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Chisasibi is a Cree town with a population of over 4000.
English, French and Cree are spoken here. Aside from their native tongue of
Cree, the Cree of northern Quebec generally speak
English rather than French.
West of the gigantic facilities of the La Grande complex, this is
the last community accessible by road. Chisasibi is the last community accessible by road. Chisasibi,
which means "great river" in Cree, was a village originally located on Fort Georges Island,
formerly Govenor's Island, which is open to visitors. In 1981, following the
signing of the Chisasibi Agreement, the village was relocated to the mainland.
Fort Georges was the site of a HBC trading post built in 1837 by Georges
Atkinson, a Scottish Metis who gave his name to the island. This strategic
location favoured the development of trading links between the different Native
communities of the North. As a result, the French and the English fought to
monopolize the market. Fort Georges Island is a well-known meeting place and a
centre for festivities. Each summer, it hosts a major pow-wow that draws people
from everywhere.
The road to Chisasibi starts at Km 600 of the
James
Bay Road. This road leads to Hydro Quebec's LG-1 dam and hydro generation station, Chisasibi,
Longue Pointe, and to James Bay itself. It is paved all the way to Chisasibi.
Chisasibi is 90km from the James Bay
Road, and 110km from Radisson.
James Bay is 108km from the James Bay Road and
128km from Radisson.
Chisasibi Mandow Agency Website:
http://mandow.ca/
More info: (819) 855-2878.
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