Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent is a municipality
in the Côte-Nord
region of the province
of Quebec
in Canada
. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas, both along the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
. The larger main part stretches from the Natashquan River
to the Big Mecatina River and includes all populated places. The eastern part is a small section between Middle Bay
and Brador
.
provincial border, some 5240 square kilometres (2,023.2 sq mi) roughly corresponding to the Basse-Côte-Nord territory. However, with an isolated population scattered over a large area devoid of roads, the municipality did not have an elected municipal council and was managed by an appointed administrator headquartered in Chevery.
Starting in 1990, a restructuring plan was enacted that would carve up Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent into several additional municipalities. That year, the municipalities of Bonne-Espérance
and Blanc-Sablon
were formed, followed by the Municipality of Saint-Augustin on December 30, 1992, and finally the municipality of Gros-Mécatina
on December 22, 1993.
On May 8, 1996, the municipality's name was officially adjusted to Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent.
It also includes the following abandoned settlements and ghost towns, in order from west to east: Musquaro, Wolf Bay, Aylmer Sound, Ettamiau, Pointe Amouri, Barachois, Chez Menneau, and Boulet's (also known as Bully's).
Chevery was the site of an early French
fur trading post in the mid-17th century, but after that fort was abandoned, there was no further development on the site until the 1930s, when an experimental farm was established on the Cross River by William Anderson. Residents of several isolated communities in the area, including Gull Cliff Island and Aylmer Sound, subsequently moved to Chevery due to the need for improved access to government services.
s, lobster, turbout, halibut, cod, and lumpfish.
A heliport
is located near the village and wharf facilities located in the village are also used to service the village of Chevery, where a regional airport is located.
Harrington Harbour was named after Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington
. It is also known locally as "Hospital Island", from its earlier role as a medical centre for the area. Local tradition claims that this is the island on which 16th century French noblewoman Marguerite de La Rocque
was marooned by her relative Jean-François Roberval as punishment for an affair. "Marguerite's Cave" is one of the attractions on the island. Another attraction is the Jacques Cartier
Monument, commemorating the French explorer and surveyor of the Gulf of St Lawrence.
The village was the location used for the Quebec film Seducing Doctor Lewis
.
. Its name derives from the Innu word quegasca, first recorded on Franquelin's map of 1685.
In 1831, Kegaska was the site of a Hudson's Bay Company
trading post, but the actual settlement was formed in 1852 when Acadian
settlers came from the Magdalen Islands
. They abandoned the place in 1871-1873 to settle at Betchewun (now Betchouane between Havre-Saint-Pierre and Baie-Johan-Beetz) and were replaced by Newfoundland fishermen, almost all of Irish origin. They in turn left around 1887-1888, leaving the place completely deserted by 1890. Yet in 1898, a few families relocated from Perth, Ontario
, whose descendants now populate the area.
, was settled in the 19th century after Michael Kenty bought the local trading post from the Labrador Company. Initial settlement mostly took place on the nearby islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, although eventually most residents moved to the community's current site on the mainland in order to be closer to sources of wood and food in the winter. However, some residents still move back and forth, residing on the islands in summer and in the mainland community in winter.
The community is named after a nearby island in the Gros Mécatina Archipelago that resembles a whale head.
's map of 1694, the name went through numerous spelling changes, such as Nasquirou, Maskouaro, and Mahkuanu. Its root meaning is "black bear tail" and may refer to the foothills of Mount Mascoüarou as shown Jolliet's map.
It was the site of a fortified trading post, established in 1710, and a catholic mission. In 1780, the post was on the territory granted to the Labrador Company of Quebec. 23 years later, the franchise went to the North West Company
which in turn was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company
in 1821. Closed for a brief time in 1859, the post remained occupied until 1925 after which it closed permanently.
Mother tongue:
Population trend:
, Kegaska Airport and Tête-à-la-Baleine Airport
. Harrington Harbour is served by a heliport, but does not have its own full airport.
Harrington Harbour is located on a small island which has no cars or roads, and all transportation in the community is by bicycle
. Each mainland community has local road access — however, no roads currently connect one community to another, the entire municipality is isolated from the provincial highway network, and ferries
or taxi
boats must be used to travel between the communities or to the rest of the province.
In recent years the municipality has lobbied for Highway 138
, which currently ends at Natashquan
, to be extended through the area. The provincial government has announced a feasibility study, although no construction schedule has been announced to date.
stations, CFTH-FM-1 in Harrington Harbour and CJTB-FM
in Tête-à-la-Baleine, operate in the municipality. CFTH also has rebroadcasters in Kegaska and Mutton Bay. The municipality is also served by rebroadcasters of Première Chaîne's CBSI-FM
in Harrington Harbour and Tête-à-la-Baleine, and by a rebroadcaster of CBC Radio One
's CBVE-FM
in Harrington Harbour.
Télévision de Radio-Canada
's CJBR-TV
has rebroadcasters in Harrington Harbour and Tête-à-la-Baleine, and CBC Television
's CBMT
has a rebroadcaster in Harrington Harbour. The municipality does not receive any of Canada's commercial broadcast television networks, English or French, over the air.
Western main part
Small eastern part
Types of municipalities in Quebec
The following is a list of the types of local and supralocal territorial units in Quebec, including those used solely for statistical purposes, as defined by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec....
in the Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord is the second largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec...
region of the province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas, both along the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
. The larger main part stretches from the Natashquan River
Natashquan River
The Natashquan is a river in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. It has its source just south of the boundary between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence watersheds. It flows south-east to the Labrador–Quebec border from where it flows southward...
to the Big Mecatina River and includes all populated places. The eastern part is a small section between Middle Bay
Bonne-Espérance, Quebec
Bonne-Espérance is a municipality in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec in Canada.The municipality is made up of the three fishing villages of Rivière-Saint-Paul , Middle Bay, and Vieux-Fort , and was incorporated as a municipality on January 1, 1990...
and Brador
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec is the easternmost community in the province of Quebec, Canada, between the municipalities of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and L'Anse-au-Clair, in Labrador...
.
History
The Municipality of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent was incorporated in 1963 and originally extended along the shores of the Saint Lawrence from the Natashquan River to the Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
provincial border, some 5240 square kilometres (2,023.2 sq mi) roughly corresponding to the Basse-Côte-Nord territory. However, with an isolated population scattered over a large area devoid of roads, the municipality did not have an elected municipal council and was managed by an appointed administrator headquartered in Chevery.
Starting in 1990, a restructuring plan was enacted that would carve up Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent into several additional municipalities. That year, the municipalities of Bonne-Espérance
Bonne-Espérance, Quebec
Bonne-Espérance is a municipality in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec in Canada.The municipality is made up of the three fishing villages of Rivière-Saint-Paul , Middle Bay, and Vieux-Fort , and was incorporated as a municipality on January 1, 1990...
and Blanc-Sablon
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec is the easternmost community in the province of Quebec, Canada, between the municipalities of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and L'Anse-au-Clair, in Labrador...
were formed, followed by the Municipality of Saint-Augustin on December 30, 1992, and finally the municipality of Gros-Mécatina
Gros-Mécatina, Quebec
The Municipality of Gros-Mécatina is on the Lower North Shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, near the border with Labrador in Quebec, Canada. Located near excellent crab, lobster, and scallop fishing grounds, it is dependant on the fishing business, including a fish processing factory that...
on December 22, 1993.
On May 8, 1996, the municipality's name was officially adjusted to Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent.
Communities
The municipality includes the communities of Chevery, Harrington Harbour, Kegaska, and Tête-à-la-Baleine.It also includes the following abandoned settlements and ghost towns, in order from west to east: Musquaro, Wolf Bay, Aylmer Sound, Ettamiau, Pointe Amouri, Barachois, Chez Menneau, and Boulet's (also known as Bully's).
Chevery
Chevery (50°28′07"N 59°36′58"W) is the administrative centre of the municipality, located at the mouth of the Nétagamiou River. Previously known as Netagamu River, the place was renamed in 1971 after captain Jean-Baptiste Chevery who in 1747 sailed along the coast visiting numerous posts.Chevery was the site of an early French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fur trading post in the mid-17th century, but after that fort was abandoned, there was no further development on the site until the 1930s, when an experimental farm was established on the Cross River by William Anderson. Residents of several isolated communities in the area, including Gull Cliff Island and Aylmer Sound, subsequently moved to Chevery due to the need for improved access to government services.
Harrington Harbour
Harrington Harbour (50°30′00"N 59°28′47"W) was originally founded near the end of the 19th century by fishermen from Newfoundland. The primary activity is commercial fishing for crabCrab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, lobster, turbout, halibut, cod, and lumpfish.
A heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
is located near the village and wharf facilities located in the village are also used to service the village of Chevery, where a regional airport is located.
Harrington Harbour was named after Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington
Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington
General Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington PC, PC , styled Viscount Petersham until 1779, was a British soldier. Stanhope is sometimes confused with an exact contemporary of his, the 3rd Earl Stanhope....
. It is also known locally as "Hospital Island", from its earlier role as a medical centre for the area. Local tradition claims that this is the island on which 16th century French noblewoman Marguerite de La Rocque
Marguerite de La Rocque
Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval was a French noblewoman who spent some years marooned on the Île des Démons in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, off the coast of Quebec...
was marooned by her relative Jean-François Roberval as punishment for an affair. "Marguerite's Cave" is one of the attractions on the island. Another attraction is the Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
Monument, commemorating the French explorer and surveyor of the Gulf of St Lawrence.
The village was the location used for the Quebec film Seducing Doctor Lewis
Seducing Doctor Lewis
La grande séduction is a 2003 Québécois comedy film and the first film directed by Jean-François Pouliot. The script was written by Ken Scott. It won the "Audience Award" at 2004 Sundance Film Festival...
.
Kegaska
Kegaska (50°11′01"N 61°16′21"W) is the westernmost community in the municipality, with a population of less than 200 people, mostly anglophone settlers from Anticosti IslandAnticosti Island
Anticosti Island is an island at the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada, between 49° and 50° N., and between 61° 40' and 64° 30' W. At in size, it is the 90th largest island in the world and 20th largest island in Canada...
. Its name derives from the Innu word quegasca, first recorded on Franquelin's map of 1685.
In 1831, Kegaska was the site of a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
trading post, but the actual settlement was formed in 1852 when Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlers came from the Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
. They abandoned the place in 1871-1873 to settle at Betchewun (now Betchouane between Havre-Saint-Pierre and Baie-Johan-Beetz) and were replaced by Newfoundland fishermen, almost all of Irish origin. They in turn left around 1887-1888, leaving the place completely deserted by 1890. Yet in 1898, a few families relocated from Perth, Ontario
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
, whose descendants now populate the area.
Tête-à-la-Baleine
Tête-à-la-Baleine (50°42′10"N 59°19′23"W), occasionally known as Whale Head in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, was settled in the 19th century after Michael Kenty bought the local trading post from the Labrador Company. Initial settlement mostly took place on the nearby islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, although eventually most residents moved to the community's current site on the mainland in order to be closer to sources of wood and food in the winter. However, some residents still move back and forth, residing on the islands in summer and in the mainland community in winter.
The community is named after a nearby island in the Gros Mécatina Archipelago that resembles a whale head.
Musquaro
The ghost town of Musquaro (50°12′58"N 61°03′50"W) is at the mouth of the Musquaro River, between Kegaska and La Romaine. Identified as Mascoüarou on Louis JollietLouis Jolliet
Louis Jolliet , also known as Louis Joliet, was a French Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America...
's map of 1694, the name went through numerous spelling changes, such as Nasquirou, Maskouaro, and Mahkuanu. Its root meaning is "black bear tail" and may refer to the foothills of Mount Mascoüarou as shown Jolliet's map.
It was the site of a fortified trading post, established in 1710, and a catholic mission. In 1780, the post was on the territory granted to the Labrador Company of Quebec. 23 years later, the franchise went to the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
which in turn was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
in 1821. Closed for a brief time in 1859, the post remained occupied until 1925 after which it closed permanently.
Demographics
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 392 (total dwellings: 447)Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 70 %
- French as first language: 29 %
- English and French as first language: 1 %
- Other as first language: 0 %
Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 1028
- Population in 2001: 1183
- Population in 1996: 1214
- Population in 1991: 1322
Transportation
The municipality is served by three small local airports, Chevery AirportChevery Airport
Chevery Airport is located on the north-eastern shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada in the town of Chevery. It is uncontrolled but has an automated weather observation system .-Airlines and destinations: -External links:...
, Kegaska Airport and Tête-à-la-Baleine Airport
Tête-à-La-Baleine Airport
Tête-à-la-Baleine Airport, , is located southwest of Tête-à-la-Baleine, Quebec, Canada.-Airlines and destinations: -References:...
. Harrington Harbour is served by a heliport, but does not have its own full airport.
Harrington Harbour is located on a small island which has no cars or roads, and all transportation in the community is by bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. Each mainland community has local road access — however, no roads currently connect one community to another, the entire municipality is isolated from the provincial highway network, and ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
or taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
boats must be used to travel between the communities or to the rest of the province.
In recent years the municipality has lobbied for Highway 138
Quebec route 138
Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal...
, which currently ends at Natashquan
Natashquan, Quebec (municipality)
Natashquan is a township municipality and village in Minganie Regional County Municipality, Côte-Nord region, Quebec, Canada. It should not be confused with the adjacent but separate Innu reserve of Natashquan....
, to be extended through the area. The provincial government has announced a feasibility study, although no construction schedule has been announced to date.
Climate
Media
Two community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
stations, CFTH-FM-1 in Harrington Harbour and CJTB-FM
CJTB-FM
CJTB-FM is a french language community radio station that operates at 93.1 FM in Tête-à-la-Baleine, Quebec, Canada.Owned by Radio communautaire Tête-à-la-Baleine, the station received CRTC approval in 2003.-External links:*...
in Tête-à-la-Baleine, operate in the municipality. CFTH also has rebroadcasters in Kegaska and Mutton Bay. The municipality is also served by rebroadcasters of Première Chaîne's CBSI-FM
CBSI-FM
CBSI-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Sept-Îles, Quebec.Owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , it broadcasts on 98.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 96,700 watts using an omnidirectional antenna.The station has an ad-free news/talk format...
in Harrington Harbour and Tête-à-la-Baleine, and by a rebroadcaster of CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's CBVE-FM
CBVE-FM
CBVE-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network at 104.7 FM in Quebec City. The station's main transmitter for Quebec City is located at Mount Bélair....
in Harrington Harbour.
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
's CJBR-TV
CJBR-TV
CJBR-DT is a Radio-Canada owned and operated television station in Rimouski, Quebec, broadcasting on channel 45, using a PSIP of 2.1...
has rebroadcasters in Harrington Harbour and Tête-à-la-Baleine, and CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's CBMT
CBMT
CBMT-DT is the CBC's television station in Montreal, Quebec. Programming on CBMT is seen on a network of more than 50 rebroadcasters throughout Quebec and in three communities in northern Manitoba: Brochet, Poplar River, and Shamattawa.-History:...
has a rebroadcaster in Harrington Harbour. The municipality does not receive any of Canada's commercial broadcast television networks, English or French, over the air.
External links
Western main part
Small eastern part