Minganie

Limestone monolith shaped by the waves

The Minganie is a region on the North Shore, in Quebec, in Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The main attractions of the Minganie are:

• its vast hinterland made up of rivers, lakes, peat bogs, forests, mountains offering unique panoramas, wild hunting and fishing sites, mountain biking and snowmobile trails, and varied northern wildlife and flora;
• its hundreds of bays dotted with islands and archipelagos, offering unusual panoramas, and allowing the observation of nature, winged fauna (especially migratory birds or nesting), marine fauna (e.g. whales, belugas, dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, seals sharing the same playground), the sea in all its forms as well as magnificent beaches where visitors take the time to combine the wonder of nature and the tranquility of the holidays;
• small villages with a rustic built heritage equipped with a wharf which is the soul of the place;
• the supply ship for the villages of the Côte-Nord, which allows passengers to admire the old fishing villages, the wild coast, its majestic bays, its steep rocks, its rocky coasts, its endless forest, the confluence of rivers , marine fauna, marine landmarks (e.g lighthouses), archipelagos hosting a varied island nature;
• its fascinating story told by people from the riverside localities: the village quay, the little chapel, shipwrecks, disasters, medical care, hunting or fishing adventures, supply ships, the first snowmobiles, the first cars, the arrival of electricity (telephone, television, Internet), fishing adventures, and the arrival of Route 138 and its socio-economic impacts.

Understand

Village of Rivière-au-Tonnerre located at the mouth of the eponymous river

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.

This territory of 92,546 km² (35,732 sq mi) is located between the First Nations (Indigenous) reserve of Natashquan (east side) and the Rivière-au-Tonnerre (west side) which is east of the city of Sept-Îles. The territory of the Minganie includes several picturesque villages spread along the coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, over a length of several kilometres. Minganie is a land of wide-open spaces combining adventure in a country with bucolic landscapes and tranquility far from hectic urban life.

Minganie offers all the grandeur of its marine nature, on the shore (large beaches, rocks shaped by the sea, islands or archipelagos, bays) or in the hinterland (hundreds of bodies of water, rivers, peat bogs, marshes, canyons, cliffs, reddish rocks, mountains), as well as an expanded offer of products and services to tourists: hunting, fishing, water sports (kayak, canoe, paddle board), nature activities (hiking, bicycles, mountain bikes, mountain bikes, snowmobiles), picking wild berries, as well as observing avian or terrestrial fauna, marine mammals. Minganie also showcases its culture (e.g., works by artists), its history and its historical heritage.

Cities and towns

• 1 Natashquan — Since the mid-19th century, Natashquan had been a community focused on cod fishing, seal hunting, trapping, and the fur trade.
• 2 Aguanish — The village of Aguanish surrounds the freshwater bay of the Aguanish River Delta. This bay has many sandy beaches. Beach camping and wild camping are popular here.
• 3 Baie-Johan-Beetz — This picturesque municipality has a bucolic coastline, magnificent bays, islands along the coast, the Quetachou Falls trail, the Pontbriand River park, and hunting and fishing activities.
• 4 Havre-Saint-Pierre — This riverside town offering many services to travellers and many attractions: Mingan Archipelago (Archipel-de-Mingan National Park Reserve), a well-organized seaport, several rivers (e.g., Romaine), fishing, and sea excursions.
• 5 Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan — This waterfront municipality showcases its long fine sandy beach, its wooden waterfront promenade along the beach, hunting & fishing activities, excursions to the islands, and its museum on marine mammals.
• 6 Mingan — Mingan is an Innu First Nations (Indigenous) reserve inhabited by Innus from Ekuanitshit. The Innus settled there permanently after the Second World War (1939-1945); 552 inhabitants lived there in 2016.
• 7 Rivière-Saint-Jean — Riverside municipality at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River and the Magpie River.
• 8 Rivière-au-Tonnerre — The gateway to the Minganie has many coves, beaches, church, falls, whale watching, hunting and fishing.

Other destinations

• 1 Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve — Visitors are enchanted by the limestone monoliths (in islets or cliffs) shaped by the incessant waves. This park offers boat trips, water taxi to the islands, hiking and/or picnic on the islands, water activities around the islands (kayak, paddle board), observation wildlife (avian and marine mammals).
• 2 Lac-Jérôme — Unorganized territory of RCM Minganie, in Côte-Nord region. This territory is a hunting & fishing paradise under the aegis of outfitters, with access by seaplane. It can be crossed by snowmobile.
• 3 Anticosti — Gulf of St. Lawrence Island encompassing Anticosti National Park

By car

• From downtown Montréal, it is 960 km by route 138 to the village of Rivière-au-Tonnerre and 1263 km to Natashquan. Traffic on Route 138 is more intense given the economic and recreational tourism development of the Middle and Lower North Shore. Since 2013, Route 138 has reached the village of Kegaska to the east.

By plane

The seaplane is a practical means of transport to access the territory, usually for fishing & hunting, trapping, or any other expedition in wild forest areas. In winter, planes landing in the Minganie are equipped with skis.

Get around

Route 138 along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf is the main artery for travelling in the southern part of the Minganie. The rest of the territory is served by several forest roads for recreational tourism activities, silviculture, hydroelectric infrastructure and power transmission lines. In the forest zone, ATVs and snowmobiles allow access to the backcountry.

See

• Observation of marine mammals (Observation des mammifères marins). From the shore or in sea boats, it is possible to observe whales, belugas, dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, seals, seals, and birds, and thus better understand their habitat and their way to feed themselves, to live in groups, to perpetuate themselves and to defend themselves. (updated Jul 2022)
• Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (Réserve de parc national de l'Archipel-de-Mingan). Boat trips, nautical activities, visit to Île aux Perroquets (with a lighthouse, the caretaker's house and the assistant caretaker's house). (updated Jul 2022)

Do

• Outfitters offer experiences on the coast (e.g., marine expeditions by boat or sea kayak) or in the hinterland (e.g., canoe or kayak expeditions, hunting and fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing , ice fishing, hiking).
• Pick wild berries such as blueberries, raspberries, crowberries, red berries.
• Fishing (deep sea, shore or inland).
• Hunting (shore or backcountry).

Sleep

• There many resorts (e.g. cabins, hunting or fishing camps).

Connect

Low-altitude satellite communication services (e.g., Starlink) are increasingly accessible in remote areas such as the North Shore; they allow you to make video calls, play online games, view streaming video, and perform other high-speed activities, among other things. In remote areas, these satellite communication services offer security and efficiency.

Security

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 (e.g. wild animals), depending on the activities practiced 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 Minganie

New York ← Elgin ← Montréal ←

W  E

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

• 1 Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent The easternmost part of Quebec offers hiking trails, excursions (at sea, fishing, in the archipelagos), huge beaches, thousands of bodies of water and waterways. This vast territory has an angelic charm, especially with its fishing villages, its great local history and its seafood products.
• 2 Labrador Labrador is an immense, often virgin territory which includes the Torngat Mountains National Park, the Battle Harbour National Historic Site, Red Bay National Historic Site. Expeditions on the Labrador Sea allow you to admire the immense and majestic shoreline including fjords, and bays dotted with islands.