What it's like to travel Quebec's Lower North Shore by water: Dispatches from the Bella Desgagns

CBC reporters Peter Tardif and Julia Page are aboard the Bella Desgagnsuntil Monday, July 23,reporting from communities along the coast.

Dispatch 1: Boarding the ferry

The BellaDesgagnsis more than a ferry or a cargo ship. For thousands of residents on Quebec'sLower North Shore, it is theirlifeline an essential linkto the rest of the province.

We were onboard for the ship'sweekly run fromRimouskitoBlancSablonthis week, hopping off along the way to visit some of Quebec's mostremote communities.

Between these ports of call, we sent dispatches from the ship.

Almost 100 metres in lengthand weighing in at 6,655tonnes, theBelladeliversfresh goods and providestransportation to the Lower North Shore during the summer months.

''Pretty much everything you want to carry, we'll try to find a way to bring it to your home," said Mathieu Roy, the ship's first officer.

It's up to Roy tosupervisethe loading and unloading of the cargo at each port. Hemakes sure the weight is evenly distributed to keep the ship stable as it sails across the St. Lawrence River and into the gulf.

From pick-up trucksto television setsto heavy machinery, everything finds its place.

When a classic silverAirstreamtrailer rolls up to the dock inRimouskifor the onward voyage, Roy hasto break off our interview to recalculate how to fit itinto a space he had reserved for a much smaller trailer.

''Saying no to a client is not something I like to do.''

Dispatch 2: The songs ofMatiu

The first port of call isSept-les, more than 900 kilometres northeast from Montreal. We get off and take a short taxi ride to theInnucommunity ofMani-Utenam, or "Mani" as it's known to locals.

Inside a traditionalshaputuan, a long houseInnuuse for gatherings and meals, we meetMatiu, a local singer-songwriter.

His daughter plays with their dog, ForrestGump, as a wind from the St. Lawrence River blows through the small entrance of the tent.

The huge structure is being set up on the site whereMatiuwill be performing atInnuNikamu, the Indigenous music and arts festivalthat's been held every year inMani-Utenamsince 1984.

It is the largest festival of its kind in Quebec, and attracts musicians from across the province, including younger artists experimentingwith new styles like hip-hop and reggae, along with traditional folk songs.

Matiuturned to music relatively late in life. "I was inCEGEPand I didn't have money for a television andinternet. I walked by a guitar shop. There was a $50 guitar in the window, and I just started playing."

He started by playing covers of popular Quebec andInnuartists.

ButMatiufelt compelled to write his own lyrics after watching a film on the assassination of Sitting Bull, a Lakota leader who was killed by U.S. government officials in the19thcentury.

That ledMatiuto write his breakout song,Indian Time, which was later made into a music video withWapikoniMobile, a travelling studio that tours Indigenous communities to promote visual arts and music.

The song explores the contradictions he feels being removed from the traditional way of life of theInnu.

"That's also what I want to do through my songs: to represent my people, to provoke a dialogue and bring people to open up about Indigenous people in this province," he said.

Matiuwill be performing at the FestivalInnuNikamuinMani-Utenamon Aug. 2.

Dispatch 3: Headed to theMinganIslands

It is 4:45 a.m. on the BellaDesgagns. Overnight we crossed fromAnticostiIsland and are headed intoHavre-Saint-Pierre.

About a dozen of us passengers are gathered in the ship's cafeteria. We're about to disembark for a smaller ship that will take us to theMinganIslands, famous for their rock formations sculpted by the sea.

The archipelago is one of the many natural landscapes that brings visitors from around the world to the North and Lower North Shore regions of Quebec.

This week, there are more than 100 tourists aboard the BellaDesgagns, hailing not only from Quebec but as far away as Germany and Scotland as well.

When we arrive atHavre-Saint-Pierre, Julia will head for theMinganIslands. Peter will meet up with ReginaldBolger, who works as a millwright inHavre-Saint-Pierre, and findout about a local custom.

One in particular that interestshim: Why do residents drink coffee through a straw? The answer is here:

Dispatch 4:The KegaskaBikeSquad

They speed across the dirt roads of Kegaska, laughing wildly as they pass cars, trucksand motor homes waiting in line to board the ship.

Dressed in bright yellow vests, their tires screech andveer around the loading dock, the sun slowly setting in the distance.

Meet the Kegaska Bike Squad.

Lucas, Alex, Maya, Kiara, Brooke, Ethan, Logan and other kids have joined the groupsince it was set up last year by the resident nurse.

They live in the last village connected to the rest of the province by Highway 138, roughly 1,000 kilometres east of Quebec City.

Residents, tourists and workers line up at the dock everyWednesdayto make their way east, toward Blanc-Sablon, where the road continues to Labrador.

That constant traffic pushed tienne Talbot, who works at the local health clinic, to start the club in a push to make the streets safer for the kids.

"People drive fast here sometimes. They're in a rush to get to the boat," he said, surrounded by the young squad members.

Dressed in their bright vests, staying in groups, the kids also go outfor picnics and explorethe outstretches of their town, over rocky beaches and hidden coves.

Talbot said that, beyonddoing his job and keeping the kids safe, it's hard to imagine not wanting to hang out with such a unique group.

"I see them at the clinic, but outside the contact is different. I mean look at them, they are so funny, it's always fun."

Dispatch 5: New, old friends and back toBonne-Esprance

We've arrived at the very end of the road, or the beginning, you could say.

After five days on the water, a 45-kilometre car ride takes us to Bonne-Esprance, the last town you can visit before turning around and continuing East, toward Newfoundland and Labrador.

More and more tourists are visiting the small community of roughly 700 people,which breaks down into three smaller villages: Middle Bay, St-Paul's River and Old Fort Bay.

The road twists and turns, opening up on breathtaking views of rocky cliffs, sandy beaches and gushing waterfalls. Locals call them "the Highlands" because their beauty resembles that ofScotland's rolling hills.

Brothers Fred and Dave Sykeshave embarked on this trip to rediscover their own ancestry. They're here to learnabout the place their mother told them about again and again.

"My mom always remembered living in Bonnie and all the stories she heard about fishing on the coast,"said Fred Sykes, who lives in Ottawa. It's his second time visiting the region.

The Whiteley Museum and Cod Trap Caf was named after the Sykes' ancestor William 'Bossy' Whiteley, who settled on one of the many islands the 19thcentury after moving from Boston with his family.

Whiteley, famous for inventing the cod trap, built one the region's most thriving fishing establishments.

"It is a lot like coming home," said Dave Sykes. "It really feels like you're known by people here even if you don't know anyone."

Not only have the Sykesgotten a glimpse of thelifestyle of their ancestors, they're taking the same boat Bossy took centuries ago to visit the islandwith the museum's vice-president, Garland Nadeau.

"We're proud of that legacy and that history and we're doing our best as a town to portray this and to encompass this to inspire the young people," said Nadeau.

The decline of the fishing industry, on which the town was built, has left its mark and pushed many young people to leave in search of jobs.

But Nadeau is confident local initiatives and a growing numbers of visitors is bringing new life to the town.

"To be quite honest with you, we're in survival mode. We're still not where we need to be, but hopefully with things like the museum we can start maneuvering in different areas where maybe it gives us a better hope for the future."

Follow the trip on social media: @PeterTardifCBC,@JuliaBPage, on CBC Quebec's Facebook page, and on CBC Radio One.