Aboard the Nordik Express

Day 2, June 2nd Sept Iles, Anticosti Island, Havre St Pierre



The boat departed Sept Iles at 6:30 in the morning, I was told I could not have my room until 2 but I could put my stuff in it. I went up to the top of the boat and tried to sleep across a few seats but it was uncomfortably cold so I decided to ignore the guy and sleep in my cabin anyway. I’m glad I did because every time I went up on deck or just sat inside I felt seasick so I would go back to my room and lie down for a bit, its pitch black when I turn off the lights which is great because you can’t see the boat rocking.


My bunk



We docked on Anticosti Island and I went for a walk into Port Menier. Port Menier is the only village on this island; there are about 200 people who live here year round but in the summer the population spikes. Most of the island is actually a National Park covering 572 square km’s and there is a lot of wildlife there. The island attracts all kinds of people; vacationers, hunters, fishers, hikers, flora and fauna lovers and bird watchers. Anticostiens came from France, St Pierre et Miquelon, Gaspe, and New Brunswick and today they are a French speaking population. On the way into town I thought I was going to get blown off the road. You know when you’re biking and it’s really windy, you’re ears start to hurt, well that’s what I felt today.




I went to an artisan shop and bought myself a pretty pair of Anticostien earrings. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any information booklets about the island so I’ll tell you what I know about their history. Henri Menier, a wealthy chocolatier, bought the island for 125,000$ in 1895; he had a dream to make it a hunting and fishing paradise. He introduced various types of wildlife to the region; foxes, moose, beavers, and white tailed deer. In 1926 the Menier’s left the island and lumber company’s moved in. Today people mostly fish, hunt, and rely heavily on tourism. Anticosti used to be known as the graveyard of the Gulf because many ships wrecked on their riffs (the coast). After my walk on the island it was time for a grill cheese.



At night I was completely enveloped in darkness, the wind was whipping around my head and I was no longer sea sick. We left Havre St Pierre at about 00:30 and as much as I would have liked to explore and take photos it was dark and rainy so instead I joined a fellow boat mate at a bar just off the wharf. The man I met on the boat is from St Augustine; he had spent most of his life working away from the coast. He recently got laid off and decided it was time to spend a summer home. I don’t think I’ve met a single coaster who doesn’t refer to the region as home even if they’ve spent most of their life away.
The barmaid told me that Havre St Pierre’s main industry is Hydro and mining but it is also an educational town for the hospital and has a population of about 3500 people; mostly French speaking. The area was settled in 1857 by 6 Acadian families across the Mingan archipelago. Because of the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Havre St Pierre is now a popular tourist destination. The town is about a 2 hour drive (221 km’s) from Sept Iles but it’s a day on the boat. I found out too late that there is a bus that goes there but then I wouldn’t have been able to see Anticosti Island.
The boat was rocking so badly before we got to Havre St Pierre, I couldn’t get off my bunk; my body would go straight down headfirst and then back the other way; I had a death grip on my pillow. I wanted to get up and take photos of the swells but I knew I’d end up puking over the side. When I got up later the decks were flooded with water. It was June 2nd and I was wearing what passes for a winter jacket in Montreal. After we left the port I sat at the stern of the boat on the top deck watching the boat cut through darkness. There’s nothing like it, it was about 2am, no one around, completely dark; the only sound was the roar of the engines and the boat crashing through the swell. The next morning I arrived in Natashquan: the end of Route 138. I’ll tell you all about it next time.