Newfoundland & Labrador - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 441

Getting There & Away
Provincial Airlines ( www.provincialairlines.ca ) serves most of the northern coast's villages
from Goose Bay.
The passenger-only MV Northern Ranger plies this section of coast from mid-June to
mid-November. It leaves once per week, making the three-day (one way) journey
between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Nain, stopping in Makkovik, Hopedale and Natu-
ashish along the way. Check with Labrador Marine ( www.labradormarine.com ) for the
ever-evolving schedule and fares.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Central Labrador
Making up the territorial bulk of Labrador, the central portion is an immense, sparsely
populated and ancient wilderness. Paradoxically, it also has the largest town in Labrador,
Happy Valley-Goose Bay ( www.happyvalley-goosebay.com ) , home to a military base. The
town (population 7600) has all the usual services, but unless you're an angler or hunter,
there isn't much to see or do.
Goose Bay was established during WWII as a staging point for planes on their way to
Europe, and has remained an aviation center. The airport is also an official NASA altern-
ate landing site for the space shuttle.
Sights
Northern Lights Building MUSEUM
( 709-896-5939; 170 Hamilton River Rd; 10am-5:30pm Tue-Sat) The Northern
Lights Building hosts a military museum, interesting lifelike nature scenes and simulated
northern lights.
Labrador Interpretation Centre MUSEUM
( 709-497-8566; www.therooms.ca/lic ; 2 Portage Rd, North West River; 10am-4pm daily Jul &
Aug, 1-4pm Wed-Sun Sep-Jun) Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997, the
Labrador Interpretation Centre is the provincial museum, which holds some of Lab-
rador's finest works of art. It's in North West River, via Rte 520.