Relais Nordik Inc.

What Relais Nordik Inc. does

Relais Nordik Inc. operates the MV Bella Desgagnés, a 6,655-ton, 8-deck cargo-passenger ship that is the sole maritime link between Rimouski and 12 communities along Quebec's Lower North Shore and Anticosti Island, spanning a 1,500+ km route. The vessel, in service since 2013 and rated Class 1 AFS for winter ice operations, carries up to 420 passengers and is equipped with a 40-metric-ton crane, anti-roll tanks, stabilizers, an infirmary, 63 private-bathroom cabins across multiple tiers (Economy, Standard, Superior, Select, Select Panoramic, Select Plus), a 100-seat cafeteria, a 70–80-seat dining room, a Deck 8 bistro, heated pet kennels, and bicycle-transport containers. Since October 2023, the ship has been equipped with Starlink satellite internet, providing free onboard Wi-Fi. The company also operates a 13-warehouse network between Rimouski and Blanc-Sablon for cargo reception and delivery.

Relais Nordik is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe Desgagné, a diversified Quebec maritime conglomerate with 19th-century roots. The company is headquartered at 570-L rue St-Germain Est in Rimouski and operates with approximately 30 administrative staff plus ~40 shipboard crew. It holds multiple certifications — ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 9001 (quality), Green Marine Excellence and Leadership, and ICI on recycle Performance+ — and holds a Firearms Transport License issued by the RCMP.

The business operates three integrated revenue streams: (1) a 7-night all-inclusive Discovery Cruise Package (Forfait Découverte) priced CAD $2,000–$3,600 per person by cabin tier and season, sold through a phone reservation center and online booking request; (2) Maritime Passage tickets sold 24/7 via the billetterie.relaisnordik.com portal for residents and non-residents traveling without cabin/meals across 12 ports; and (3) Freight and Cargo services — standard 20-foot containers, non-standard oversized platforms, vehicle transport, temperature-controlled cargo (heating/refrigeration/freezing), and dangerous goods per IMDG code — sold through a dedicated cargo team with corporate-account terms. Resident and non-resident pricing is differentiated. Distribution is direct-to-consumer (web, phone, in-person at dock) for passengers and direct enterprise field sales for commercial shippers. Tourism marketing is primarily earned media (Toronto Star, Adventure.com, O.Canada, Goodtimes.ca), with on-board content delivered via partners Voyages CoSte (shore excursions) and ROMM (whale/marine-mammal observation).

Name

Relais Nordik Inc.

Legal name

Relais Nordik Inc.

Website

https://relaisnordik.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Relais Nordik Inc. operates the MV Bella Desgagnés, the sole cargo-passenger ship serving Anticosti Island and 8 roadless communities on Quebec's Lower North Shore. It provides weekly freight, vehicle, and passenger transport, plus a 7-night Discovery cruise package.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Cargo-Passenger Transport

NAICS

Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Island & Remote Community Ferry Services (THAIAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM)

Keywords

• Cargo-passenger maritime transport
• Coastal freight shipping
• Cruise package services
• Vehicle ferry transport
• Remote community logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Rimouski

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Maritime Passenger Passage: Revenue from residents and non-residents purchasing maritime crossing tickets (without meals/cabin) at various ports along the 12-stop Rimouski–Blanc-Sablon route. Ticket sales handled online and by phone.
2. Discovery Cruise Package (Forfait découverte): Revenue from all-inclusive 7-night round-trip packages (Rimouski/Blanc-Sablon/Rimouski) including cabin accommodation and all meals. Packages are priced per person based on cabin type and season (low, regular, high), with discounts for seniors (65+) and children (15 and under).
3. Freight and Cargo Transport: Revenue from shipping goods (dry goods, groceries, temperature-controlled, residential, commercial, dangerous, animals, equipment) for both commercial and private clients using standard 20-foot containers and non-standard cargo platforms. Pricing is based on weight/dimensions and route.
4. Vehicle Transport: Revenue from transporting vehicles (automobiles, RVs, trailers, motorcycles) in containers or on platforms, with separate rates for residents of Anticosti Island and Lower North Shore versus non-residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Relais Nordik Inc. operates the MV Bella Desgagnés, providing weekly cargo-passenger maritime service along a 1,500+ km route connecting Rimouski to Blanc-Sablon across 12 ports, serving Anticosti Island and the roadless Lower North Shore communities of Quebec. The company sells 7-night all-inclusive Discovery Cruise Packages, point-to-point maritime passage tickets, vehicle transport, and freight/cargo shipping services for both residents and businesses. It functions as the sole supply lifeline for eight isolated communities.

Product overview

Relais Nordik Inc. operates the Bella Desgagnés, a 6,655-ton passenger-cargo ship that provides essential maritime service to Anticosti Island and Quebec's Lower North Shore. The core offering is a 7-night Discovery Package cruise (Forfait Découverte) combining cabin accommodation and meals across 12 ports from Rimouski to Blanc-Sablon. The company also sells standalone Maritime Passage tickets for residents and non-residents without cabin/meals, plus vehicle and freight cargo transport services. Onboard accommodations include Economy, Standard, Superior, Select, Select Panoramic, and Select Plus cabin tiers with varying amenities and pricing. Dining options include a dining room (table d'hôte), cafeteria, and bistro. The Bella Desgagnés also provides ancillary services such as pet transport (kennel), bicycle rental containers, and Marine Mammal Observation (ROMM) guided experiences. The company is a subsidiary of Groupe Desgagné, operating from Rimouski, Quebec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forfait Découverte (Discovery Cruise Package) aboard the Bella Desgagnés
• Maritime Passage Ticket (Billetterie)
• Vehicle Transport
• Cargo and Freight Transport
• Tailor-Made Trip
• Pet Transport (Onboard Kennel)
• Bicycle Transport

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% port success rate (excluding Natashquan) in 2026-27 season after 13 voyages
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Voyages CoSte (Coopérative de solidarité en tourisme équitable)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVoyages CoSte is an independent partner that organizes and sells shore excursions at multiple ports of call along the Bella Desgannés route. They assume full responsibility for booking, payment, and reimbursement of excursions. Relais Nordik customers are referred to Voyages CoSte via the ship's website and on-board communications. The partnership is essential to the tourist experience as it provides guided land-based activities at remote communities.
• Marine Mammal Observation Network (ROMM / Réseau d'Observation des Mammifères Marins)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROMM provides trained guide-interpreters on board the Bella Desgannés from mid-May to end of October, leading whale watching sessions, educational workshops, and film presentations. Relais Nordik also collaborates with ROMM by reporting whale and marine mammal sightings during navigation to support marine biodiversity research. ROMM runs the Deck 8 bistro as part of their on-board programming.
• Air LiaisonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir Liaison provides alternative air transportation to resident passengers when the Bella Desgannés cannot serve a destination port due to weather, breakdown, or inaccessible port. Residents are referred to Air Liaison for same-direction travel to their destination. The customer must contact Air Liaison after receiving eligibility confirmation from Relais Nordik.
• Green MarineminorOthersGreen Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American marine industry. Relais Nordik (as part of Groupe Desganné) is a member and has received Excellence and Leadership ratings across multiple performance indicators including aquatic invasive species, air emissions, greenhouse gases, and waste management.
• MARS Project (Marine Acoustic Research Station)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bella Desgannés participates in the MARS Project — a marine acoustic research station in the St. Lawrence co-directed by the Rimouski Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMER) of UQAR and the Innovation Maritime Research Centre (IMAR). The project studies the noise footprint of ships in the St. Lawrence Estuary to identify causes of on-board noise and protect marine mammals.
• Tourisme Côte-NordminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourisme Côte-Nord had a delegation present at the Bella Desgannés 10th anniversary open house event to promote the Lower North Shore region. They participate in on-site outreach to visitors at the Rimouski dock.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Ponant: French luxury expedition cruise line operating small-capacity itineraries to remote polar and coastal regions including the St. Lawrence. Comparable as a small-ship expedition cruise operator with similar multi-day, remote-destination positioning, though serving a more premium and international clientele.
• Lindblad Expeditions: US-based small-ship expedition cruise operator focused on remote and nature-immersive itineraries. Comparable as a multi-day expedition cruise operator featuring naturalists and educational programming — similar to Relais Nordik's ROMM-guided offerings — though at a much larger international scale.
• Adventure Canada: Canadian small-ship expedition cruise operator offering itineraries in the St. Lawrence, Canadian Arctic, and North Atlantic. Direct functional peer for the cruise package — same geography, similar small-ship expedition model, with comparable target audience of experiential Canadian travelers.
• Hurtigruten: Norwegian coastal voyage and expedition cruise operator running multi-day itineraries along Norway's coast and to polar destinations. Comparable as a multi-day cabin-inclusive cruise operating on a coastal supply-style route, with international year-round scheduling at significantly larger scale.
• Norwegian Coastal Express (Havila Voyages): Norwegian coastal voyage operator running daily round-trip itineraries along Norway's coast serving small communities as a supply-and-passenger lifeline. Comparable as a multi-day coastal voyage combining essential supply service with tourism, with a parallel remote-community-anchor-plus-cruise model.

Others

• Groupe Desgagnés: Parent company of Relais Nordik and a diversified maritime conglomerate operating tanker, bulk, and specialized vessels across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, Canadian Arctic, and Atlantic. Relevant as the corporate parent: peers in deep-sea/coastal shipping operations and the source of corporate capabilities Relais Nordik draws on.

Direct peers

• CTMA (Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien): Canadian cooperative operating the ferry/cargo service between Cap-aux-Meules and Souris (PEI) for the Magdalen Islands, plus an integrated cruise-and-cargo business. Highly comparable: serves remote island communities with a combined passenger, cargo, vehicle, and cruise offering — a direct model parallel to Relais Nordik.
• Marine Atlantic: Canada Crown corporation providing ferry service between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for both passengers and freight. Direct peer — operates essential marine passenger and cargo service to communities with limited road access, with similar ferry-tourist positioning and government-backed mandate.
• Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ): Quebec government-owned ferry operator running passenger and vehicle ferry services across the St. Lawrence River and to islands like Île d'Orléans, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, and Anticosti. Direct peer — both operate intra-Quebec passenger ferry routes including to Anticosti Island, with similar regulatory and seasonal dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• BC Ferries: British Columbia's dominant coastal passenger-vehicle ferry operator serving coastal island and remote communities. Both are remote-community ferry operators in Canada, but BC Ferries is far larger, operates a much broader network, and does not have a comparable cargo-cruise hybrid model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1600126780307162
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relais-nordik-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Relais Nordik Inc.