1 of 3
William Ennis
Waterfall along the route
2 of 3
William Ennis
Inn at Natashquan
3 of 3
William Ennis
Sept Iles
By William Ennis
The highway along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, east of Baie Comeau, is a lightly travelled road. The journey goes through little towns and thick forests mixed with views of the river. It's a drive for the adventurer.
Baie Comeau, at the start of this drive, is about 400 km northeast of Quebec City. Que-389 runs north from here past the big Manic reservoirs and power dams to eventually reach the Trans-Labrador Highway. Que-138 is the road to Natashquan and ends there. This is about as far as you can drive east on the north shore of the St. Lawrence. A little gravel road continues a little way. Someday, the short distance from Natashquan to the roads of Labrador will be completed with a road.
After leaving Baie Comeau the road various from steep hills to flat areas and eventually returns to provide views of the broad St. Lawrence River which is very wide at this point. Several rivers flow down to the St. Lawrence and here along the highway, are a series of small villages. In Baie Trinite area there are several farms and then it's back to forests again.
Sept Iles, named for seven islands, has been an important port because of iron mines to the north, and an aluminum plant which makes use of the abundant electricity produced by rivers to the north. Here you can camp at the Tourist Office in a very neatly arranged campground. It's small but nice.
You can book a ride out to La Grande Basque island, the closest of the islands to town, where you can do a little hiking through an area of rocky ridges, cliffs, and sandy beaches on the river. There are several primitive campsites as well, but you have to make arrangements to be picked up when it's time to leave.
You will find a very pretty church at Riviere au Tonnerre. The large structure is impressive with its blue and white paint. The interior is grandly decorated and very attractive. It is built in the old Norman style and has several hand-carved motifs. Take time to enjoy it.
1 of 4
William Ennis
Attractive church
2 of 4
William Ennis
A Forest scene
3 of 4
William Ennis
Labrador Store
4 of 4
William Ennis
St Lawrence
East of Sept Iles you come to the large Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. This ocean preserve and park extends for a long distance. Here you will find strangely formed sea stacks, or monoliths made of eroded outcrops of limestone. It is claimed that there are over 1000 islands in this protected area where seals and whales are seen. Canada Parks employees will guide you on an offshore visit to two special islands with lots to see. A stay at one of the campgrounds on the islands will certainly provide you with only the sounds of nature. Crowds are not likely to disturb you. As you drive through the preserve you will find opportunities to picnic, have a hike, or take pictures. There are exhibits at the Reception and Interpretation Centre at Havre Saint Pierre. At the east end, there is an area set apart for the Betchouanes Bird Sanctuary.
This section of the drive is not far from the huge Anticosti Island way out in the St. Lawrence River. Although it is larger than Prince Edward Island it only has about 200 people. The steep cliffs and poor landing areas along its coast probably have helped keep people away. Those who go out to visit claim it's a great experience.
What caught our attention on this drive were the neatly, brightly painted, homes in the villages. Another nice attraction was the fact that we didn't see garbage along the road anywhere.
The journey is a long drive, and you have to return the same route. As is usually the case when backtracking you see things from a different angle, and always see things you missed. Overall, the scenery is good, ranging from thick evergreen forest to flat open boggy areas with dwarf evergreens, similar to what you see in the northern tundra. There are many sections of bald rock, scratched bare from glaciers that passed this way. The road is crooked in places, and rough in places, but it's worth it just to drive this far east in north-eastern Canada.
For Information:
Boat to La Grande Basque: http://tourismeseptiles.ca/en/ile/archipelago-cuises
About the Mingan Archipelago http://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/qc/mingan/visit/brochures
1 of 5
William Ennis
Berry cluster
2 of 5
William Ennis
Flower
3 of 5
William Ennis
Lots of Flowers
4 of 5
William Ennis
Northern Reflections
5 of 5
William Ennis
End of Highway