Air Transportation:
The Lower North Shore is serviced by commercial airlines which fly from various points in Quebec, Labrador, and Newfoundland. There are also charter helicopter and small-plane services in the region.
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Road Transportation:
Quebec Highway 138 extends to Natashquan on the Middle North Shore, but may eventually reach Kegaska and other villages on the western end of the Lower North Shore. It picks up again at Old Fort Bay and runs sixty-five kilometres east to Blanc Sablon. At the Labrador border, it connects to Highway 510; travellers can go as far as Red Bay, fifty kilometres away. There is a road connecting La Tabatière and Mutton Bay, ten kilometres apart. Most villages have roads, but not all are paved.
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Marine Transportation:
Quebec and Nefoundland ferries travel regularly to designated villages on the Lower North Shore during the navigation season, that is, from about May to December, depending on break-up and freeze-up. You can transport cars or other vehicles.
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Snowmobile Travel:
A marked trail maintained by the Quebec Ministry of Transport runs from Tadoussac, on the North Shore, to Blanc Sablon, a distance of 1,765 kilometres. You can rest or wait out stormy weather at relay stations -- emergency cabins stocked with firewood. A map of the trail and its access from other snowmobile trails is available from regional tourist associations.
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Vehicle Rental, Fuel, and Repair Services:
Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon offers car rentals. Most villages have garages to service vehicles, including snowmobiles. Most also offer snowmobile rentals.
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Languages Spoken:
It comes as a surprise to many visitors that English is the most commonly spoken language on the Lower North Shore. It is the lingua franca in twelve of the sixteen villages, and the regional dialect reflects the Newfoundland roots of many of the inhabitants. French is spoken in the non-native community of La Romaine, as well as in Tête-à-la-Baleine. Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon is bilingual. The Montagnais language is spoken at the reserve in La Romaine and in Pakua Shipi. Federal government employees are expected to speak both of Canada's official languages. Provincial government employees may speak French only. The majority of government employees, however, as well as those working in service industries in the region, make an effort to respond to French-speaking or English-speaking clients in their own language.
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Tourist Bureaus:
Only a couple of communities operate a seasonal tourist bureau. But several have a local tourism association to assist visitors.
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Municipal Offices:
The villages on the Lower North Shore are grouped into five municipalities: Municipalité de la Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent (Kegaska, La Romaine, Chevery, Harrington Harbour, Aylmer Sound, and Tête-à-la-Baleine); Municipalité de Gros-Mécatina (Mutton Bay and La Tabatière); Municipalité de Saint-Augustin (St. Augustine); Municipalité de Bonne-Espérance (Old Fort Bay, St. Paul's River, and Middle Bay); and Municipalité de Blanc-Sablon (Brador, Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, and Blanc Sablon).
The municipal offices are located in Chevery, La Tabatière, St. Augustine, St. Paul's River, and Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon. Some villages also have a municipal committee. In the widely dispersed Municipalité de la Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent, visitors seeking detailed information about a particular village should ask the municipal office how to contact the relevant municipal committee.
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Community Radio Stations:
Five community radio stations on the Lower North Shore provide information about local weather conditions, local issues, and community events. Tuning in is a way for visitors to get a sense of the distinct way of life in the region.
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Tour Operators:
There are local tour operators on the Lower North Shore, as well as tour operators from outside the region. Some specialize in half-day or day excursions; others feature more extensive packages. Some function only in the summer, others, summer and winter. They offer a variety of services, ranging from eco-tourism boat tours along the coast to bus tours to Robertson Lake to view the hydroelectric power plant there. Even in communities with no official tour operators, there are usually individuals willing to organize short or extended stays for visitors. In Pakua Shipi, for instance, local Montagnais will guide you to the interior and introduce you to their traditional lifestyles. You can also hire local boat owners to show you around the headlands and outer islands where fishermen and their families traditionally spent the summer in order to be as close as possible to the fishing grounds.
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Outfitters:
There are numerous private sport-fishing camps in the region. There are also outfitters who offer hunting expeditions and, in Chevery, hunting courses.
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Seabird Sanctuaries:
There are several seabird sanctuarieson the Lower North Shore, including Île à la Brume, Wolf Bay, St. Mary's Islands, St. Augustine, and Brador Bay. For permission to visit them, you should contact the Canadian Wildlife Services, the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, or the Quebec-Labrador Foundation. The latter can also provide interpretive information and a schedule of interpretive activities, including sanctuary tours.
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Summer Temperatures:
Although temperatures on the Lower North Shore occasionally exceed 18°C in June, July, or August, they usually hover around 13°C in the summer. Indeed, it is not unusual to see patches of snow onshore and icebergs offshore in June, when the daily mean temperature is 10°C. Winds can be strong, particularly when you're out on the water. Be sure to bring wind-breakers and other warm clothing to ward off the chills. Also bring insect repellent to keep mosquitoes and blackflies at bay.
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Winter Temperatures
The climate can be very cold and quickly changeable here in the winter, dipping to a daily mean temperature of -12.9°C in January. Pack appropriate thermal clothing, footwear, and (if you're planning to camp) sleeping bag. If you're uncertain about what to bring, contact a local tourism association, tour operator, or outfitter for requirements.
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Accomodations
A few villages have small hotels or motels. All have established bed-and-breakfast accomodations or simply friendly families willing to take you into their homes.
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Wilderness Camping
There are no serviced campgrounds on the Lower North Shore. Wilderness campers are welcome to set up tents outside communities. However, you must first contact the appropriate municipal office to check on provincial regulations, particularly those regarding campfires. Wilderness camping is not allowed within 400 metres of a salmon river on the Lower North Shore. You must obtain a permit from the Quebec Ministry of the Environment to camp 400 to 900 metres from a salmon river. The Ministry has an office in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon.
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Restaurants and Bars
Most vilalges have at least one restaurant and bar. However, some are open only on weekends and/or only in the evening. Some restaurants have take-out service only.
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Banking Services
All villages offer banking services through the Caisse populaire Desjardins. The bank personnel maintain standard weekday hours. The Caisse populaire Desjardins in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, however, has a twenty-four-hour banking machine. Some merchants have Interac machines for banking-card usage.
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Credit Cards and Travellers' Cheques
Credit Cards are accepted in very few places on the Lower North Shore. It is best to carry travellers' cheques, which are widely accepted in the region.
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Shopping
Most villages have at least one general store where visitors can pick up groceries, clothing, or other supplies.
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Arts and Crafts
A few villages have outlets for local arts and crafts, but in many cases, you must contact individual craftspeople to buy their wares. A local tourism association or municipal office can direct you to craftspeople.
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Entertainment
Many villages have bars and lounges with live or recorded popular music, dartboards, pool tables, and video games. Musicians playing traditional tunes on the "cardeen" (as the accordion is called locally) or fiddle can be heard in private homes or at special events. Blanc Sablon has the only movie theatre in the region.
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Church Services
There are Anglican, Roman Catholic, and United Church congregations on the Lower North Shore. Every village has a church, but there is not always a resident priest or minister, so services may be irregular. For example, the United Church minister in Harrington Harbour serves Chevery and Aylmer Sound as well. You should check with the closest resident priest or minister for the schedule of services.
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Medical Services
All villages have a clinic with a resident nurse or easy access to such a clinic in a neighbouring village. For example, if you are staying in Old Fort Bay and need medical attention, you can go to the clinic in St. Paul's River, just ten kilometres away. There is a hospital in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, and one of the doctors on staff makes the rounds of clinics once a month. The clinics keep a limited supply of pharmaceuticals on hand. If a medication is not available at a clinic, it has to be transported from the fully stocked pharmacy at the hospital. Transport from Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon can take a matter of hours in good weather, days in inclement weather. You would be well advised, therefore, to bring an adequate supply of your personal medications with you. There is an ambulence service in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon for patients who are accessible by road. A plane and helicopter are also on call for evacuation of patients in medical emergencies.
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Police Services
There is a police office in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon. You should report accidents and crimes and direct inquiries there, except in the case of problems that arise in one of the Montagnais communities on the coast. The Montagnais in La Romaine and Pakua Shipi have their own authorities.
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Postal Services
Most villages have a post office. Where there is none, a local mail carrier collects the outgoing mail and delivers it to the nearest post office and then picks up the incoming mail there.
The postal codes for the villages (west to east) are listed below: