Eastmain

Eastmain is a Cree Nation community of about 600 people located on the shores of James Bay, on the southern shore of the Eastmain River. The village still bears the historic name of the eastern James Bay mainland of East Main, as it’s located not far from where the first ships of the Hudson Bay Company anchored to trade with the Cree in the 1670s.

Eastmain offers visitors a taste of traditional Cree life but with some helpful modern conveniences. Guests will find here everything they need from comfortable lodging and restaurants to a fully equipped grocery and sports store.

While visiting Eastmain, tourists can enjoy time at the cultural village where they can savour traditional dishes, learn the hunting, fishing and even cooking secrets of the elders, or marvel at the beauty and intricacy of the Cree arts and crafts.

Those interested may even try their hand at making their own. In summer, vacationers can walk or bike along the many local wilderness trails. In winter, they wander the trails on cross-country skis or snowshoes. There are also many long and winding snowmobile trails here. For a real adventure, people can travel James Bay coast with a skilled Cree guide and experience the sometimes tranquil but often challenging conditions of this body of water.

The region is also renowned for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. You can take photos from the island or from vast coastal marshes. For a northern wilderness experience, you can travel by bush plane to one of several locally owned outfitting camps offering world-class fishing. The village is just a short drive to some of James Bay and Eeyou-Istchee’s best caribou hunting.