Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

Fishing boat docked at Blanc-Sablon

Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (formerly Basse-Côte-Nord) is a region on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the east of the province of Quebec. Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent is like British Columbia's Sunny Shine Cost, with its many bays and ferries. The main attractions of Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent are:

• its vast backcountry territory made up of rivers, lakes, peat bogs, forests, mountains offering unique panoramas, wild hunting and fishing sites, ATV and snowmobile trails, varied wildlife and distinctive flora;
• its 375 km shoreline area comprising thousands of bays dotted with islands and archipelagos, offering bucolic panoramas, and the sea in all its moods as well as magnificent beaches where visitors take the time to marvel;
• small villages with a rustic-built heritage equipped with a wharf which is the soul of the place;
• from the eastern limit of route 138 (Kegaska is the end point) that many visitors covet to add to their travel itinerary
• its fascinating story told by the people of the riverside communities: shipwrecks, disasters, hunting or fishing adventures, supply ships, first snowmobiles, first cars, arrival of electricity, prolonged isolations, and medical emergencies;
• supply ships that allow you to admire the wild coast, its majestic bays, its steep rocks, its rocky coasts, its endless forest, the confluence of rivers, marine fauna, marine landmarks, archipelagos hosting nature island variety and the charm of each village.

Where the coastal road ends, a new rhythm of life is imposed, and other means are available to travel the territory. In this region, visitors condition themselves to take the time to marvel at the seasons, the tides, and the aurora borealis. Hospitable residents take the time to welcome visitors and share their unique local culture (e.g. culinary traditions, their crafts, their processing and preservation of seafood products, and their way of life), their local history, their winter carnival in each village and their large natural spaces.

Understand

This Regional County Municipality (RCM) of more than 40,000 kilometres (24,854.85 mi) is located between the First Nations reserve of Natashquan and the Labrador which is contiguous to the eastern limit of Quebec. The territory of this region includes several picturesque villages spread over the 375 kilometres (233 mi) coastline with no road access. This virgin territory is a combination of adventure and tranquility.

Being a resource region of Quebec, economic diversification efforts have been made to stimulate the development of new infrastructures and the offer of recreational tourism services, in particular through advantageous tax measures and the financing of structuring projects by the governments. Although the Côte-Nord region has an industrial past (especially mining, forestry and hydroelectricity), new economic activities are being developed on the Basse-Côte-Nord in order to serve the visitors who flock to the eastern limit of Route 138: accommodation (including bed and breakfasts), campgrounds, restaurants, recreational parks, growing berries (e.g. blueberies, raspberries), hunting and fishing outfitters, nature observation and regional history centre, services for recreational vehicles (including trailers, tent-trailers and motorhomes), marine or river expeditions, ATV or snowmobile expeditions, outdoor trails (pedestrian, bicycle), tourist circuits, organization of local events, businesses (e.g. convenience stores, sporting goods), museums, access to magnificent beaches, visits to hydroelectric infrastructures, guided tours in the archipelagos, and nature protection parks.

The region is in the Atlantic time zone: it is one hour ahead of the rest of Quebec.

This recreational tourism development requires new Internet access and cellular networks. Thanks to a constellation of low-altitude satellites, travelers in these remote areas will be able to better access the Internet and mobile phone communication.

In addition, the MRCs, municipalities and tourism development organizations strive to make known the riches of the territory of this MRC in all seasons, in particular through their website, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Increased recreational tourism services are anticipated in view of the gradual extension of Route 138 eastward; this extension would be combined with new hydroelectric projects by harnessing rivers.

The far east of the region is in a different time zone; it is then necessary to advance the time by one hour, compared to the rest of Quebec.

Towns and villages

The village of Harrington Harbour in Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

• 1 Blanc-Sablon — The easternmost municipality of Quebec. It is accessible by plane and boat from Rimouski and Sept-Îles, or by the ferry connecting St-Alban (Newfoundland and Labrador). By road, it is only accessible from Labrador, via the towns of Fermont and Wabush.
• 2 Bonne-Espérance — Besides the main village, visitors can see the hamlet Vieux-Fort (on Baie du Vieux-Fort) and Rivière-Saint-Paul (on Baie des Esquimaux). The route 138 circuit allows you to admire the seascapes, the shorelines, the icebergs drifting in the Strait of Belle Isle, the broken ice on the banks in winter, the marine fauna and the winged fauna.
• 3 Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent — Municipality made up of a series of small villages dotted along the coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence: Chevery, Tête-à-la-Baleine, Harrington Harbourg, and Kegaska. Only Kegaska is accessible via Route 138. These picturesque, riverside villages have a special charm. Visitors access it by boat or through their respective airport.
• 4 Gros-Mécatina — This riverside municipality is not connected to the Quebec road network. The charming village of Mutton Bay, located on the east shore of the Gros Mécatina River, is renowned for crab, scallop and lobster fishing. The tourist attractions are the Gros Mécatina migratory bird sanctuary and the Parc Point aux Neiges to observe marine life and birds.
• 5 Saint-Augustin — Municipality bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence not connected to the Quebec road network. It is accessible by boat, plane or snowmobile in winter via the Route Blanche. Its economy is based on fishing.
• 6 Petit-Mécatina (unorganized territory) — An unorganized territory covering the territory north of the municipalities bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence, up to the limit of Labrador. This wild territory is mainly accessible by plane or helicopter, by snowmobile/ATV, or by forest roads used for silviculture or hydroelectric projects.

Get in

By car

• From Montréal (1314 km, time: 15 hr (non stop). Take the Jacques-Cartier bridge (south); take route 132 (toward north); take autoroute 20 (toward east) up to Quebec City; take autoroute 73 (toward north); take autoroute 40 (toward east); take route 138 (toward east) up to Kegaska.

With the exception of Blanc-Sablon, Bonne-Espérance and Kegaska, all the villages of the Lower North Shore are accessible only by boat, plane or snowmobile in winter. Boat is the best way to reach them and there is sea transport from the rest of the North Shore. Blanc-Sablon can be reached by road from Labrador by following route 510 which becomes route 138 in Québec. Although Route 138 is the main road in the rest of the North Shore, it does not join the portion of Route 138 in Lower North Shore since it ends at Kegaska. There is also a ferry between Blanc-Sablon and the island of Newfoundland.

Get around

Besides the segments of Route 138, the boat is the best way to get from one village to another. Stopping at each village allows passengers to walk for a few hours (depending on the boat's schedule) in each fishing village to appreciate their way of life, chat with residents, purchase local products (e.g. crafts, du terroir) as well as photographing this unique setting by circulating his drone above the village, the port and the nearby area.

Talk

The languages English, French and Innu are used by the inhabitants of the Lower North Shore.

See

An inukshuk in Basse-Côte-Nord

• Marine mammals – from the shore or in sea boats, you can observe whales, killer whales, belugas, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and birds, better understanding their habitat and the way they feed, live in groups, perpetuate and defend themselves.

Do

• Outfitters offer wilderness experiences on the coast (e.g. marine expeditions by boat or sea kayak) or in the backcountry (e.g. canoe or kayak expeditions, hunting and fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing background, ice fishing, hiking);
• Pick wild berries such as blueberries, raspberries, crowberries, red berries.
• Hunting (shore or backcountry).
• Fish (deep sea, shore or inland) for Atlantic salmon and other fish in the river.
• Observation of nature, winged fauna (especially migratory birds or nesting), marine wildlife (e.g., whales, belugas, dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, seals sharing the same playground).

Sleep

• Wild camping lets you taste the exceptional nature and appreciate the adventures of the outdoors.

Cope

At all times, visitors to remote areas must plan to be independent in terms of travel, accommodation, food, repairs, first aid, communication (e.g. satellite phones, geolocation) and general safety, depending on the activities practised on land or at sea.

In summer, visitors should take special precautions against insects, rain; in winter, protect yourself from the cold and storms by finding out about available refuges or by travelling with an experienced guide. Sometimes fog can occur and be prolonged.

Go next

Routes through Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

New York State→Rivière-Beaudette ← Montréal ←

W  E

→ Kegaska→(discontinued between Kekasga and Bonne-Espérance)→Bonne-Espérance → Blanc-Sablon

• 1 Minganie Tourists are attracted to Minganie in particular by its endless sandy beaches, hunting, fishing, snowmobile/ATV expeditions, bucolic panoramas (bays, mountains, Anticosti Island), the beauty of the monoliths shaped by the sea, sea kayaking, cycling, hiking, wilderness camping, relaxation cabins/camps, flora and fauna observation. In each corner of Minganie, visitors discover a great local history of colonization, the sea and economic development. There is a tourist office on the banks of the Manitou River, about 85 km east of Sept-Îles and 35 km from Rivière-au-Tonnerre.
• 2 Labrador This immense, often virgin territory gives visitors access to a variety of sites for hiking, Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Expeditions on the Labrador Sea allow you to admire the immense and majestic shoreline including fjords, and bays dotted with islands.