Sunset - Fort George Island Crossing Poster

West of the gigantic facilities of the La Grande River power dam complex in northern Quebec, there is the last community accessible by paved road. Chisasibi - was a village located on Fort-Georges Island, formerly Govenor's Island, which is open to visitors. In 1981, following the signing of the Chisasibi Agreement, the population decided via a referendum to relocate the village to the mainland. Fort George was the site of a HBC trading post built in 1837 by George 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 George Island is a well known meeting place and a center for festivities. Each summer, it hosts "Mamoweedow" a major event that draws people from all over North America, Asia and Europe. "Mamoweedow", is a celebration of the past with an awareness of the future, and is held on Fort George Island annually usually at the start of August. There is a ferry crossing to Fort George Island from Chisasibi. The Cree used to live on Fort George Island, but were relocated to Chisasibi when the Hydro Quebec Project was being built. It was thought that Fort George Island would erode quickly and disappear due to the increased flow of water in the La Grande River, but so far this hasn't happened. Jimmy Sam - Cree Photographer