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Driving in Canada is similar to driving in the United States. Most distances
and speeds, however, are posted in kilometers per hour, and many signs will be in French. U.S. driver's licenses
are valid in Canada. Proof of auto insurance is required. Drivers must carry owner registration and proof of insurance
coverage, which is compulsory in Canada. It is recommended that you get a Canadian Non-Resident Inter-Provincial
Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card, (a.k.a. Canadian Yellow Card) from your insurance provider.
You should plan to arrive at camp manager Jesse Doiron's house in L'Ascension-de-Patapedia at approximately 3:00
pm Atlantic Daylight Savings Time (ADT). Drive time from Presque Isle, Maine to L'Ascension is approximately 3
hours, 20 minutes. New Brunswick is in the Atlantic Time Zone, 1 hour ahead of Eastern, so please take this into
account when planning driving times. The camp, while technically on Quebec soil, also operates on Atlantic Time.
If you are flying into Presque Isle and renting a car, take Route 1 North from Presque Isle to Van Buren and cross into Canada
at St-Leonard, New Brunswick where you'll pick up Route 17, North. Be sure to observe "Reduced Speed Zones"
passing through the little towns. Radar is frequently in use in these areas.
If you are driving from points south via Houlton, Maine (the last exit on I-95), we recommend crossing the border in Houlton.
After crossing, conitnue about 4 miles north to Woodstock, N.B., and there pick up the Trans-Canada Highway, Route
2 West, to St-Leonard to pick up Route 17 North.
From St-Leonard, it's about 60 miles to the village of St-Jean-Baptiste-de-la-Restigouche. It is about 52 miles
from St-Jean-Baptiste to L'Ascension-de-Pataedia, Quebec. Plan on 1 hour and 10 minutes to drive this distance.
Continue north on Route 17. About 16 miles north of St-Jean-Baptiste, you will cross the bridge over the Upsalquitch
River at Robinsonville. From the bridge, continue about another 4 to 4.5 miles. ATTN:
NEW ROAD: Look for Evergreen Road on your left. They have built
a new section of highway on Route 17 which travels a bit to the east of the old road. Evergreen is the old section
of Route 17 you've driven in years past. (There may or may not be signage indicating left on Evergreen to Dawsonville).
Turn left onto Evergreen and proceed approximately 1 - 1.5 miles, where you will turn left onto Restigouche River
Road (a.k.a. Mann's Mt. Road.). Look for a large barn with a silver colored tin roof on the left as a landmark.
Continue 2.2 miles on Restigouche River to Camp Runnymeade where you'll bear right. Follow the road along the lower
Restigouche another 6 1/2 miles to the Trans Provincial Bridge, where you'll turn left and cross over the lower
Restigouche River into the Province of Quebec.
On the Quebec side of the bridge, turn left and proceed on Rt. 132 North, which bears right through the village
of Matapedia, and parallels the east bank of the Matapedia River (river is on your left). About 5 miles after crossing
the Trans Provincial Bridge, you'll see an Esso gas station and a restaurant on the right hand side of Route 132.
Immediately after this, you'll turn left and cross the new bridge over the Matapedia River, following the signs
to St-Francois-d'Assise.
Follow this road approximately 9 miles into the village of St-Francois. About 25 yards before the "Petrol
Canada" gas station sign on the right, turn left following the sign to L'Ascension-de-Patapedia. You'll immediately
pass a large church on your right. About 1 mile from this intersection, there is a fork. Bear to the left on the
paved road (the road is paved all the way from Matapedia to L'Ascension, so if you find yourself on a dirt road,
you've gone astray).
From the left turn at St-Francois, it is approximately 6 miles to L'Ascension. At the "T" intersection,
turn right, passing the Irving gas/general store and proceeding 1.2 miles to manager Jesse Doiron's house, which
is a single-story white house on the left, with a "Quonset-hut" style barn to the right rear of the main
house. Jesse also flies an American flag on guest arrival days. There is ample parking here. Pull up on the lawn
in front of the Red Pine sign. Jesse or another staff member will be at the house between 2:30 - 4:30 pm AST to
transfer you down to camp. If you are delayed, please call the camp to let us know your estimated time of arrival.
Note: there is a phone at the Irving store at the "T" intersection. The proprietor speaks English, and
is happy to let Red Pine guests use his phone to call the camp. Beer and a very limited selection of wines are
sold at the Irving store. Liquor is not available in the village of L'Ascension.
Red Pine Mountain Lodge (418) 299-2264 - Jesse's House
(418) 299-2629
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