Highway 389 and Manic 5
Wow, we are already in March, the temperature is slowly rising and the snowmobile excursions are much more pleasant. Thanks to a great team of volunteers, we just cut 12 cords of wood at the Facolli Fall site!!! We have also purchased two new aluminum boats for Trophy Lake and will be replacing those at Hasté Lake as well. We now have to deliver this equipment, along with a year’s supply of gasoline and propane to each of the sites during the months of March and April. Afterwards, it won’t be as safe to travel on the frozen lakes between Fermont and our fishing sites, especially with heavy loads.
Enough about the winter. Surely you must start thinking about your fishing trip this summer. If you haven’t already booked, now is the time to do so. We still have some availability left at Lac Justone Outfitter but it’s going fast.
If you’ve already done so, congratulations! It’s now time to plan your trip. As our fishing offer starts in Fermont, you will have to get there first. The city of Fermont is located in the province of Quebec, 1,200 km northeast of Montreal. It’s connected to the Canadian road network by Highway 138 to Baie Comeau, and then Route 389 from Baie-Comeau to Fermont. The distance to travel from Baie Comeau is approximately 580 kilometers (https://goo.gl/maps/AzjqWvVcgQXQzpR68). About half of the distance on the 389 is paved and the rest is smooth gravel with a few more challenging sections. The trip requires approximately 8-9 hours of driving at a safe speed. A word of advice: when a vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction on a section of gravel road, reduce your speed and favor the right to leave more space between vehicles. This way you could avoid getting a rock in your windshield.
You will drive across the Quebec hydroelectric mega-project of dams supplying Quebec and some states of the American Northeast. The largest, Manic 5, offers guided tours. It’s very popular and must be booked in advance (http://www.hydroquebec.com/visitez/cote_nord/manic-5.html). There’s also a motel/restaurant at Manic 5 (https://www.motelenergie.com) if you want to split your trip in 2 days.
If you prefer to get to Fermont faster, two airlines PAL Airlines and Pascan Aviation offer daily commercial flights between Montreal/Quebec and the Wabush Airport (YWK). The airport is in the neighboring province of Newfoundland and Labrador, 30 km by road from Fermont. We can pre-arrange your transportation between Wabush airport and Fermont if you wish. You can also do all your food and drink purchases in Fermont on the day of your arrival.
Let us know if you have any questions.
We are looking forward to welcoming you soon!
François