The Romaine River flows 600km from its headwaters in Labrador southward through Quebec to the mouth of the St. Lawrence at Havre St. Pierre. It is one of several major Atlantic Salmon spawning rivers, and remains relatively untouched. This is scheduled to change as it has been slated for hydro development by Hydro Quebec.
This river was chosen as the route for PaddleFoot’s Wilderness Leadership Program in 2007 because of its remoteness, the challenging whitewater, and its uncertain future. Hydro Quebec’s intention to build four dams along the course of the river in the coming years demonstrates the reality of the limited lifespan of Canadian wilderness. We are hoping that by dedicating this trip to the Big Wild wilderness conservation project that we will be able to raise awareness about what individuals can do to protect Canadian wild spaces.