WACHAY @ The Bay, details you need to
know.......
Connie
& Keith can be reached at 705 336
6728
. Call if you have any questions.
Bell/NorthernTel cell phones on ANALOG will
work. NO digital
service here.
TELUS might work on
analog. Others
will not.
You will be offered a package of information on the train for free,
and in this package is a map that outlines all of these places in
Moosonee and Moose
Factory. I refer to the
map #’s below.
Sunday when you arrive in Moosonee:
I will be at the train to meet
everyone. Some of your
accommodations will be picking you up at the train --if you made
those
arrangements. But
please “check-in” with me at the
Station. We can meet
under the baggage shelter, because it will likely be raining
L
I want to be sure
everyone made it and that everyone has a schedule and all your
questions answered before things start rolling.
The train has been arriving on time lately, so you will have a bit
of down time on Sunday to
explore.
OPTIONS FOR DOWN TIME BEFORE EVENT ON SUNDAY & Things to do on
MONDAY
:
BOAT TOURS:
I have made arrangements with Dan at Tamarack Suites 705 336 2496
and he can arrange to take you on a pontoon boat ride to James Bay
and Shipsands Island to find some caches and sight
see. Please let him
know you are here for the geocaching event, and he will charge you
LESS than the regular
rate!!! This special
rate is $50 per adult and $25 for
kids. Minimum of 4
people per pontoon boat, and he has 2, one holds 10, and one holds
14. He is open for
tours on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning and Monday afternoon,
weather depending.
PLEASE call him in advance of your trip to arrange this so you
don’t miss out. I
highly recommend the pontoon boat trip to the Bay, it is
lovely. I saw Beluga
whales last week for the first
time. I always see bald
eagles, osprey and of course shorebirds on this
trip. Bring
binoculars.
Weather:
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/on-113_metric_e.html#detailsf
Birding
tours
:
If you are an avid birder, please call Don Cheecho for a
specialized birding tour. 705 336 0938.
He takes you in a
freighter canoe and is very experienced and knowledgeable of the
area and the birds.
Please contact him in
advance, he books up fast! His website is:
http://dtc.www2.ontera.net/birdingboattours.htm
THE EVENT:
Sunday at 5:00
please meet at the Cree
Village Ecolodge in Moose
Factory. I will go
a bit early, so make your way to the public docks and grab a water
taxi to go across.
#
22 on Map for the docks in Moosonee.
Water taxis are $10 cash per person each
way. Kids are free for
most drivers, but please ask your driver to ensure
that. You can ask the
driver to drop you off at the Ecolodge docks, or you can be dropped
off at the public docks beside the hospital and walk
over. There is a
cache near the hospital, and a few around the
Island. Please try to
be at the restaurant at 5:00 sharp since there are so many of
us. Log book signing
and trackable items trading and discovering will happen
here.
The Cree Village Ecolodge has wonderful food and
atmosphere. We have
reservations there under the name “Connie”.
You can expect a
special meal priced $18-40 and regular pub fare, appetizers,
salads, burgers, etc.
Recent special meals have included pickerel, duck, bison steaks,
smoked trout.
http://www.creevillage.com/
Right after dinner, I have made arrangements for the
Cree Cultural Interpretive
Centre (CCIC) # 44 on your map from the train to be open for
our group. Frances
Moses, a dear friend of mine, and local elder will be there making
us bannock. We can
either walk there, or be shuttled in a van in groups of 4, or take
a land taxi.
We would like to aim to
start arriving there around
6:30. After this you
can explore more of Moose Factory Island, or head back to Moosonee
via water taxis. The
public docks are at the hospital,
# 26 & 27 on the
map, but you can get a water taxi at the Ecolodge, just stand on
the dock and wave one
down.
There are public
washrooms available at the CCIC.
There are no big signs, but there is a store in Moose Factory
called GG’s. It is
# 39 your
map. It is THE
store to go to for everyday
needs. It is open until
9:00 pm on
Sunday.
EATING IN MOOSONEE/MOOSE FACTORY:
On Monday, I have made arrangements for the Sky Ranch Restaurant to
be open at 9:00 for breakfast, and they will be open all day
too. This is really the
only restaurant in
Moosonee. There is one
at the Polar Bear Lodge, but at press time, they haven’t yet
decided if the restaurant is open.
Sky Ranch has wireless internet.
There is a chip stand in Moosonee, and they are usually open before
the train
departs.
Moose Factory has a Pizza Hut and KFC
outlet, (near
Centennial Park) and a
restaurant in the Cree Complex
(# 41 on map,) the
Ecolodge is only open from 5-7 for
dinners. Most places
are closed on Monday, but Les and Rhoda at the Skyranch in Moosonee
decided to open up for this
J
I love great people in
small towns!!!
# 15 on Map
Monday is a good day for you to cache and explore around Moosonee,
and perhaps get on a boat
tour. Dan has agreed to
keep his boats open/available for this event, so please call him
ASAP to book.
Sights to see:
JBEC (James Bay Education Centre)
I work at the College that has a nice display of local
crafts. I will be
available to take you in there to see it if you are
interested. I can do
this
Monday morning at 10:30 if you want to meet me at the front
doors of the college on First
Street. The college is
closed that day, so we have to organize this
together. The Campus
Manager will be there at 10:30 to disarm the alarm, so this is the
only opportunity to see these
displays.
# 7 on
map.
Anglican
Church
This little church has a quaint little tea room in the basement,
and public washrooms.
Stop in for a great piece of pie or sandwich, homemade soups and
refreshments. Local
elders also sell crafts out of the
basement. They are
aware that there are people coming in for this event, so they will
be prepared for food (hopefully
J
). Cash
only.
# 17 on map. They are
open at noon, and crafters usually come by 1 or 130 and stay until
4.
MNR Interpretive
Centre
Open from 12-3 Sunday and
Monday. A few displays
are set up about the region, interesting little stop, and public
washrooms are available. Free access.
# 21 on Map
Moosonee Native Friendship Centre on Ferguson Road South (over
bridge).
Will be open on Monday at 10-1 and will have a tipi and bannock
making going on and teachings for
youth. Stop in to check
it out. This is FREE!
They know about this event and welcome you to come by.
ONR Train Car Museum
in front of the train station is open 3-6 on Sunday and Monday.
Free
access.
Map location #
2.
Little things:
Bring cash....for taxis, crafts,
etc. Bank Machines are
few and far between and have high service
charges. The LCBO has
cash back, and will be open Sunday, but not
Monday. Bank machines
located at the Northern Grocery store and the Sky Ranch, available
only during business hours.
Northern Store (groceries, bank machine, the “everything”
store)
Open Sunday until 5:00 then will be closed on
Monday.
Moosonee cabs call:
336 3000, 336 6700, 336
3333. $ 3 a person in town.
Moose Factory cabs
call:
658-5256 or 658-4131 after 9 pm.
LCBO:
Closes at 4:00 on
Sunday, and closed holiday
Monday. This is in
sight of the train station ;)
There are at least 3 dining cars on the train, so you won’t be
without food for the ride home.
BIG
THINGS:
Bugs......bring bug spray and whatever clothing makes you
comfortable in the
bugs. It isn’t
pretty.
MEDICAL NEEDS:
Moosonee has a Health Centre/walk in clinic,
# 9 on your map, over
the big bridge, parallel to train
tracks.
Thanks to Tamarack Suites, the Sky Ranch, Northern College and the
Moosonee Native Friendship Centre for donating prizes and “stuff”
for the event!!!
A special thanks to Becky and her husband Juho from the Washow
Lodge for volunteering time and coordinating the Moose Factory CCIC
gig.