Quebec was much more French than I expected and whilst I was still in Canada, it really felt like I was in another country. The architecture, food and culture were incredible and everybody was very helpful. It was a totally different experience, however looking back; I probably just needed to prepare myself a bit better with my French. A little goes a long way with the locals.
This short trip through this eastern Canadian province was all about being in and amongst the wild. My first stop was a visit to the Zoo Sauvage de Saint-Félicien, where I was lucky enough to get a guided tour of their 200 plus hectare site. The animals here live in vast semi-wild conditions and I was able to come across black bears, muskoxen, foxes and more. Some even sat perfectly for me to photograph. I spent the night at a caribou campsite. You could hear a lot of animals around you and having a nice fire under the stars was great.
The next day was a trip to Aventuraid park, just north of Girardville where I would be sleeping with the wolves. This experience turned out to be the most memorable moment of my time in Quebec. Having a pure bred wolf so close was a unique experience, that’s for sure.
We started the day with a white water paddle in a traditional Canadian canoe down the Mistassini River, before visiting the wolf habitat. These pure bred animals have been hand raised by owner and guide Gilles Granal from Aventuraid, also known as the wolf whisperer.
It was a little daunting putting my trust in these guys. A human can produce 300lbs of bite pressure and a German Shepherd 750lbs, but these wolves can produce 1500. They were really interested in me, pulling at my sleeves and pants, even ripping a few small holes. The guide asked if I was scared. I said no and decided to show a bit more dominance. They started to respect me a bit more after that. The alpha male even singled me out and was a bit of a handful, but I loved every bit.
I was amazed at how well they were looked after and how friendly they were. It was great being able to pat them and spend time with them. They really seemed to love the attention but were also a little shy. Out of all the wildlife I encountered, they were definitely my favourite to shoot. Once the lakes and rivers free, these guys get to take people sledding. I was told they absolutely love it.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Sean Scott