The first settlement 65km east of Havre-St-Pierre is the 100-strong
village of BAIE-JOHAN-BEETZ , named after the painter and sculptor whose
extraordinary and enormous house is open to the public (June to mid-Sept
daily 9am-6pm; $3; reservations recommended tel 539-0137); you can also
sleep in one of its seven historic bedrooms ($40-60). Afterwards you can
head straight for the fishing village of Natashquan, passing through
Aguanish and Île-à-Michon , the tiny hamlets en route. At the end of the
road, a small church, wooden houses and the old fishing huts are about
all there is to see in NATASHQUAN , the one-time home of poet Gilles
Vigneault. The century-old general store has been reborn as yet another
centre d'interprétation that focuses on local history (late June to Aug
daily 10am-6pm; $3.50). Accommodation is available in the ten rooms of
Auberge la Cache , 183 chemin d'en Haut (tel 726-3347 or 1-888/726-3347;
$60-80), whose seafood restaurant is open from June to August. Nearby is
the Montagnais reserve of Pointe-Parent - the locals run canoeing and
snowmobiling expeditions; contact Expédition Grande Natashquan for
details (tel 726-3417).
