Waskaganish - 1

Waachiya!

So where in the world am I? Well, this handy map below will help: I am staying in Waskaganish (pink box), where the great Rupert river (which is in the process of being diverted by Hydro-Quebec) meets James Bay. It's about 1100 km northwest of Montreal. This means the temperatures are significantly cooler (by a good 10 degrees) and that the sun doesn't set until about 10 pm.

I arrived by plane (once again, a little propeller plane, which is really noisy, so thanks to mon chum for giving me some earplugs so I could sleep). The airport (a one-room building) is conveniently located about 5 minutes away from the village by car. The first sights in Waskaganish are far from appealing - we passed the Band Garage, where scrapped cars and random pieces of car equipment litter the yard. On the other side of the street, you see a construction company with all of their equipment lying outside. Once you get past this ugliness, you're in town. There is a good mix of older and newer buildings here. The Band Office is a shiny new building with lots of windows that look out on the river. You have to take your shoes off when you go inside. The Lodge (hotel and restaurant) is one of the most popular places in town. It's bustling at lunch time and again at tea time (3 pm). I went there both times. The food there is decent, but not what I'd call super healthy. Most people were eating poutine or fries and a burger. I suspect that this is what they eat on a regular basis.

Anyway, the purpose of me going to the Lodge was to meet my contact in the community. He kindly gave me a tour by car after lunch. We visited a place called Smokey Hill, which is located about 15 km outside of town. It's a kind of "retirement" community for Elders (or even full-time hunters/trappers) who want to return to life in the bush. It's really nice and quiet and it's located on the southern banks of the Rupert river. The cabins have no running water or electricity - so it's very isolated. It's a good place to go to get away from the distractions and problems "in town" (and there are no shortage of them - in fact, I got to experience first-hand a confrontation with a drunk community member. It was uncomfortable, to say the least). Anyway, Smokey Hill is a good place for the traditional way of life to be promoted and taught to the younger generation. I anticipate spending more time down there to talk to the Elders.

Now I'm sure some of you are wondering what my accommodations are like in comparison to my trailer in Mistissini. Well, let me start by saying it is infinitely better. I'm staying in a semi-detached located right across the street from the Clinic and day care centre. It has 3 floors - an unfinished basement with a washer/dryer, a main level with a living room, dining area, and kitchen, and an upper level with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. I also have a roommate. She's a physiotherapy student doing a stage here. She's actually leaving in 2 weeks, which means that I will get the master bedroom. The second bedroom is quite tiny and not well-designed at all. I have about a foot and a half between the closet and the end of the single bed. However, I'm not complaining because we have a TV, a microwave, and internet, all things I was lacking last time. This place feels a lot more homey, though it does have tacky 80s/early 90s furnishings.

The food here is crazy expensive. For example, Ocean Spray cranberry juice costs a cool $8. One orange pepper was $3, a head a lettuce, $2.50. I spent $77 on a handful of groceries - and I didn't even buy any meat or milk. My roommate says she's been spending at least $200 a week on groceries - for herself! What makes this even crazier is the fact that many people here rely on social assistance so they don't have much money. They can't even AFFORD to eat well from the grocery store.

I'm slowly getting myself involved in the activities taking place here. There is some event happening at the cultural centre this morning, which I'll be checking out. There is no better way to overcome shyness or awkwardness than throwing yourself into the mix. I'll let you know how it goes.