He was born here, wrapped in the riverbed. It left to grow in the sea. Now it's back, ready to face the freshwater flow. From the arms of the coast, the salmon makes its way upstream to its natal pool. But the river is black and harnessed. He embarks on a journey that will probably cost him his life. This story reminds us a little of our neighbors to the north, the “Coasters”. For these inhabitants of the horizon, it's customary to travel between land and sea, nourished by the expanse of blue, and carried by the water that crisscrosses the rock. For both communities, it's a shared migration, a threatened existence...

Through a series of sensitive installations, the project invites us to reconnect with the river and ensure the sustainability of its habitats in the face of tomorrow's uncertainty. The new route interacts with the river at three points, offering both gestures to support salmon migration and a contemplative journey through an unexplored valley. The first stop, “La passe”, is a research center that tracks salmon runs and acts as a traverse for the walker. The second, “L'abri”, is a retreat where the user can rest and listen to the whispers of the forest. The third, “The Footbridge”, rises up to the treetops to reveal an imposing waterfall. For salmon, this impassable obstacle would usually be the end of the journey. But here, the observatory also acts as a fish pass, opening the way to new spawning grounds.

The project is set in the remote landscapes of the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory, where some fifteen scattered villages have found their roots in the rock. The proposed installations borrow from the historical typology of fishing and the ancient gestures of the place, with slender wooden constructions raised on stilts. In reverence to the land, the architecture rises above the rock and lets itself be caressed by the salty wind.