Information on The Lower North Shore
As the name suggests, the Lower North Shore is the most North Eastern portion of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The region consists of 15 villages starting with Blanc Sablon on the border with Labrador in the East, and ending with Kegashka (Kegaska) in the West. The remaining villages, listed from East to West are Lourdes De Blanc Sablon, Brador Bay, Middle Bay, Saint Pauls River, Old Fort Bay, Saint Augustine River, La Tabatiere, Mutton Bay, Tete A La Baleine, Alymer Sound, Harrington Harbour, Chevery, and La Romaine.
Most of the villages in the region are isolated, and can only be reached via airplane, or ferry. You can take a Ferry from Saint Barbe’s in Newfoudland, to Blanc Sablon, and drive west to Old Fort Bay. The Relais Nordik is a combination ferry and freighter that makes a weekly journey starting in Rimouski, and ending in Blanc Sablon. Air Labrador offers flights from Montreal to most of the villages on the Lower North Shore, and is the fastest way for most people to get to the Lower North Shore. Finally, Provincial Airlines offers flights from Newfoundland to Blanc Sablon.
While we were in La Tabatiere last summer, Premier Jean Charest was in the village to announce that route 138 would be extended through the Lower North Shore. If past experience is any guide, I will probably still be a very old man before all of the villages on the lower North Shore are connected to the outside world via a road. It was a good gesture, but I also suspect that it was mostly tied to some announements for hydro electric dams which were announced in parallel. I will have more to say on this topic in a later posting.
For hundreds of years, the economy of the Lower North Shore has been based on the fishing industry. The original explorers and settlers came to the region for cod, whales, and seals and made a very good living on the region. Unfortuantely, over the years the mismanagment of the fishing industry by numerous levels of government, has resulted in a severe decline in most fish stocks. Currently, the remaining fishermen are focused mostly on Snow Crab, Shrimp, and there are also smaller fisheries such as lobster. I will also have more to add on this topic in future posts too.
Because of the decline in fishing industry, the region has had a severe impact on the local economy, and many people, myself included, have had to leave the region to find employment. I have noticed that more and more former Coasters are returning to the Lower North Shore to retire, or for vacation. Many of them are also involved in new and interesting projects to document the history oif the region, and also help promote region for tourism. Bob Belvin’s recent book “The Forgotten Labrador” , is an excellent example of this, and is highly recommended for anybody interested in the history of the Lower North Shore.
You can find more general information on the region at The Lower North Shore Web Site .