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January/February 2008 issue	In this issue Table of Contents Feature: Polar vision Feature: Carbon cemetery Feature: North Shore highway The Inside Story Editor's Notebook Reverberations Explorer À la carte Mosaic

On the road Writer Christopher Frey embarked on a two-week journey through Quebec’s Lower North Shore to learn about the region’s rich history and culture and to discover what a planned road through the isolated towns and villages might bring Story by Christopher Frey
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Day 1-2: Natashaquan to La Romaine
I feel like an imposter, stuffed into my snow suit and insulated rubber boots like a clammy, nervous sausage. I’ve never been on a snowmobile before and I’m about to ride over 1,000 kilometres of rough country glazed with ice. As a lifelong urbanite I’ve always turned up my nose at the loud intrusion of Skidoos. Soon, I’ll learn to enjoy and appreciate my newest mode of conveyance, and its absolute necessity in a land such as this.

My travelling companion Gilles Chagnon gives me a few pointers before we set off. It was Chagnon, a guide and outfitter, who introduced me to the idea of skidooing the region. I had rented a kayak from him in Havre-Saint-Pierre a few years ago, and after a two-day paddle to the Mingan Islands through deep fog, he showed me photographs of his winter trip through the Lower North Shore. I immediately wanted to discover the region for myself. Guide book descriptions of Quebec end where Highway 138 does — in Natashquan. But that will likely change as construction begins on a road from Kegaska to Old Fort, a continuation of Route 138. On this two-week journey, I hope to find out what a road might mean for the Lower North Shore.

Day 3: La Romaine to Mutton Bay
Another day on the trail, and by late afternoon we arrive at the door of Brigitte Engels. She promptly toasts our arrival with shots of rum. After her husband Elmar died six years ago she became the sole occupant of this house overlooking the pretty inlet town of Mutton Bay. The house is crammed with photography books documenting the world’s disappearing wilderness and cultures and the walls are lined with prints taken during Brigitte and Elmar’s kayaking adventures.

The couple recorded the stories of Innu trappers and local fisherman, produced documentaries for German television and turned out scores of articles about their travels. They also became engaged in the region’s politics, protesting the construction of a Hydro Québec dam at nearby Lac Robertson. Engels concedes they were among the very few against it.

“It was the most beautiful lake,” she says, “full of islands and beaches perfect for fishing. Everyone went there. But people here were only thinking about the jobs, which lasted for two summers. And there weren’t many jobs. They brought in people from outside to work the big machinery and now the dam is operated by professional technicians. Today everyone says, ‘Wasn’t it nice there.’”

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