New tourism expansion in Unamen Shipu

Although only accessible by boat or by plane, the First Nations community of Unamen Shipu is realizing its goal to become one of the first Indigenous tourist destinations in Northern Quebec.

With the financial support and advice of various partners, including Indigenous Services Canada through its Quebec Indigenous Tourism Initiative, the community's tourism centre, Tourisme Winipeukut Nature, has developed a series of projects to structure and expand its visitor experience.

One of the projects is a traditional Innu camp on Apenepehekat Island, which allows visitors to experience the spectacular scenery of the region and learn about Innu teachings and culture.

"The dynamic community of Unamen Shipu has an exciting vision for the development of its tourism infrastructure and aspires to become the region's premier tourism destination. It wants to provide visitors with an unforgettable cultural experience," said Edmond Mestenapeo, Economic Development Officer and Director of Tourism Winipeukut Nature.

Up to 12 people at a time can enjoy the activities offered at the site, the highlight of which is a demonstration of traditional lobster fishing and tasting the catch.

"Our activity is traditional lobster fishing. We also visit islands where there are migratory birds and we do trout fishing. This is very much in line with our community's need to continue to preserve its culture," Mestenapeo said.

In addition, the Bella Desgagnés, the ship that serves Anticosti Island and the Basse-Côte-Nord, stops at Unamen Shipu once a week for a few hours.

Once visitors leave the ship, they can then take a guided bus tour around the community. A local guide is on board to highlight the many attractions which include the church, the Olamen River and the band council offices. The tour concludes with a stop at the Shaputuan where elders and artisans welcome tourists and share their culture over traditional foods.

Other activities include:

• sea trout fishing trips
• berry picking
• a hike on the island's trail
• a day boat trip through the St. Mary's Islands with observation of migratory birds and historical sites

The visitor attractions are a true immersion in the Innu culture. Tourism Winipeukut Nature also bought a boat for tourists that meets Transport Canada's safety and comfort standards. It connects the community to Apenepehekat Island and can be chartered to connect Kegaska (the end of the road system) to the community.

To facilitate access to Unamen Shipu, the community has created its own travel agency, Innu Voyages. This agency markets and organizes travel and accommodation for visitors. It also takes care of the travel of community members, teachers and medical personnel. It currently has 3 employees, including 2 Innu who have obtained their travel agent certification.

The dynamic created by this tourism emergence has sparked entrepreneurial enthusiasm in the community, said Mestenapeo. Several lodging and service businesses were created. These projects are all the more important and promising because they allow the youth of the community to proudly live their Innu culture, he said.

To date, the community's tourism sector has employed 10 people for the travel agency, maintenance of the boats, storage area, as well as improvement and the expansion of the site, he said. Several young people from the community have also become certified tourist guides.

"What I like about the Quebec Indigenous Tourism Initiative is that it helps create jobs for our youth," said Mestenapeo.