Magical James Bay moments

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2018 (2598 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For reasons unknown, for my entire life, I’ve been drawn to bodies of water. First it was Woodland’s tiny Miami Beach, where we roamed as kids.

Then it was Lake of the Woods, where I spent early adulthood as a summer camp counsellor. Next the Hudson Bay beckoned with a 61-day adventure in a leaky wooden boat, with the purpose of setting foot on its shores. These days it’s mostly oceans that entice me, with seaside getaways and endless beachcombing.   

Over the past five years, a work project has taken my attention to the James Bay in Northern Ontario. It’s a place I’ve come to know a lot about even though I’d never been there — until this summer, when I had the chance to travel to one of its communities, learn more about the region, and finally see for myself the vast expanse of water that has been calling my name.

The James Bay, which protrudes south from the Hudson Bay, is bordered by two provinces. On the Quebec side, you can drive all the way on an all-season road. But in Ontario, the main provincial highway system reaches as far as Cochrane. From there it’s train or plane another 250 kilometres due north into Moosonee — a town on the Moose River about 20 kilometres just south of the mouth of the James Bay.

As isolated as it is, Moosonee is not alone. Across the river, accessible by boat-taxi in summer and ice-road in winter, is the much older community of Moose Factory. This is where, in 1673, the Hudson’s Bay Company established its second fur trading post in what was to become Canada, on an island just south of the mouth of the James Bay.

Located on traditional Cree lands, the Indigenous inhabitants began gathering at the post for trade, many of them eventually putting down roots. Today, Moose Factory is home to the Moose Cree First Nation, and is a destination rich in culture, tradition, and history.

The two-storey Staff House is the oldest building in its original location in the James Bay area. It was built in 1847-1850 as the fur trade officer’s dwelling, designated a heritage site in 1957. The main floor displays stories and artifacts, and upstairs accommodates overnight guests. Other places to stay in Moose Factory are the Cree Village Ecolodge with spectacular waterfront views, and the cozy Sunflower Guesthouse bed and breakfast.

Centennial Park houses 19th Century buildings like the Powder Magazine with an 1866 year marker adorning the doorway, a lonely cannon that fired its last ball long ago, and a giant boat anchor that long since lost its ship. In the Hudson’s Bay Company cemetery the oldest tombstone is dated 1802, while the nearby historic Gothic style St. Thomas Anglican Church, completed in 1885, stands like a sentinel overlooking the mighty Moose River.

The highlight was climbing into a boat with local guide Emmett and his son Christopher and heading 20 kilometres north to the James Bay on a spectacularly sunny day. As the treeline along the shore gradually dwindled in size, the hazy horizon came into view. At first it was merely a distant dot. Then it began to slowly creep outward, extending in both directions, the closer we got.

In the impeccably calm conditions, for a while it appeared there was no horizon line at all. It was simply water and sky reflecting each other, blending into one beautiful blue abyss. The spectacular scene made me feel like we’d reached the edge of the world, creating a magical James Bay moment that I’ll never forget.

I’m glad it called my name.

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller who seeks inspiration wherever she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca