Quebec transmission lines:
That evening we did a quick drive around Radisson, and then headed to our hotel in the Cree nation of Chisasibi. The town is the largest in northern Quebec, now with over 4,000 permanent residents. The Cree nation has a lot of history, and their primary language after Cree is English, but Radisson is exclusively French thanks to Hydro Quebec's exclusively French hiring policy, as Radisson is effectively a company town.
The morning this photo was taken (July 3rd), the cold front had dropped temps from the 30's (80F) to just under 10C (50F). Made for a chilly day in the middle of summer.
Down on the riverfront behind the city administrative center is the La Grande river, the major river in the region before it enters James Bay. Here is a video tour:
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Various photos from around Chisasibi, QC
Behind the modern homes, you see the locals keeping history alive by making backyard huts:
The street to the administrative center of town:
With a tattered Canadian flag proudly flying:
Chisasibi, QC Administrative Center:
Looks like this home prefers the Montreal Canadiens:
While there isn't much architecturally, this did stand out:
The town church:
And even here they have some Canadian pride:
The next part of the tour exclusively deals with Hydro Quebec and the water...
20km north of Chisasibi is a road-accessible point called "Longue Pointe" which provides direct access to the James Bay. It is right at the 54th parallel, and close to where the James Bay meets the Hudson Bay. Here are photos from that drive:
And a little video:
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South and east of Longue Pointe, the access road crosses a huge Hydro Quebec facility, called LG1, to produce electricity, and the dam creates a large reservoir.
MAP of LG1
Map of the La Grande system from LG1 to the Bourassa Reservoir
View of the river below the LG1 reservoir
AND finally, due to restrictions I didn't really get any photos of the tour we got of the larger hydro production plant below the Robert Bourassa reservoir, but I did get some photos of the snazzy natural dam and the exterior at Radisson, QC:
The hills around the dam really get larger as you head inland, this is about 100km inland from the Chisasibi region and the La Grande as it enters James Bay
And then onto the road south back home...
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And TADA, we headed back south and somehow ended up with the next photo in North Bay, ON (the far south by Radisson and Chiasibi standards...)
Hope you enjoyed, I know that I had a total blast!!
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