Day 1 Ottawa to
Maniwaki - 100 kms
As Paulette and I start out, the sky is
clear and the temperature is a very pleasant 23 degrees. We go to the Byward Market
in Ottawa to pick up strawberries, blueberries and fresh tomatoes as gifts for our friends
at Chisasibi. There are crowds of people at the market. Mostly lookers, those
to look at, fresh vegetable vendors, little food stores and a few buyers on this July
afternoon. Paulette has never seen Ottawa before so we just stroll around.
My car is loaded. The truck has our luggage, two 20 litre gas tanks, camping chairs,
my tool box, rubber boots, hiking boots, rope, and string. The back seat has the
cooler filled with diet Pepsi, iced tea, bottled water, beer, wine, the strawberries,
blueberries and ice plus our clothes. In the front is the maps and the ever
present garbage bag.
We start out and cross the bridge
over the Ottawa river and head north on Highway 105 toward Maniwaki. The sound and
feel of the car is good. I am confident that my 1986 Dodge will make it 4000 km to
Chisasibi and back.
As we start to go north, the
suburban wasteland soon slowly disappears. The distance between little Quebec
villages of about 10 or 15 homes gets farther and farther apart and the clean northern air
mixed with the aroma from the evergreen purges my lungs of the heavy air of Ottawa.
We take an early supper at
Wakefield Inn. Paulette chooses the fish and I follow .... I want to keep the
eating light as I do not want to fall asleep driving from Wakefield to Maniwaki a time
distance of about 1 1/12 hours. Coming out of Wakefield we get disorientated and
have to turn around. When I reverse the direction of the car, the muffler hits
pavement. After, I move forward and from the sound I realize that I have broken
part of the exhaust system. The sound of an open exhaust system is not good and
carbon monoxide poisoning is a concern. We decide to drive on, thinking that
if it is only a broken exhaust pipe it will not matter especially during the warm weather
when you can open the windows.
The road from Wakefield to
Maniwaki, follows in part the way of path of the Gatineau river famous as the conduit
where the great rafts of logs came down to the mills in Gatineau and Hull. As we go
north the road crosses many of the tributaries of the Gatineau. The Desert, the
Kazabazua, the Picanoc, the Peche and the Joselph all facilitate the transportation of
logs to the south.
Soon it is only a ribbon of black asphalt with signs along the road pointing out
this Lac or that Lac. The scenery of the Laurentions is spectacular. There are
lakes to each side of the road and little rivers that run under the road bridge. The
broken exhaust system is haunting my mind. So I decide to stop at a garage that is
along the side of the road. I ask if they could fix the pipe. The man
explained in broken English that it would be best if we continued to Maniwaki where parts
were available. I agreed and tried to restart the car. There was no sound.
There was no clicking of the ignition. There was nothing as I tried in vain.
The garage gave us a battery boost
from a parked car and advised that we immediate proceed to Maniwaki and not stop the car.
It will probably not restart they told us. So off we went to Maniwaki to find
the motel, unload the luggage and to find a garage that would repair the car.
We reach Maniwaki, a little tired
and very much concerned of the reliability of the car. This was the shortest part of
the trip. We still had 1500 km to go to Chisasibi. In one place we would
have to drive 700 kms where there was only one gas station. After unpacking and finding a
garage at which there would be a mechanic in the morning, we began to explore several
options.
One, abort the trip; two, continue
once the car was fixed; three try to rent a car in Maniwaki; or four; turn back and go to
Ottawa and rent a car. After a walk around the village to stretch our legs and clear
our minds....
We decided that in the morning we
would get the car fixed, then return to Ottawa and rent a car from Avis. They had
cars that we could rent on a unlimited daily usage basis that would hopefully be more
reliable than the 1986 Dodge that had got us to Maniwaki.... and besides they were air
conditioned ~~ a later blessing because having closed windows means being able to keep the
bugs out of the car.
Check the current weather at Maniwaki Quebec
Back to Joe's Trip
Diary
Day 2 Maniwaki - Ottawa -
Matagami 900 kilometers
I wake up at about 7.15 am, quickly shower
and get dressed. I must be at the garage to instruct the mechanic to fix my car. I know if
we accomplish the plan it will be a long day of driving.
At 8.00 am, I meet with the mechanic and tell him about my car not starting. He tells me
that he is busy and to come back at 9.00 am. I return to the motel and report this to
Paulette.
At 8.50, I go to see the garage and find that my car has been fixed. They have put in a
new battery and it is ready. I am elated, pay my bill and drive back to the motel.
Paulette and I decide that we will drive to Ottawa and rent a car. A newer car would be
more reliable especially knowing that where we are going there are no garages that would
fix my car if it broke down again. So we phone Avis and reserve a car.
At 9.45 we leave Maniwaki and drive the 100 kilometers back to Ottawa to the car rental
agency. All the way back, the exhaust system is roaring and I am praying that it will not
fall off.
We arrive at 11.45 and by 12.10 the little blue rented Caravel is loaded and ready to head
north again.This car has air conditioning and would get better gas mileage than the Dodge.
The broken tail pipe and bad battery now is a blessing in disguise. From looking at
Paulette's face and body language she looks more relaxed with this car than the other one.
I drive quickly back to Maniwaki and we are munching on snacks that we had bought the day
before at Ottawa's Byward Market. Roasted garlic sesame chips are not really good for you
but along with Diet Pepsi taken from our cooler it is the best we have.
This time, my mind is right on the road and trying to make up as much time as possible. I
want to drive to the junction of Highway 109 and 117 as quickly as possible to make up the
lost time. Here Paulette takes over the driving and I sit back on the passenger side and
try to relax and enjoy the scenery. The car works well and the air conditioning works.
I feel better now!
As one drives north through the Reserve Faunque La Verendrye the only sign of civilization
are the places where one can camp. The traffic is quite sparse along the 221 km of this
Indian reserve. Along the sides of the road there are many places where there are rock
cuts through granite and on top of these cuts are little stone cairns (Inuksuit)
erected by the natives or maybe someone else. They seem to be in definite shapes but as we
see perhaps over a hundred as we are driving, they take no particular form that is the
same. Here the forest has both coniferous and deciduous trees. The terrain is fairly flat
with rivers, streams and lakes painting the landscape on both sides of the road.
At one point Paulette slows down suddenly and remarks that she can see a black bear
in a nearby field. I look but see nothing.
We do not stop and keep going.
At about 4.00 p.m. we reach Val-d'Or and fill the gas tank. Gas here is 80 cents a litre.
It seems that we can reach Matagami with time to spare. Here we check to see if the cell
phone is still working... We can still communicate with the outside world from the car in
case of a breakdown..
Check out the current weather at Val-d'Or Quebec
We decide that we will have supper at Amos which is only 63 kilometers to the north.
Highway 111 from Val-d'Or to Amos is a complete surprise. The land is relatively fertile
and farms abound on both sides of the highway. They are cutting hay and there are dairy
farms the same as in Eastern Ontario. We wonder how the houses are heated as we see no
wood piled up along the sides of the houses like there are in Eastern Ontario. Paulette
bets me a beer that it is natural gas and I say that it is by fuel oil. At a bar in Amos
we find out that we are both wrong.
All the houses are heated by electricity.
As we come into the town of Amos, Paulette's cell phone rings. It is her business partner
from Calgary who wants to report on some business transactions. We stop in the parking lot
of MacDonalds and I get to stretch my legs while Paulette tells her partner that she is
somewhere in Northern Quebec at a place called Amos. She tells him if he wants to find out
where she is, he can look it up on a map of Quebec.
We decide that if we are to get to Matagami and not waste time, we have to eat in the car
on the fly. It is fried chicken and french fries. While waiting Paulette phones our
motel in Matagami to tell them that we will be arriving in a couple of hours.
Leaving Amos, with Paulette driving the scenery turns back to forest. We are warned by the
manager of the restaurant to be aware of moose on the road and that they are dangerous.
There are bogs along the side of the road a perfect place where moose would inhabit.
The forest here is quite thick and as we drive, I look down lumber roads that seem to
suddenly appear to see if they had clear cut the trees 50 yards from the road. We do not
stop to see, but in some places I could swear that behind the trees there are complete
valleys where there are only stumps. Outside Amos, we again check the cell phone. It no
longer can communicate with the outside world. There is still 109 kilometers to
Matagami.
We are now communications isolated.
It is 9.45 when we come into Matagami. (Matagami in Cree means where the rivers meet) As
you drive into this little town there are two industries that one can see from the road.
There is a mine and a wood processing plant. We have now driven about 900 km since we left
Maniwaki at 9.45 a.m. this morning. With still a lot of gas left in the tank, we calculate
that the car can go over 700 km on a tank of gas... Tomorrow we will find out.
Eric is the bartender at the motel. Eric is 27 and speaks English. He tells us that at the
height of construction of the LG 2 power dam at Radisson there were 9000 people living in
Matagami. When the construction finished they destroyed most of the houses. Now one can
buy a house for about $13,500.
"How are the houses heated," I queried.
"Electricity" came the answer.
"How many people work in Radisson?"
"About 200 the same number as in the Noranda mine, take care of the James Bay Highway
and at the Domtar wood processing plant here."
Eric tells us that at one time he wanted to be a
professional hockey player.
Listen
to Eric say "Chisasibi" in French -
Real Audio
We both have a beer and decide that we have had enough for the day. I go to bed tired but
excited that tomorrow I will get to Chisasibi, might see James Bay and touch its waters
for the first time in my life.
Back to
Joe's Trip Diary
Day 3 Matagami to Radisson to
Chisasibi 716 kilometers
I awaken early at 7.00 am and shower. After I am ready, I go out to check the
car and get ready for the trip. Looking out the window I see that the car is covered
by a heavy dew and there is not a cloud in the sky. It is going to be a great day to
travel and see the scenery.
I take out the cooler in the back seat and empty the water from the melted ice. I taste
one strawberry and look at the blueberries protected by a plastic bag. They are alright.
Across the street from the motel is a gasoline station and I drive the car over and fill
it with gas. The price of gasoline here is 82.4 cents per litre and a fill up costs about
$18.50. It is best that we fill up the car here as the next possible place
to get gas is at km 381. I buy a bag of ice and put it in the cooler which is now filled
with strawberries, blueberries, iced tea and diet Pepsi.
The car is ready, we have breakfast at a little restaurant right next to the motel and pay
our motel bill. We are about to venture north on a road that is over 600 kilometers long
without any commercial sites on it. This distance is greater than the distance from
Toronto to Montreal along Highway 401.
Km 0 is a short 2 or 3 kilometers outside of Matagami. There is a sign that tells
all travelers to stop next to a little building on the right side of the road.
We stop and a voice comes over a loud speaker asking whether it is our first time on the
James Bay Highway. We respond positively and are invited to park and come into the
building. It is now about 9.30 in the morning.
In the building we are greeted by two women who give us some tourist brochures and asked
to "sign in". It is a precaution by the James Bay Municipality to know who is on
the highway. I ask to take a picture of the two ladies with Paulette. They smile and
agreed. The picture appears in the landscape slide show of this trip.
I wondered whether or not four days later I would be at the same desk signing out
and be headed to our individual civilizations.
The road north for the first 15 kilometers has a few
curves and a little bumpy. The vegetation is very still very thick and there are
mostly evergreens on both sides of the highway growing on soil that is almost devoid of
topsoil. Then the road starts to straighten as I set the cruise control to about 105
kilometers an hour. The speed limit here is 100 kph.
The first man made thing we see as we pass through
km 2 is the Bell River Bridge. We have been given a three page list of places that
we will pass and I recommend that if you attempt this journey that you do not go up this
road without it. On these pieces of paper are the Kilometer stops and a little
description pertaining to each potential stop along where the S.O.S. telephone booths are
in case of emergencies. It should be noted that many of these stops are not right at the
side of the road but a little off the road as we found out later. Those off the road
were as little as 4 kilometers or as much as 10 kilometers. You can view the
information by clicking though here to the James Bay Road
detailed information.
The thing that amazed me about this road is the
fact that although it might seem boring and tedious there were many things to see and do.
Particularly, being aware of how much fuel there was left in the car until you
reached km 381. This is where there is mechanic service, a cafeteria, dormitory to
sleep and a first aid clinic. Some of these services are open 24 hours a day -
others are not.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that as
we travel north over the bridges, the water is all flowing west into James Bay. I have
arrived in the area of the Arctic watershed and in a place where glaciers in some places
were as thick as four kilometers in some places. (it is when I get home that I find
out the the James Bay watershed starts just south of Amos) They carved the lakes, ground
the sand and gravel and smoothed the granite that I was seeing. The second thing is the
abundance of trees that line both sides of the road and the apparent density of the
forest. During the first 100 kilometers it is thick and as you go further north it seems
to thin out a bit and the trees seem to get shorter. If one looks at the soil or
lack of, you can see sand and gravel. In places there is bare rock with large
boulders scattered on the bare rock. This is an indication of where the glacier was
relatively thin. Then when it retreated and it dragged large boulders across hard
surfaces. When it melted simply deposited them. Other places, there is sand and
gravel which means that the glacier when it retreated was very heavy and thick. Here
the rock simply was crushed by the tremendous weight of the glacier and what can be seen
is pulverized stone in the form of gravel and sand. There is no top soil here simply
due to the fact that top soil formed by the decay of organic material is simply not
available in large quantities.
What we have now entered as we pass north of the 49th parallel is the beginning of
the Municipality of James Bay. This is the largest municipality in the world with a
land mass area of 350,000 square kilometers.
During the time that we traveled, we could see the beginning of the blooming of the
summer Taiga flowers. They are brilliant in a large variety of colours. Reds,
oranges, blues all brilliant to attract insects to pollinate them. And insects there
were when we stopped for a break in the driving.
This day, I was wearing a white shirt. This
was a big mistake as flies and mosquitoes seem to be drawn to this colour. At one
point, Paulette said my back was covered with them and she quickly brushed them off before
quickly getting back in the car. It was a mistake that I was to pay for as later
where these flies had bit, I got what seemed to be boils that lasted a few days. No,
they did not itch which was surprising. Paulette on the other hand was wearing a
light brown coloured shirt and they seemed not attracted to this colour.
There are two places to stop worth mentioning. At
km 257, the little blue car went over the Rupert River bridge. At the other end is a
stopping place where you can see the rapids. The view is spectacular from the little
park made especially for visitors. The picture that appears in the slide show certainly
does not provide justice to what we saw, heard or felt. The water flowing down these
rapids is massive and seemingly at a much greater volume than what I have seen in the
Niagara River just below Niagara Falls. The noise overwhelms and all I could think
of was what it was like to come streaking down these rapids in a canoe of kayak.
If you have time, take the little side road to another park above the rapids.
Here there is fishing, boat launching facility, picnic tables, toilets and a
warning about not getting too close to the rapids.
The second place worth stopping is at km 381 just
to see what a gas station in the middle of a highway that is 720 kilometers long is all
about. You have to be careful not to miss it as there is a right hand turn into the
area. We drove right by it the first time and when we realized we had passed it, we
drove back about a kilometer to take a look. There are two slides on the travel
slide show which gives one an idea of what the place looks like.
The first visual impressions of this place was
that there were very large fuel tanks and a number of prefabricated buildings here. When
you drive into the area, it seems that it might have been a very large paved pad without
any roads surrounded by little and somewhat larger administration buildings and a
heliport. After passing the heliport where there were two helicopters parked there
is the gasoline pumps. I think there are two only and a little building where one
pays for fuel. The price at the pumps when we were there was 99 cents a litre.
Fortunately, we had emptied the first of our 20 litre reserve tank into the car about 60
kilometers before this stop and found that 20 liters brought the fuel gauge back up to
full. So we needed no fuel. The little car could probably go 700 kilometers if
needed on one tank of gas.
There is a cafeteria open from 5.30 am to 4.00
p.m. for travelers at km 381. The place is clean and neat and I would hesitate to
eat here. Their menu and prices appears on a picture in the site portrait slide
show.
After a short break, we left 381 (as the natives
call it) and headed north.
Today the sky is clear and going up the road, we
had only encountered a few drops of rain early in the morning. When you stop for a
break, what one notices is the complete silence. What I mean is the complete lack of
noise from anything. The noises associated with wind, cars, airplanes, music, birds, trees
or anything else is absent. There is a serenity and quiet which I have only found in
this place and would experience for the next three days in Chisasibi.
After 381 looking in the sky northward, we could
see jet contrails high in the atmosphere. Some ten years or so earlier, I had flown
from Europe to Canada and the first signs of civilization I could see were over northern
Quebec. This must be the place where pilots first see roads. As you pass some
of the forests (km 566) it is apparent that there have been forest fires in the past that
turned fragile stands of spruce into what appeared as burnt out standing logs. I
wondered how long it would take to bring these stands of trees back to life in the harsh
climate and soil conditions that exist here.
Then at about km 550 one begins to see power
transmission towers and lines on the horizon. I am beginning to see the the massive
James Bay Power project that supplies power from James Bay into United States some 1500
kilometers away.
There are four massive power generation stations
using the Grande Rivere watershed. These generate power along a corridor which is
roughly 688 kilometers long and perhaps 100 kilometers wide. All this land was
previously in the control of the Crees at Chisisabi and the genesis of the James Bay
Agreement. Its impact upon a culture would be discussed in the coming two days.
At km 544 there is a road called the Trans-Taiga
Road Junction. This is a gravel road which takes you to LG-3 (128 km) and LG-4 (300
km). As we passed this I could see a car starting down this long road with a plume
of dust hurling in the air. I could not imagine what it would be like getting out of
the car 688 kilometers later or what condition the car would be in at that time.
Thank God, we were driving on pavement.
Km 544 also is the start of a high density of
power lines and towers. Here nearly 190 kilometers from the LG- 2 generating station
at Radisson it is beginning to look like the same number of towers and lines as one sees
going into large metropolitan centres like Montreal or Toronto. When you get to km
650, the tower density is certainly the same as that coming into Toronto only without the
buildings or the traffic.
At km 589, we pass the LG-2 Airport. It
seems nearly as big a facility as the Ottawa International Airport. It was
built this large to accommodate the workers who constructed the dams at LG-1 and LG-2 when
there were 13,000 people in this area. Now there are only 200 people who operate
these dams. It seems to be a great facility for tourists who wish to fly into this
area.
It is now about 4.45 p.m. as we finally drive into
Radisson (population 350). We have decided to have something to eat and then take a
drive to tour LG-2. I am a little tired, hungry and relieved that our little car had
survived the long 720 kilometer trip without incident.
There is a nice little restaurant at Radisson. The
waitresses are very friendly and speak mostly French. They are most helpful as I try
my best to use my high school French. The restaurant serves pizza, hamburgers and
some full course meals and the prices are much the same as those at km 381. I eat
some pasta which makes me sleepy.
After supper, we decide that there is enough time
to take a drive around LG-2 to see the immensity of the project and to get a perspective
of what lands were flooded. In an hour and a half of driving around I had a better
perspective of the James Bay Power Project than I had ever had.
The spillway is as rugged as it appears in all the
pictures that I had seen before coming. There is an observation point at the bottom
of the spillway where there are plaques commemorating the building of the power dams.
We drove all over the many roads surrounding and even on top of the dam itself.
From on top of a observation tower, I could see perhaps 10 kilometers in
every direction. To the west, I could see the Rivere Grande that flows into James
Bay. To the east, the huge lake that was flooded to provide a reservoir perhaps 65
kilometers long by about 10 kilometers wide, North were trees and forest and south
we could see parts of Radisson. The climb to the top of the tower is well worth the
effort.
The thing that really surprised me was the fact
that we only saw one car and no people in our trip in and around the power dam. Even at
the top of the dam, there was no security gates or security personnel.
If one was to describe this segment of the power
project it would be - HUGE!
At 7.00 p.m., we were back on the highway heading
south to km 600 where we took a right hand turn to the road to Chisisabi (meaning in Cree
- Great River - population 3200) 96 kilometers away.
The road to Chisisabi is all paved and relatively
straight. There is very little if any traffic until about 15 kilometers from
Chisisabi where one can see cars coming and going. Then one can see power towers
coming from LG-1 a power dam which is about 10 kilometers upstream from this Cree village
of 3,200 inhabitants. As you get closer, there is a check point with a very big sign
asking everyone to stop. We stopped and were greeted by two Cree men who asked us to
sign in. Later we learned that this check point was used to search cars coming and
going into the reservation for liquor, beer and drugs. Chisisabi is a dry
reservation.
At the check point, the natives gave us a map of
the village and when asked pointed out where the motel was located. "It is on
the second floor near the big teepee. Take the road between the two churches and the
cemetery and it will take you right there." they said.
Finally, ten minutes later we came to the village.
Sure enough there were the two churches, the cemetery and a large wooden teepee on
top of a cement block building. The teepee was in the middle of a central square
containing, the fire station, police station, restaurants, grocery stores, community
centre, ice rink.... I looked for a motel sign but I could not see any.
Finally, I saw a sign for a restaurant. I went through the door and found a
restaurant with a closed sign on the door. Then I went outside and there was a little Cree
girl.
"Where is the motel?" I asked.
"Over there on the second floor," she answered with a little shy
smile.
I went through the doors of a very large cement
block building and found a large area where there were a number of older Cree men sitting
and talking. A janitor was sweeping the floor.
"Where is the motel?" I asked one man.
"Upstairs, " he said motioning toward a set of stairs.
I went up the stairs to find a long hallway and a
set of doors over which was the sign - "Chisisabi Motel" Down the hallway
was a number of doors with numbers and at #1 I saw a sign indicating the Office. The sign
said that if there was no one there, to go to Room #20. I went down the hall and
before I could knock on the door, a man appeared who told me he was from Montreal and was
here contracted to teach some classes. He told me that the caretaker could help me
and led me back downstairs. Here we found the caretaker who took me back to the
office and gave me keys.
The room number was #15 and I opened the door to
be pleasantly surprised to find a room roughly 20 feet long and about 10 feet wide
with two queen sized beds, two tables, a first rate bathroom with a tub and shower and
carpet on the floor.
I had finally made it and here was my new home for
the next two days.
Back to Joe's Trip
Diary
Day 4 Chisasibi and James Bay
This place is so quiet that I can hear the sound of my ballpoint pen when I
write notes on my steno pad.
When making this comment to Sherman our Cree guide, he replied with a smile,
"You probably were using a noisy pen."
It is 9.00 am when we finally make our way to the
restaurant across from the motel. The restaurant is actually in the building with
the decorative teepee rising about 20 feet on its roof. The building houses
various offices such as the Economic Development Agency and the Mandow Tourism Agency plus
a large area that is used for banquets and weddings.
Breakfast is at the Mitchuap Restaurant and we
engage in conversation with a man who is here to training the Cree on janitorial services.
He was contracted to visit all 9 Cree villages each year. He told us that the Cree
had trusted Quebec Hydro that they would fulfill their end of the James Bay Agreement.
This was a mistake as the Quebec government had not lived up to their end of
the agreement. He also told us that many people had come to James Bay and sold the
Cree things that they did not need. The Cree had trusted these people too.
Now, the trust was gone and the aboriginals want autonomy if they can get it. There
were problems with the youth, alcoholism, vandalism, suicide, depression and with gangs
using the abandoned airports as drop off points for drugs. Basically the youth did not
care what was happening and were bored. They have rebelled against traditional ways
of hunting and fishing. This conversation provided us with the start of an insight
into viewing this community as a community and culture in transition.
Samuel Cox the manager of the Mandow Agency is a
big man who was sitting starring into his computer screen as we knocked on the door of the
agency. He turned slowly and smiled.
"I'm Joe Lor and I have some strawberries and
blueberries for you Sam," I said when I saw him.
We shook hands and then I introduced him to
Paulette. "You have come a long way" he said in a soft voice.
It about three hours later after being introduced
to his staff of Sherman, Joey and Alice that we were on the banks of the Grande Rivere
climbing into a 24 foot canoe powered by a 50 horsepower outboard motor and finally
heading out to James Bay. Sam had decided to come and was controlling the motor,
Sherman one of the most humourous man I have ever met was in the front seat.
Paulette and I sat in the middle seat dressed in rubber boots, jeans, baseball caps,
sunglasses and winter jackets. I pulled on my life jacket as Sam guided the canoe
into the river.
"See how the current is here." The
water seemed be swirling in places.... as the tide was going out. I asked about the
tide and Sherman said that the tide rises and falls a distance of about four feet. I
reached and felt the water. It was cool but not really cold here. Later on the
Bay when I felt the water ~~ it was close to frigid.
"We are going to Fort George to see where we
used to live."
"How long has it been since you moved to the
mainland?" I asked.
The people of Fort George, ten years ago were
moved to the mainland by Quebec Hydro. The reason given was that the island was
eroding badly and in time the whole island would disappear caused by the changes in the
river. These changes were caused by the LG-1 dam further upstream. With the
island fast losing its ground, it was causing other problems. There were more
sandbars forming in the Bay and if one was not careful you could lose a propeller or even
the bottom of a canoe if you were not careful. Traditional fishing and hunting
grounds were being changed by the sandbars.
Fort George, was founded in 1807 by the Hudson Bay
Company as a trading post for furs. The furs were traded and here ships from Europe
which crossed the Atlantic would come down Hudson's Bay to James Bay during the summer and
take furs back to Europe. The island is about 3 miles in length and at its widest
point might be a mile or two wide. There is very little vegetation on this island as
the region where the island is located is what here is known as tiaga or pre tundra.
There are lichens and moss on the rocks but little or no topsoil. Sherman
told us that when he was growing up on the island, the Catholics Church people were
growing potatoes, but they did not sell them or share them with the aboriginals.
We docked the canoe and went up on the island for
a quick 'look see'.
"Nobody lives here anymore, but right now the
people that you see are preparing for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the
move."
I could see a few people erecting tents in
preparation for the celebration two days hence.
On the island, there are still a few structures.
A vacant church, the storage warehouse where the Hudson Bay Company would store the
furs waiting for the ships from Europe. There was a cemetery, with little fences
over the graves to protect the bodies from the wild animals who might dig up the bodies.
And there was still the framework of teepees which could be used by anyone in case they
needed emergency shelter. The grass had grown up along the pathways and I felt an
emptiness in the atmosphere of the place. Both Sherman and Samuel talked about
attending the residential school on the island. They showed us two poles buried in
the ground that at one time had been greased so children could try their luck during a
celebration to climb the greased pole to win a prize. They showed us the remnants of
a dock where the supply ships would stop. And Sherman showed us where he would put
one goal for a hockey game they played in the winter and spring months. The other
goal was at the mouth of the river at what seemed like 2 kilometers away. As Sherman
put it, "It took a long time to score a goal."
After visiting Fort George, I asked if I could be
taken to the place where the La Grande Riverie meets James Bay.
We got into the canoe and made our way toward the
Bay as the tide was going out. I could see both the wide expanse of James Bay as
well as a jutting of land where it seemed that both bodies of water come together.
For me it was a sacred place.
Sam guided the boat toward the shore and we got out and climbed up some rocks.
Sherman guided both Paulette and I up a path toward where one of the churches had
at one time erected an iron cross. The Crees had asked that it be taken down and now
it lay on the ground. From our advantage point, I could look far out on the Bay to
where I could see a number of islands. And also in front of me, a view
straight ahead of the Grande River as its water blended with that of James Bay.
I had accomplished my goal of coming to the
northern shore of Canada.
After about 15 minutes at this spot, we again got back into the canoe and headed
out into James Bay. As we went Sherman took a cup and tested the water to see if it
was salty. Because the tide was coming out, I could not detect any hint of
salt in the water until we were about 1 mile from the mouth of the river. We began
to tour this rocky islands looking for seals, ducks, and whales. From our
perspective out on the water, I looked back to the land. There were two white plumes
of smoke rising straight up in the air about 12 kilometers from where we where.
"Forest fire, started by lightening a few
days ago...." reported Sherman when I asked.
The beauty of the James Bay here is the starkness
of the islands. Every island was like an individual entity. Some were just a
smooth rock rising out of the water just a few feet. Others had smooth flat rocks
overlying a rolling granite surface, some with lichens growing on the rocks, others
with none.
There were loons off in the distance as we
traveled. Our guides kept us informed about where they had seen seals, whales and
all kinds of species of ducks and geese that I had never seen in Eastern Ontario where I
live. When asked any question they would patiently and politely answer pointing out
highlights everywhere. They made these rocky islands seem alive with their stories.
I asked what would happen if they had mechanical
problems with the motor and it could no longer function. Sam told us that every
canoe going on the Bay carried a blue heavy plastic tarpaulin that could not only be used
as a ground sheet but as a sail that could be put between two paddles. Sherman
showed us the specially made paddles he was using that looked very heavy to use but were
custom made of polling the boat and almost unbreakable. Sam had three 5 gallon gas
tanks plus an HF radio which he could use to ask for help. He told us that if a
person gets caught out "here" during a very bad storm, it is virtually
impossible for someone to come out to rescue. So what they do is pull the canoe up
on one of the islands and turn it over and light a fire using the driftwood and wait to be
rescued.
It was about 6.00 p.m. when they came ashore on
one island. We are going to eat here , Sherman reported. I looked at the shore, it
was rocky and the only sign of vegetation was some moss and lichen on the rocks.
Immediately when we got to shore, the two guides went about gathering driftwood to fuel
the fire. And then Sherman started to sharpen long poles that were about 6 feet
long.
They brought out a big pot from the bottom of the
canoe. "We are going to have goose."
Sherman lit the fire and we sat near it not only to warm ourselves but to sit
in the smoke to encourage the flies to go away. It worked and as the fire began to get
hotter, the bugs became almost absent.
A 14 - 16 pound Canada Goose came out of the large
pot and Sherman preceded to cut up large chunks and thread them onto the ends of the
poles. Then these poles were used to suspend the meat about 12 inches from the
flames of the fire. They supported the poles by building rock crevices with
stones. In a few minutes, we were sitting watching a little grease melt from the
flesh. It was a lot less than any commercial goose that I had cooked in the past. In fact
the amount of fat that dripped from the cooking meat seemed even less than that what
is found in extra lean hamburger. After about 1/2 hour of cooking, Sam handed me a
knife and one of the poles that held the cooked goose. After cutting a piece ~ it was
delicious and tasted like venison. Paulette and I ate until we were full.
After dinner, Sam got out a old tea kettle and
filled it with water for tea. Tea after this meal in the open air and under an
absolute clear blue evening sky with wisps of clouds in the stratosphere on James Bay was
just the right thing to have. We began to trade stories and ask questions.
I asked, "Where do people come from who come to James Bay?"
"Mostly from Southern Quebec and Europe, in fact a few years ago we had a
interesting request from a European woman."
"What was that?" asked Paulette.
"She wanted to come here and have a Cree baby! - I'm ready !"
beamed Sherman who is married to a wonderful wife and a father of four children and two
grand children.
"There are so many things that people want to
see and do when they are here. We have people who want to dive on the wrecks of
ships at the mouth of the Grande Rivere; people who come from Europe who want to
participate in Sweat Lodges and learn a little about the spiritual side of the Crees;
photographers who want to photograph the ducks and geese; people like yourselves who just
want to experience being on James Bay, there are people who come here to see the
Bulga whales, seals, walrus; there are people who want to stay overnight on the islands or
the shore; groups who just want to have stories told and ask questions when
they get here; fisherman who come here for the walleye, pike, arctic char, and brook
trout; of course there are the hunters who come every September to see and hunt the Canada
and Snow Geese in what is recognized as the major staging area for waterfowl in the
subArtic region. We will also take people to hunt the caribou when the time is
right. There is a herd near Eastmain which has about 200,000 animals. Also as
you know people come here to see LG-2 and LG-1 and then make the little drive to Chisisabi
to explore the history of Fort George and the Hudson's Bay Company. We now have
people working on the preservation of this history and they have pictures and the records
of the Hudson Bay and North West Trading Company. There is a lot to see and do here."
At 7.30 we left the island where we had barbecued
the goose and headed into open water west towards an island that I could just make out on
the horizon, perhaps 2 or 3 kilometers away. As we approached, I could see thousands
of Arctic terns in the sky. We were about to come on their island where they had
just laid their eggs.
As Sherman scampered up the rocks to look for the eggs of a bird that laid them
under rocks, Paulette and I saw little nests where there were two spotted brown eggs.
In one nest there were three eggs which was really unique. Some were without the
protection of vegetation and others just sat on the bare rock. We had disturbed the
terns who normally sat on the eggs. On one side of the island there were pools of water
from where the tide had created these pools and where there were rocks. Under these
flat rocks were the eggs that Sherman was seeking. He showed me white eggs with
black spots and explained that in about two weeks the natives would be here taking some of
the chicks for meat. In another place on a higher level on the island was piles of
driftwood. In one pile, I could see the remnants of the runners of an Inuit sled
with seal skin on the runners. Upon further examination we could determine the age
of this sled simply by the fact that it was put together with spiral nails a recent
invention of no more than 20-30 years ago. Sherman was looking for a piece of birch with
which he want to use to carve a wooden gun for one of his grandchildren.
We left this island and headed east back toward the mainland perhaps 10 kilometers
away across open water. The Bay was calm and I sat enjoying the cold arctic air
biting my face. I had my hands in the pockets of my jacket and Sherman was wearing
gloves. Suddenly, the boat slowed to a stop.
"Seal," said Sam quietly.
Sure enough about 50 feet ahead was a seal
with a blue face poking his head up in the water. I saw him and he suddenly
disappeared. Sherman started to scratch the side of the canoe making a noise that
would attract the curiosity of the seal. The seal reappeared now 30 feet from the
canoe, raised itself so that we could see about 1 foot of his neck then disappeared
quietly in the water. As he appeared closer and closer, both Sam and I tried to take
pictures of this animal with a dark blue humanlike face. Sam told us that he has seen
seals on the Bay with faces as large as the upper unit of the 50 horsepower motor that was
attached to the canoe. They can be as big as about 300 pounds he told us. We
shoot them in the fall and not in the spring because if you shoot them in the spring, they
do not have a lot of fat and they will sink. He also told us that in the same water he has
seen walrus, beluga whales and lots of seals. Then he looked to the west across the
calm water.
"Look out there just as far as you can
see."
I looked with my binoculars and could only see a
white haze on the horizon.
"It is either fog or ice out there."
Sam started the motor and we came back to the
mainland and up the river. By now the tide had changed and the currents were evident
by the swirl of the water. We came along the south side of Fort George island where
we could see some people preparing a barge line between the island and the shore.
Carefully we crossed the steel barge line.
"They are getting ready for the celebration."
We continued upstream and as we looked back to
where we had come, the sun was just dipping on the horizon. At the horizon the sky
was a thin ribbon of brilliant orange and above it were dark purples and dark and light
blues. Before the sun had dropped out of site, Sam and I tried to capture the moment on
film. In seconds the sun had disappeared and the sky was still light in the subArctic sky.
It was 10.30 p.m.
We got back to the beach where Sam beached his
canoe and I help them take our stuff up the beach. Sherman went looking for logs
that are used for rollers, found some and carefully built a roller ramp on the beach.
When all our supplies and equipment were out, Sam backed his van down to the beach
and tied a rope to the bow and dragged the canoe up onto the beach.
We had been on James Bay for the last 9 hours and
what I had seen and felt had made me humble and silent.
Back to Joe's Trip
Diary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Cultural Tourism Information
Chisasibi Mandow Agency
P.O. Box 720
Chisasibi, Quebec
Canada J0M 1E0
Telephone: (819) 855-3373
Fax: (819) 855-3374
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