The Great Northern Loop

Local Attractions

• At the fateway Labrador Visitor Information Center, an exhibition displays artifacts from western Labrador and labrador, illustrating 3,500 years of fur trade and mining history, and local culture.
• The world's largest underground hydroelectric power plant in Churchill Falls. To book a tour, call Nalcor Energy at (709) 925-3335 or visit their website nalcorenergy.com/nalcor-operations/churchillfalls/visit-churchill-falls/.
• During World War II, the airport at Happy Valley-Goose Bay was used to refuel military aircraft on transatlantic flights. CFB Goose Bay is the largest military air base in northeastern North america and is a low-level flight training facility.
• Red Bay, which is the 16th century French settlers called Baie rouge, was a Basque whaling station. This National Historic Site of Canada was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.
• The Sheffer Museum in Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon recounts the life of Msgr Scheffer, who was the first apostolic vicar of Schefferville-Labrador from 1946 to 1966.

Services

Telephone

• Wabush : Wabush Hotel
• Churchill Falls : Midway Travel Inn
• Happy Valley-Goose Bay : Hotel North Two
• Happy Valley-Goose Bay : Royal Inn / Suites
• Port Hope Simpson : Alexis Hotel
• Mary’s Harbour : Riverlodge Hotel
• L’Anse au Clair : Northern Light Inn

Before you take the boat from Blanc-Sablon, be sure to allow enough time to take the Chicoutai* route, a scenic, 150-km section of Route 138, that runs along the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Vieux-Fort and back. It's a unique opportunity to discover the region's scenery and hiking trails, the hospitality of the people who live "at the end of the world", and to sample the distinctive local cuisine. From early May to early July, you can watch icebergs drift by in the Strait of Belle Isle.

Local Attractions

• The Aqua Labadie farm specializes in marine farming sfcallops at their Salmon bay facility.
• The Middle Bay interpretation center tells the thousands-year-old history of the land and its people.
• The Bio-Resources Solidarity Co-op in rivière-Saint-Paul sells a range of locally-made products made from the berries that grow wild on the Lower North Shore.
• The Whiteley Museum in Rivière-Saint-Paul, named in honour of the man who invented the cod trap.

Head west to complete the Loop, and pick up Route 138 at Kegaska or Natashquan (depending on where you disembark). From Blanc-Sablon to Kegaska (or Natashquan), the M/V Bella-Desgagnés that supplies the Lower North Shore stops at five different coastal villages. Stops last from 45 to 90 minutes, giving you ample time to stroll around: relaisnordik.com. There is also a daily ferry service out of Blanc-Sablon to St. barbe, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Local Attractions

• Saint-Augustin
• La Tabatière
• Tête-à-la-Baleine
• Harrington Harbour
• La Romaine

Head west again to return to Baie-Comeau.

Local Attractions

• Depending on where you are, refer to the relevant sections of the Guide: p.41 to 50; p.66 to 75; p.79 to 89 and to the website.

In winter, the snowy and icy conditions mean Routes 389, 500, 510 are passable, but only for experienced drivers in ATVs and off-road vehicules. The sometimes extreme conditions and low temperatures mean it is vital to plan your trip carefully: pack well and know where to stop for accommodation and supplies. There are many hiking and snowmobile trails branching off from these Routes, and in the Groulx Mountains (motoneige-groulx.com). Note that snomobiling is prohibited above 800 m, and route 138 is passable for all type of vehicules.