Our mission

Building on ecotourism, the Innu’s ages-old presence on the land and scientific research, the Uapishka Station promotes the discovery and protection of the Manicouagan hinterland: the Nitassinan of Pessamit, an exceptional territory recognized by UNESCO. The Uapishka Station is a model of co-management deeply committed in every respect to encouraging the passing on of Indigenous traditions and culture.

Uapishka Station

Located at the foot of the Uapishka (Groulx) Mountains and on the edge of the Manicouagan Crater Lake, the Uapishka Station makes the most of the exceptional natural surroundings to offer accommodations, food services and outdoor activities, along with logistical support to scientists on site to conduct research.

Concerned with preserving Innu culture and values, the Station staff sincerely shares them with visitors so that each and every client leaves with a heightened sense of understanding of this millennial heritage.

Thanks to its location north of the 51st parallel, the Uapishka Station is the perfect place to live a true northern experience while learning about the richness of the Indigenous heritage.

Vue de haut de quatre bâtiments de Station Uapishka

In short

A true leader in co-management, the Uapishka Station is a joint venture between the Conseil des Innus de Pessamit and the Manicouagan-Uapishka Biosphere Reserve (MUBR). The Station is also a direct outcome of the management plan established by the Uapishka Biodiversity Reserve. The Reserve is a protected area managed jointly with the local community by the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC).

Training the next generation

Because the Station's prosperity is a driver for the personal and professional development of the young people who work there and whom we have seen grow significantly since its foundation, because we feel a great deal of pride in this joint venture paving the way for many future achievements and because its sustainability is an absolute priority, efforts made to enhance organizational resilience compel us to achieve our ambitions.

Protecting ecosystems

Because the territory in the middle of which the Uapishka Station stands is the Nitassinan of Pessamit with a UNESCO designation, which is at the heart of our uniqueness and our very purpose and because we have a responsibility to set an example for our communities and inspire others through our actions, the efforts deployed to protect the local ecosystem and contribute to the fight against climate change compel us to achieve our ambitions.

Enhancing the Innu culture

Because we believe that acknowledging and enhancing the Indigenous peoples’ culture is a major pledge of cultural and socio-economic growth and because the Station provides an opportunity for unprecedented contact and sharing with the general public likely to support global efforts of mutual understanding and reconciliation, the efforts deployed to create a cultural interface focused on acknowledgment and sharing compel us to achieve our ambitions.

Developing knowledge

Because scientific knowledge, traditional Indigenous teachings and training on the land will allow us to better understand, respect and promote Nitassinan as a UNESCO-designated territory and because structuring a safe access for all encourages researchers, tourists and community members to stay and work in our facilities, the efforts deployed to provide a safe base for research and training on the land compel us to achieve our ambitions.

The Uapishka Station is fully engaged in a vision that goes beyond the scope of its ambitions. The organization is driven by the purpose to impact the regional development of Manicouagan, the relationships between communities, and the connection to the territory. The development of the Station builds on the following objectives:

A vision of social impact

Marie Riverin

Co-Manager

Charlotte Bacon

Co-Manager

Simon Landry

Cook

Kevin Nepveu

Cook

Benoit Kanapé

Outdoor maintenance

John Ferguson

Customer Service

Nina Aleksandrova

Household maintenance

Gisèle Bacon

Household maintenance

Adam Jourdain

Treasurer (Innus Council of Pessamit)

Patrick Desbiens

Vice-Chair (MUBR Chair)

Jean-Philippe L. Messier

Executive Secretary (MUBR Director)

Suzanne Charland

Chair (Innus Council of Pessamit)

The Uapishka Station believes that its employees should work in a rewarding, culturally stimulating environment.

In the spirit of a joint venture between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners, equity of access to employment is synonymous with parity: more than 50% of the positions at the Uapishka Station are filled by Indigenous people and there is a balance between men and women. Equity is an important value shown not only in terms of number of employees, but also in terms of levels of position.

Our team

The Uapishka Station’s approach with regard to partnership is focused on the spirit of complementarity. Our vision is to pool the strengths of each towards achieving our common objectives. As the saying goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.”