Discover Eeyou Istchee Baie-James

Welcome to the land of northern lights

Here is where it’s happening year-round!

Eeyou Istchee Baie-James, a measureless territory

Venture higher and farther and you will see this vast region for what it is: a magnificent and uniquely impressive land where there is much to discover.

Eeyou Istchee Baie-James

Listen, look around and take a deep breath as you enter an imposing territory. Eeyou Istchee Baie-James is awe-inspiring. You will be astonished by these wild yet inviting large open spaces, with the sumptuous scenery and the colorful horizon, the vibrant boreal forest and the taiga, the fiery rivers and the immense lakes that hold abundant huge fish. Here nature rules, seasons dictate.

Kayaking in Chisasibi

Mont Laurier

Between the 49th and the 55th parallels Complexe La Grande

The project of the century

In the early 70s, as the demand for energy was increasing, the Québec Government undertook a vast construction site called “the project of the century” which aimed at harnessing some of the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James’ rivers. Thus in 1972, the construction of the Complexe La Grande started including the largest underground hydroelectric power plant in the world: La Grande-2, renamed Robert-Bourassa Generating Facility. Altogether, the 8 power plants built at that time generate today almost half of the province’s electrical energy.

In 1975, this Project lead to the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement between the Grand Council of the Crees, the Nunavik Inuit, the provincial and federal governments, Hydro-Québec and the Société de développement de la Baie-James. Later on, Québec Premier Bernard Landry, and the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees Ted Moses would sign the La paix des braves in Waskaganish on February 7 of 2002.

Words cannot truly describe Eeyou Istchee Baie-James: infinite skies to watch without ever growing weary, the silence broken only by the singing birds, the fragrances of the boreal forest. Being at Eeyou Istchee Baie-James is like sitting at the front row of nature’s authentic show.

Nature as you’ve never seen it before The development of

Eeyou Istchee Baie-James is almost as large as Germany stretching on 350 000 km2 where nature and culture meld into one. Its population invites you to discover this jewel accessible by road, by airplane or even by snowmobile. Two communities live here: the Cree with nearly 17 000 inhabitants and the Jamesian with 16 000 people.

Giant's Staircase

Cloudberry

From the boreal forest to the taiga

The boreal forest represents the most significant vegetation dominated by the black spruce. As kilometers go by to the North, the boreal forest gives place up to the taiga characterized by damp lowlands and rocky plateaux covered with lichen. The massif Otish Mountains are characterized by cuestas which are high plateaux with drops as high as 750 meters on only one side. The Cree name of this mountain E'weewach, meaning “where the waters come from” since many important rivers begin their course there. The region is also rich of a complex hydrographic network that includes roaring rivers and inland seas such as Mistassini Lake. Making 2 335 km2, it is the largest natural fresh water lake of the province.

Unique fauna and flora

Seemingly quiet, the forest shelters nearly 40 mammal species: wolves, lynxes, foxes, bears, moose and many more. Flying in the sky, the Canada geese, the snow geese, the ptarmigans, and in particular the loons provide the soundtrack of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James. King of the tundra, the caribou leaves Nunavik every year and migrates to Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in search of new pastures. Nature photographers will be conquered. There is also a wealth of underwater life: trophy size walleye, northern pike, speckled trout and lake trout make the region a true paradise for recreational fishermen.

Caribou