For other places with the same name, see Rivière-Saint-Jean (disambiguation).

Saint-Jean River

Rivière-Saint-Jean is a welcoming riverside municipality of Minganie, on the North Shore of the Saint-Lawrence River, in Quebec. It is on the route des Baleines (route 138) which runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf.

This picturesque locality is coveted for simply getting away from it all and enjoying nature along Route 138, between Sept-Îles and Havre-Saint-Pierre. The main attractions of Rivière-Saint-Jean are:

• Magpie Bay, offering a safe haven for navigation, particularly in the Vieux Quai cove at the mouth of the Magpie River and the barachois of the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River. At low tide, the sandstone is revealed over approximately 620 m from the end of the bank (east bank of the Saint-Jean River) which largely bars the confluence of this river with the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In addition, the Cayes of the Magpie River protect the coast from strong waves. The Seal Strike which extends from the Magpie River to the Saint-Jean River allows you to observe several species of marine animals, such as seals, taking a break there;
• the barachois of the Saint-Jean River where the municipal wharf has been built, as well as a launching ramp; visitors can obtain seafood products according to the arrivals of fishermen;
• the villages of Magpie and Rivière-Saint-Jean, each of which has a sympathetic character with an architecture reflecting the maritime, forestry and passenger services history of Route 138;
• its backcountry offering a larger-than-life paradise for recreational tourism activities (hunting, trapping, fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, vacationing, observation of flora, fauna (especially with autonomous cameras) and landscapes, as well as snowshoeing);
• the valleys of the Magpie River, the Jupitagon River, and the Saint-Jean River;
• nautical activities on the Gulf of St. Lawrence: boating, kayaking, and paddle boarding.

Understand

This municipality has two villages: the main village of Rivière-Saint-Jean (at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River) and the hamlet Magpie (opposite Magpie Bay and on the west side of the mouth of the Magpie River). These villages face the western end of Anticosti Island, the shortest distance of which is 38.3 km, at the height of Pointe à Robin, at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River, versus Pointe Wakerham on Anticosti Island. Rivière-Saint-Jean is made up of the townships of Fornel and Rocamadour.

Rue des Forestiers (perpendicular to Route 138) allows you to go north for recreational tourism activities in the forest (hunting, fishing, vacationing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, observation of flora, fauna and landscapes).

History

The first inhabitants of the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean were fishermen from Gaspésie; they settled there towards the end of the 19th century, at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River, the same period as Jersey companies. The village was gradually built up thanks to the construction of a church from 1895-96.

Get in

By bus

• Intercar, ☏ +1-418-547-2167, toll-free: +1-800-806-2167, serviceclient@intercar.ca. Operates a bus route several days per week between Havre-Saint-Pierre and Sept-Îles. Travel time to Havre-Saint-Pierre from Sept-Îles is 2 hr 45 min. (updated Jul 2022)

By car

From Québec City, Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, take Route 138 east; it goes directly to Rivière-Saint-Jean. From Quebec, it is about a 9-hr-23-min drive.

– From Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, take route 172 east to its intersection with route 138 near of Tadoussac. Continue on Route 138 east to Rivière-Saint-Jean. From Saguenay City, it is about a 7-hr-54-min drive.

Routes from major cities

Town	Distance by road (in km)	Route(s) to follow
Baie-Comeau	377	East
Fermont	645	South – East
Montreal	1045	/ East – North (Pierre-Laporte bridge) – East – East (includes ferry)
Quebec	787	East – East – East (includes a ferry)
Saguenay	699	East – East
Sept-Iles	148	East

Get around

Route 138 (east-west direction) along the north shore of the river and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is the main artery in the territory of Rivière-Saint-Jean.

Languages

97.7% of the residents are French-speaking, while 2.3% are English-speaking (2016).

See

• 1 Church of St. John the Apostle (Église de Saint-Jean-Apôtre), 116, rue du Quai (located opposite the mouth of the Saint-Jean River), ☏ +1-418-949-2464, magpiest-jean@globetrotter.net. Catholic church built from 1895 (and 1915) to a steeple. The wooden building has exterior walls painted white. It is part of the Directory of Cultural Heritage of Quebec. Schedule of liturgical celebrations: every Saturday at 19:00. Free. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Magpie - Hydroelectric project (Magpie - Projet hydroélectrique). A hydroelectric dam on the north side of Route 138. (updated Jul 2022)

Do

• 1 Quay in the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean (Quai du village de Rivière-Saint-Jean). Wharf built on a point advancing towards the south in the widening made by the Saint-Jean River upstream from the barachois at its mouth. (updated Jul 2022)
• West Magpie Trail and Stream in the Village (Sentier Magpie Ouest et Ruisseau au Village). Distance: 6.0 km. Viewpoint overlooking Magpie Bay. (updated Jul 2022)
• Magpie Rive Road Trail (Sentier du Chemin de la Rive Magpie). Walking distance: 0.8 km. The views of Magpie Bay are bucolic and allow you to see marine mammals in the waters of the bay. (updated Jul 2022)

Sleep

• 1 St-Jean Pavilion (Pavillon St-Jean), rue Saint-Jean (route 138), ☏ +1 418-949-2457. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Outfitter of Haute-St-Jean (Pourvoirie de la Haute-St-Jean), 300, rue St-Jean (located on the west bank of the Magpie River), ☏ +1 418-949-2457 (during week), +1 418-949-2457 (weekend). Fishing operations on the Saint-Jean River are entrusted to the Association de la Protection de la rivière St-Jean, a non-profit organization formed by residents of the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean. This outfitter occupies 23 km² of public land; it holds exclusive salmon fishing rights and offers accommodation to anglers. (updated Jul 2022)

Recreational vehicles

There is a dump station for recreational vehicles on Rue du Ruisseau.

• Parking space for RVs, Rue de l'Église. Without services. (updated Jul 2022)

Connect

There is no cellular network in Rivière-au-Tonnerre. Nevertheless, since 2021, the municipality has set up three Wi-fi access zones: in Sheldrake (in the middle of the village), near the Saint-Hyppolite church and at the seaport. There is a telephone booth in front of the general store.

• 1 Canada Post, 421, rue St-Jean (route 138). Post office. (updated Jul 2022)

Cope

• 1 Municipal hall (Salle municipale), 116, rue du Quai. Room available for various community activities and the general public. (updated Jul 2022)

Go next

Routes through Rivière-Saint-Jean

New York State→Elgin ← Montréal ←

W  E

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

• 1 Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan This waterfront municipality highlights 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..
• 2 Rivière-au-Tonnerre Being the gateway to Minganie, this municipality is made up of two picturesque and modern villages: Sheldrake and Rivière-au-Tonnerre. Fundamentally based on fishing, the economy has been transformed towards resorts (especially the hamlets of Rivière-Chaloupe and Rivière-aux-Graines) and services to travellers. Main attractions: many coves, beaches, church, falls, whale watching, hunting and fishing.
• 3 Lac-Jérôme Unorganized territory of Minganie, in the 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.
• 4 Anticosti This natural island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is the largest island in Quebec. It is known for its outdoor activities, fishing and deer hunting. Main attractions: falls of the Vauréal river, the Petit Canyon of the Chicotte river, Port-Meunier, observation of flora and fauna.
• 5 Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve One of the four National Parks of Canada in Quebec. String of islands near the coast known for their monoliths and for birdwatching. The park is approximately 80 km (50 mi) east of Rivière-au-Tonnerre along Route 138.