Providence Island, Québec
© 2001 Robert A. Mackall
Without a doubt this is the most beautiful day of the trip. Clear, crisp air with a blue sky unimaginable in the States and a few intermittent whiter than white clouds. The trip from Blanc Sablon to Tête-à-la Baleine is relatively short; however, at dawn we find ourselves outside the protective chain of inshore islands waiting for the weekly coastal cruiser Nordik Express to clear port and allow us berthing space. This once a week freighter to the outlying communities runs from April to January depending on ice conditions. That's right, these small villages such as Tête-à-la Baleine and Harrington Harbor are completely iced in during winter and accessable only by ski-doo and small plane.Pictures of Tête-à-la BaleineAgain we thread the needle between the islands of the Toutes Îles archipeligo to reach port. In addition the captain must align bow and stern with navigational markers to pick the correct "eye" through which to pass to actually "find" port. My mind is boogled by this manuevering. Safely in port and with breakfast put away, we get ready for today's adventures. We are divided into two groups. One group will visit the village of Tête-à-la Baleine while the other visits Providence Island. Then we'll lunch and reverse destinations. Like Blanc Sablon, the port of Tête-à-la Baleine is not in the village; nor is it close to anything. Accordingly we are provided with open land and shore to explore while waiting for transportation. So we climb some hills, inspect the flora, and take picures of the small sheltered harbor and its boats. We really enjoy this "free time" opportunity to explore on our own.
Our guide arrives and we are given a tour of the surrounding inshore habitat while making our way across bogs and lakes and forest to the actual village of Tête-à-la Baleine. The driver gives us a good, big laugh when I asked him when hunting season starts and what kind of license is needed to fish commercially. There are no such things up here. If you want a "caribou burger" for lunch, you go out and shoot a caribou. As we enter this tiny village sheltered by big hills, we note the nicely kept homes all with small vegetable gardens and the salmon river that runs through the middle of town. Interestingly, our guide explains that each local village, no matter how small, has an elementary school; middle and high school students are sent to provincial boarding schools returning home only for Christmas and summer vacations. There is a bank, a school, and a community center with library and internet access. I can't think of anything else I'd need... maybe I'm ready.
At the community center we visit a cultural interpretation display at which is explained the old art of working with seal skins. The town boats a few artisans who continue to work with these skins. Additionally, we viewed a video about Providence Island and the old tradition of Transhumance where every summer, local inhabitants physically move their homes by filling them with empty 55 gallon drums and floating them to the outer islands to be closer to the cod fishing grounds. Later actual summer cottages were built on the outer islands and we get to visit them after lunch. And so we we return to the ship listening to really bad country music from the English speaking radio station in Harrington Harbor.
Pictures of Providence IslandLunch aboard ship is relaxing, informal, filling and delicious. Usually it is a three course affair consisting of a soup, an entree, and a dessert. That just right combination to recharge the batteries without sending us below for a nap. So then, batteries recharged, we amble back ashore and down to the beach where we will be transported in small, fast motorboats by local fellows to the old summer fishing village on Providence Island.
The trip to Providence Island is fast, fun and filled with twists and turns as we navigate around and between the islands that make up this archipeligo. We are landed on a small dock and immediately note two things: 1) the beach is massive solid slabs of smooth rock; 2) it is quiet. Not the spooky kind of quiet but the peaceful, restive, you can hear the breeze kind of quiet. This place is very special.
We are met at the dock by a local guide, une jeune fille, trés jolie, just graduated from high school and getting ready to attend college. She is fluent in French and English. (I hope my French students are reading this!) She walks us through the near deserted village, explaining in detail the history of the island and the lovingly maintained buildings and homes. We ascend through the village up the hill to the Chapel of Ste. Anne, the oldest chapel still in existence on the Lower North Shore. After a tour of this very beautiful chapel, we are met by the ladies of the local sodality who treat us to homemade bakeapple tarts and coffee. The escorted tour finished we are left to explore this wonderful, this enchanting island until it is time to be brought back to L'Écho Des Mers.
With the guides departed and ourselves back aboard ship, the pier is deserted. Without fanfare we cast off and head for our next port of call. Providence Island, in retrospect, will be our favorite, most memorable stop on this trip. I can't imagine that we not return here; perhaps to linger a few days and immerse ourselves in everything that makes up the spirit of The Lower North Shore. And as the boat threads its way back out to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, we spot the Chapel of Ste. Anne, quietly vigilant.Related Links for Tête-à-la Baleine
