Eastmain
A Cree Community On The James Bay Coast At The Eastmain River Mouth, With A Long Hudson'S Bay Company History, Goose Hunting Grounds, River Fishing And A Small Cultural Centre. A Quiet Community With A Strong Tie To The Coast, Reached By A Side Road · Eastmain, Quebec
Eastmain is a Cree community of roughly 800 to 900 people at the mouth of the Eastmain River on the east coast of James Bay, in the Eeyou Istchee homeland. The Hudson Bay Company kept a post at the river mouth for much of the 1700s and after (confirm dates), and Cree families have hunted, fished and camped on this coast far longer. A spur road of roughly 100 km runs from the James Bay Road to the village (confirm), and Air Creebec flies in from the south (confirm). It is not a sightseeing town, but visitors will find a cultural centre, a store, a small hotel or lodging, and guides who know the river mouth, the tidal flats and the goose grounds. The coast is flat, wide and windy, with willow and spruce along the river and a big sky over the bay. Summer brings long light and river days; winter brings snow, sleds, ice fishing and deep cold. Ask before photographing people or camps, and ask the band office before going onto trapline land.
Eastmain, a Cree community of about 800 people at the mouth of the Eastmain River on the east coast of James Bay, reached by a spur road off the James Bay Road and by air; coordinates approximate, Eastmain, Quebec, Canada
Eastmain keeps no formal visiting hours because it is a living community. The band office, the cultural centre, the store and the hotel desk keep their own hours, often roughly 9 to 5 on weekdays with shorter days at the weekend - confirm by phone before the drive. Boat and fishing trips run mainly June to September, with snowmobile and ice fishing trips from about January to March. The spring goose break and the autumn hunt take many families onto the land, so offices may be shut or quiet then. The James Bay Road is open year-round, but winter driving is slow and daylight is short.