Here is a list of frequently asked questions about our products and services.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or additional comments.
The name "Les Caraïbes Nordiques" is meant to be unifying. It transcends the different Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal languages of Northern Quebec, goes beyond borders and thus works towards the reconciliation of these communities. By using this name, we seek to emphasize the exoticism of the boreal, to appeal to the imagination of travelers from around the world, and to invite them to become ambassadors of this bewitching Nordicity of Quebec. This name also symbolizes freedom, inclusion, originality and hospitality. We must not forget that the Caribbean (Caraïbes in French), beyond the tourist stereotypes that are sometimes associated with it, are synonymous with isolated islands bathed in transparent water and inhabited by communities concerned with preserving their way of life.
We proudly and unconditionally stand for sustainable tourism and against mass tourism. Respect for the environment and communities is at the heart of our project. This is why we aim to develop small structures integrated into nature and able to accommodate a limited number of people, in order to respect the carrying capacity of the environment and the capacity of the communities. Through the diversity of our activities, we wish to promote a slower, immersive tourism, involving longer stays and minimizing the ecological footprint. In other words, we support the principle of "travel less, but better".
Our packages range from mid-range to high-end. This is a result of several reasons. We do not aim at mass tourism, but we offer small group experiences in order to preserve the natural and human environments of the territories. We ensure a fair compensation to all our collaborators, so that the experience is positive for the visitor as well as for the local communities, in accordance with the principles of sustainable and fair tourism. The experiences we provide are valuable, and it is only fair that they are treated as such and that they create wealth for the communities and their members, as well as for the companies and their employees. Some of our sites are located in remote areas, involving complex logistics and high transportation costs. Finally, we do not see tourism as a mass consumer product (quickly consumed, quickly forgotten), but as an experience of living and sharing.
The development generated by Les Caraïbes Nordiques will provide jobs and opportunities for the community and local businesses. To train and retain the local workforce, we are advocating for the establishment of a training center based in the region, the parameters of which we have already established. The development of local products and regional cultures can only be achieved with the support of local communities and businesses, with whom we wish to establish structuring partnerships. In the long run, we would like Les Caraïbes Nordiques to become an economic powerhouse for the region.
It is a for-profit company that aims to develop an integrated, solidarity and social economy so that the benefits (economic, social, cultural...) are shared among all partners and communities involved. Our model is based on the protection of natural resources rather than their exploitation as resources. This translates into a reasoned and sustainable economic development, in other words, a real, circular and sharing economy.
Our employees come from Aboriginal, Quebec, Canadian and international communities. We have a human resources policy that advocates openness, exchange, inclusion, parity and respect for all diversities. We strive to recruit and train women from all cultures in professions and positions where they are currently rare (fishing and hunting guides, land management, site management...) and this at all levels of the company.
Since its genesis, the project has been working to bring together the different communities in the region, native and non-native, French and English speaking. The co-founders, Guy Bellefleur and Vincent Pérès, have visited most of the communities of the Lower and Middle North Shore to present this social project and to refine it according to the demands and expectations of the people who will benefit from the implementation of Les Caraïbes Nordiques. Thus, the considerations of the base of the members of the communities, particularly Aboriginal, are integrated in the foundations of the project. We also strongly believe that true reconciliation requires knowledge of the other. This is why our tourism experiences work to discover the culture, traditions and history of the different communities, which enhances them and gives them pride. In the same sense, we wish to establish a two-headed team, in the image of the friendship forged between the two co-founders, Guy Bellefleur and Vincent Pérès. In the medium term, all of our positions are intended to be held by a native-aboriginal pair in order to build bridges and transmit knowledge and skills. Finally, reconciliation can only be fully realized if we offer economic viability to the Aboriginal communities. By inviting them to become partners in the project, offering them sustainable jobs, and providing them with the opportunity to train locally, we are working to design a promising future, together.
We would like to develop the societal and ecological face of the Plan Nord. The Plan Nord is more known under the industrial aspect, the mining development, the forestry industry and the hydroelectric projects. The tourism industry is very little developed, even almost non-existent, but is also part of the Plan Nord. With Les Caraïbes Nordiques, we want to demonstrate that it is also profitable in the long term for Northern Quebec to protect its natural resources rather than exploit them, and to transform the term resource (synonymous with predation, removal) into that of wealth (protection, preservation).