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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Fermont
Go only if you are driving Route 389 or working the mines: one night, see the Wall and Mont-Wright, then move on.
Fermont is a purpose-built iron-mining town on the Labrador Trough, 567 km north of Baie-Comeau by Route 389 and 27 km from Labrador City. Its one real sight is the town itself: Place Daviault, a 1.5 km building known as Le Mur, which shields the streets from the north wind. Almost everyone here is passing through, visiting Mont-Wright, or hunting and fishing.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the long days and the only reliable warm weather; Feb–Mar for snow and the Taiga Challenge
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr unless you are equipped for deep cold and snow
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–150 excl. bed · Mid C$150–250 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Hematite Health Centre +1 418-287-3280 · Fermont tourist information office +1 418-287-5339
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Casual meal (bistro or cafeteria) | C$18–30 |
| Grocery run for a day of self-catering | C$25–40 |
| Beer: bar pint / SAQ can or bottle | C$7–9 / C$3–5 |
| Fuel, per litre | C$1.60–1.90 |
| Motel room, two double beds | about C$195 |
| Campground pitch, summer | C$20–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YWK · Wabush Airport, Labrador
- About 32 km east via Route 389; rental cars at the airport. Flights from Goose Bay (about 1 h 15 min) and Montréal (about 3 h 45 min–4 h with stops).About 20 mi east via Route 389; rental cars at the airport. Flights from Goose Bay (about 1 h 15 min) and Montréal (about 3 h 45 min–4 h with stops).
Typical fares
- Wabush Airport → Fermont, taxi
- about 32 km; agree the price before you get inabout 20 mi; agree the price before you get in
- Fuel, Baie-Comeau → Fermont
- 567 km; fill up in Baie-Comeau and again in the village352 mi; fill up in Baie-Comeau and again in the village
- Car rental, per day
- from about C$70 plus fuel
Get around
You need a car. The village centre is 3.9 km south of Route 389, and the mine is about 20 km west. Rental cars are available in the village and at Wabush Airport. In winter, much of daily life happens indoors along the wall.You need a car. The village centre is 2.4 mi south of Route 389, and the mine is about 12 mi west. Rental cars are available in the village and at Wabush Airport. In winter, much of daily life happens indoors along the wall.
See and do
Known for
- Le Mur (Place Daviault screen wall)
- Mont-Wright iron ore mine
- Route 389 and the Trans-Labrador Highway
- Hunting, fishing and winter sports
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Labrador City and Wabush | Route 389 east, about 27 km to Labrador CityRoute 389 east, about 17 mi to Labrador City | About 30 min |
| Mont-Wright mining complex | Drive about 20 km west of the villageDrive about 12 mi west of the village | About 30 min each way |
| Carheil Lake beach | Drive about 9 km south of the centreDrive about 5.6 mi south of the centre | About 15 min |
| Schefferville | No road link; fly via Labrador or Québec connections | Most of a day |
Sleep
- Inside Le Mur (Place Daviault)
- Hotel Fermont sits in the wall itself, 299 rue le Carr; reception is open limited hours, so arrive well before it closes.
- Rue de l'Hématite, near the wall
- Motel Vent Du Nord, about 20 rooms with fridges and a shared kitchen and lounge area.
- Gîtes and rooming houses
- A handful of B&B-style rooms and rented apartments in the village; book ahead, capacity is small.
- Lac Daviault campgrounds
- Summer only, on the lake shore; the main campground is on the west shore.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay VOO ahn-GLEH |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYEN sa KOOT |
| Where is the gas station? | Où est la station-service ?oo ay la sta-SYON sair-VEES |
| I have a reservation | J'ai une réservationzhay oon ray-zair-va-SYON |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- Distances are large and services thin: check your fuel level and road conditions before any run to the mine or to Labrador City, and top up at the village gas station when you can.
- Winter is severe: January averages about −29 °C at night and −17 °C by day, with heavy snow cover.
- Cell coverage and roadside help are limited on Route 389; tell someone your plan before driving it.
- Mont-Wright mine visits need a booking through the tourist information office, long sleeves and closed flat shoes; no under-10s, no video cameras.
- Hotel Fermont has a short reception window and weak online reviews: confirm your arrival time in advance.
Fermont is a small, quiet mining town and personal safety is not the issue; cold, distance and thin services are. The documented risks are severe winter conditions, long gaps between services on Route 389 and limited roadside help.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Fermont yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Le Mur (Place Daviault screen wall)
- Mont-Wright iron ore mine
- Route 389 and the Trans-Labrador Highway
- Hunting, fishing and winter sports
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ville de Fermont: www.villedefermont.qc.ca/
- Caniapiscau — Découvrir Fermont: caniapiscau.ca/decouvrir-fermont/
- Wikivoyage: Fermont, revision 5237763 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237763
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Fermont
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Hematite Health Centre+1 418-287-3280
- Fermont tourist information office+1 418-287-5339
No embassies in Fermont. The US consulate general is in Montréal; the US embassy is in Ottawa. Other countries: embassies in Ottawa, consulates in Montréal.
French is the everyday language here; English is widely understood in hotels and at the tourist office.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/fermont). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.