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The St Lawrence River was the lifeline of the wilderness beyond Tadoussac until the 1960s, when Hwy 138 was constructed along the Cote-Nord to Havre-St-Pierre, 625km away. In 1996, the road was extended to Natashquan, a further 145km. The road sweeps from high vistas down to the rugged shoreline through the vast regions of Manicouagan and Duplessis, the few distractions offered in the villages and towns en route being supplemented by panoramas of spruce-covered mountains, the vast sky and the mighty river. Bears and moose often lumber out of the stunted forest onto the highway, and in the summer the shiny backs of whales are frequently spotted arching out of the water. Basque whalers were the first Europeans to penetrate this chilly shore in the sixteenth century, but later, when they began to trade fur with the aboriginal Montagnais, Naskapi and Inuit, they were ousted by French merchants. After the British conquest the fur trade continued but fishing remained the main industry until the twentieth century, when mining, lumber and hydroelectric projects led to the growth of a few settlements into fair-sized towns. Despite this, the region has a population density of just five people per square mile, and the distances between communities become longer and longer the further you travel, overwhelming the visitor with the sense of Canada's vastness. The Quebec City to Tadoussac Intercar bus serves the Cote-Nord as far as Baie-Comeau, from where another travels to Sept-Iles, where you have no choice but to spend the night before continuing on to Havre-St-Pierre. At the time of publication there is no public transport to Natashquan, but a bus service is expected - ask at tourist information for details. At Natashquan the highway gives out altogether and the only onward transport is by snowmobile, plane or the supply ship from Sept-Iles and Havre-St-Pierre, which serves the wildlife haven of Ile d'Anticosti and undertakes a breathtaking journey along the inlets of the windswept coastline of the Basse Cote-Nord (Lower North Shore). Ferries link various points to the south shore and the Gaspe, which means you can plot a varied return trip.
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