Kuururjuaq National Park stretches across 4460 square kilometres, from Ungava Bay in Quebec to Mount D’Iberville on the Newfoundland and Labrador/Quebec Border. Kuururjuaq National Park is managed by the Inuit and includes the Torngat Mountain Foothills, George River Plateau and the Ungava Coast natural regions. This vast National Park contains diverse ecosystems, including a wide variety of animals and vegetation.

Photo: DavidKalant — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0

The turquoise waters of the Koroc river flow from the Labrador sea through the Torngat mountains into Ungava Bay. Along the river, large glacier walls run along its coastline, feeding streams of icy water into its choppy and sometimes dangerous currents. Occasionally, a polar bear may be seen swimming for the arctic char or clams that populate the river. Black bears can be seen running through the dense forests of white birch and black spruce in the valleys. An otter may be seen dropping into the river from the steep rocky shorelines while caribou run through the rugged terrain. The cold wind feels sharper when the rocky shoreline clears onto a flat sandbar and the expansive tundra.

Koroc River was travelled by the Inuit to hunt for food and to trade with the coastal communities along the water. Inuit families still head to the river to hunt for caribou, canoe to the bay, or fish for clams and char. The frigid cold, choppy currents and tumultuous terrain of the remote Koroc River make it challenging to maneuver on your own. Fortunately, two lodges in the area (Rapid Lake Lodge) offer tours for nature lovers to see the various ecosystems and wildlife or for avid fishermen wishing to try their luck at fly fishing.

Photo: DavidKalant, CC-BY-SA-4.0