Maritime Canada Trip – Days 18 to 21 – Churchill Falls to Home

Churchill Falls Generating Station switch yard

Day 18 – Friday August 18, 2018

Churchill Falls to Labrador City

The reason that town of Churchill Falls exists is because of water. Visionaries had the idea to use that water to create a gigantic electric power plant. That vision sprung to life starting in 1967 when they broke ground in the wilderness to create the Churchill Falls Generating Station. It is jointly by owned by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Nalcor Energy with minority partner Hydro Quebec. It generates 5.4 gigawatts of power and a total 35,000 GWh throughout the year which is almost 1% of the world’s hydroelectric generation. At the time it was built it was the the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken in North America and the largest underground generating facility in the world. Now it’s number 2. It has a lopsided financial arrangement as Nalcor currently earns $63 million per year with Hydro Quebec earning $1.6 billion! If you have any interest in the politics and challenges of a large public works project like Churchill Falls, you can find some interesting reading online.

Maritime Canada Trip – Day 15 to 17 – Nain, South to Goose Bay, and the road to Churchill Falls

Day 15 – Wednesday – August 15, 2018

Path for August 15, 2018 – Natuashish,north to Nain, south to Natuashish, & Sea at Night

We woke to get some breakfast and as we finished, the Northern Ranger started its last leg of our northward journey. The skies were grey as we left Natuashish but that didn’t stop us from returning to the bow for the rest of the morning with Dave, Anne, and Pastor Andrews. As morning wore on, the weather began to improve and we occasionally saw the sun as we moved through the many islands and rocky points of land. We were on the way to Nain. During this part of the trip we rounded Paul Island and got the furthest north of our trip at N56°33’44”. The lighting conditions were not great for photos but I have included a couple here so you can see what it looked like. Better ones are coming later during the return trip.

One of many small islands near Nain
Rocky Shores of Paul Island

Maritime Canada Trip – Day 9 – Labrador – The Big Land

Thursday – August 9, 2018

Across to Labrador – MV Apollo – Boat #3

Labrador is the northern continental part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It has a very contoured coastline and a vast amount of inland forested land getting sub-artic to the north. We traveled across the Strait of Belle Isle in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon on the MV Apollo. It takes about 90 minutes to travel across. The Apollo started its life with Viking Cruises in Sweden but now it is almost 50 years old. It looked a little rough around the edges but did the job and we arrived in Blanc Sablon after a pleasant sunny trip, eating our breakfast by the window along the way. This was the last year for Apollo and in 2019 passengers get a shiny new ferry.

Canada Trip – Day 8 – Along the Newfoundland Northern Peninsula

Wednesday – August 8, 2018

Gros Morne National Park

We woke to a pouring rain pelting down upon the Humber River visible outside our window. We had a nice breakfast and conversation with our hosts at the B&B. The rain persisted, and we decided to take advantage of the washer available to guests which would save a laundromat later in the trip. I managed to get two days of blog written but of course was still behind. With the laundry finished and the rain less of a downpour we headed out for our destination the day Gros Morne National Park.

Maritime Canada Trip – Day 4 – PEI to Nova Scotia

Saturday – August 4, 2018

Prince Edward Island

After breakfast we took our leave of Randy and Marian and headed to PEI. You cross the 8 mile long Confederation Bridge over the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait to reach the island. Prior to the bridge opening in the 1997 you traveled that route by ferry.

We made it across the 8 miles of bridge!

Maritime Canada Trip – Day 3 – Fundy & New Brunswick

Friday – August 3, 2018

2018-08-03_route — The Route for August 3.

St. Martins

We set out from the B&B to the nearby St. Martins Sea Caves. You pass a covered bridge on the edge of a cove. The tide was very low and we saw boats sitting on the sea floor, not something you see in most places.

Covered Bridge at St. Martins
Boat on Blocks

With the low tide we could walk out on sea floor toward the area of the caves. It was easy to walk out on although there was a stream coming down from the land that we had to cross. This made for some rock hopping, jumping, and wet sneakers. The caves are formed from the action of the waves against the rock over many years. You can see the layers of rocks and fossils that have been exposed by the action of the waves.

Maritime Canada Trip – Day 2 – To the Bay of Fundy

Thursday – August 2, 2018

2018-08-02_route — The route for August 2, 2018

Maine & LL Bean

I don’t think you can go to Freeport Maine and not visit the big LL Bean store. It certainly is large and of course you have to pose with the boot! You can shop anytime as it is still open 24 hours / day. We didn’t go on the trip to shop there but managed to spend an hour and still had money in the wallet when we left.