Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 22

R
eferred by some travellers as the last frontier on Earth,
Labrador is so vast that the rest of Atlantic Canada,
including Newfoundland, could fit inside its borders. This
sprawling land is home to the Innu and the Inuit, with roots
stretching back so far and so deep, it’s difficult to grasp the
significance of it all.
Evidence gathered by archaeologists suggests that
humans inhabited Labrador over 7,000 ago. Now, with the
Trans-Labrador Highway having opened in 2011, this vast
expanse of history and intrigue is more accessible than ever,
but still well off the beaten path. Soon after the highway
was completed, my husband and I decided to make the
1,221-kilometre trek across the province.
Unlike most road trips in Canada, a journey across
Labrador requires extra planning and more than a little
flexibility. It’s not uncommon to see road signs that say:
NEXT SERVICE 294 K. CHECK FUEL. Cell phones don’t
work along the route at all. But you can pick up, and then drop
off, a satellite phone at several places between Wabush and
L’Anse au Clair, a free service provided by the government.
Aside from some extraordinary landscapes, the most
striking feature of Labrador is the people. The hospitality
we experienced went far beyond what you would consider
normal practice. For example, when constructing our
itinerary, it wasn’t possible to find a room in Labrador City
or Wabush because of a construction boom at the time.
Prepared for any eventuality, we brought camping gear
and were ready to pitch our tent at the Grande Hermine RV
Park about 40 kilometres outside of Labrador City. A friend
called the campground on our behalf, but the owner said:
“No way! There was ice on the lake last night. They stays
with us!”
Shortly after we arrived, we were enjoying Cavel Burke’s
peanut butter cheesecake, while her husband regaled us with
his stories of hunting caribou and landing the 20-kg trout
mounted on the wall.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (COVER PAGE) Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism; (THIS PAGE) all photos by Sandra Phinney except (centre bottom) Newfoundland and Labrador
Tourism (NEXT PAGE) (left to right) Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism and Sandra Phinney