Port de pêche du Vieux-Port

Bonne-Espérance is a municipality located in the regional county municipality (MRC) of Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (i.e. the former designation of Basse-Côte-Nord), in the administrative region of Côte-Nord, in Quebec. This English-speaking locality is located in the far east of Quebec, neighbouring Blanc-Sablon.

The main attractions of Bonne-Espérance are:

• snowmobile and ATV activities, in a vast wild territory offering distinctive adventures in the great outdoors;
• the unique seascapes on the Strait of Belle Isle, allowing the observation of marine fauna (whales, dolphins), icebergs drifting from the Atlantic Ocean, broken ice on the rocks of the shore, the passage of boats /ferry, magnificent bays, spectacles of the marine environment created by the interplay of banks of fog, the sun, the sea, the wind and the waves;
• sport fishing on the high seas, on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence or in the hinterland;
• hunting on the shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence or in the hinterland;
• the Whiteley Museum, dedicated to the work of William H. Whiteley;
• its fishing port overlooking the magnificent bay of Vieux-Fort; the latter overlooks the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Strait of Belle-Isle.

Understand

History

The Indigenous prehistory of the area is estimated at 9,000 years, following the melting of the great glaciers of the last ice age. Nevertheless, this area was rather deserted, except for the Inuit who were there for hunting and fishing. Since the 16th century, European navigators of Basque and Breton origin came there to practice fishing. In 1534, the explorer Jacques Cartier made a refuelling stop there for his ship.

In 1804, a fish processing factory began its operations, under the aegis of the English merchants Lymburner and Crawford. A first post office was opened there in 1878. In 1880, the Catholic mission of Sacré-Coeur-de-Jésus was established.

The municipality of Bonne-Espérance was incorporated in 1990 by the amalgamation of three villages in the Côte-Nord administrative region: Vieux-Fort (Old-Fort-Bay), Rivière-Saint-Paul and Middle Bay.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon Airport (YBX  ^IATA) (3.7 km (2.3 mi) north of the village). Airport with regular flights from the rest of the North Shore and Labrador. (updated Mar 2017)
  • PAL Airlines (Provincial Airlines). PAL Airlines serves Labrador and the eastern provinces of Canada including Quebec.
    *Destinations in Quebec: Chevery, Kegaska, La Romaine, La Tabatière, Natashquan, Saint-Augustin, Sept-Îles, Saint Anthony, Tête-à-la-Baleine,
    *Destinations in Newfoundland & Labrador: Goose Bay, Saint Anthony, St. John's of Newfoundland. (updated Jun 2022)

By boat

• Bella Desgagnés (Maritime service Anticosti Island-Basse-Côte-Nord - Departing from Rimouski, the vessel Bella Desgagnés offers weekly maritime service to the ports of Port-Menier (L'Île-d'Anticosti), Sept-Iles, Havre-Saint-Pierre and Natashquan, reaching as far as Blanc-Sablon. Operated by the Government of Quebec, this ship makes the connection from Saint-Augustin, La Tabatière (Gros-Mécatina), Tête-à-la-Baleine, Harrington Harbour, La Romaine, Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon. This cargo-passenger ship has eight decks and can accommodate 420 passengers, including around 40 crew members. It has 63 cabins with private bathrooms to accommodate passengers, a cafeteria, a dining room, a bistro and seascape observation lounges. ☏ +1-800-463-0680
• MV Apollo - Ferry operated by the Department of Transportation Works of Newfoundland and Labrador crossing the Strait of Belle Isle between St. Barbe and Corner Brook on the island of Newfoundland and Blanc-Sablon. The schedule varies according to the seasons, consult the website. The crossing from Sainte-Barbe lasts at 1 hr 45 min (i.e. 36 km) and, from Corner Brook 12 hr. The capacity of the ferry is 300 passengers and 120 vehicles. Tel: ☏ +1 709-535-0810, ☏ +1-866-535-2567 (toll-free).

By car

By road, Bonne-Espérance is accessible by:

• Trans-Labrador Highway (routes 510 and 500) which crosses southern Labrador for 1141 km (via Forteau, Mary's Harbour, Port Hope Simpson, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Churchill Falls and Wabush); then Eastern Quebec for 568 km (via Labrador City, Fermont, Mont-Wright, Gagnon, Manic 5) via Route 389 to reach the city of Baie-Comeau. By route 138, the distance between the limit of Labrador and the limit of route 138 in Vieux-Fort is 71 km. The total trip of 1670 km, between Bonne-Espérance and Baie-Comeau takes approximately 23 hours (non-stop);
• Route 138: this road runs along the North Shore (in Quebec) towards the east from Baie-Comeau; for now, this road reaches the village of Kegaska; the journey between these two localities is 647 km (i.e. an estimated duration of 7 hr 18 min). Then, a 350- to 400-km stretch of road is missing (depending on the route that will be retained by the government) between Kegaska and the village of Old Port (in the municipality of Bonne-Espérance, Quebec). A ferry shuttles between the small villages of the Lower North Shore (in Quebec) and Blanc-Sablon. Then the 71-km section of Route 138 (Quebec) continues between the Old Port and the Labrador border. The Government of Quebec is gradually extending Route 138 eastward along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Once Route 138 is completed, to Bonne-Espérance from Baie-Comeau will be a journey of approximately 1,000 km (approximately 11 hours non-stop), or approximately 700 km less (equivalent to a saving of 9 hours nonstop);
• Ferry between Saint-Alban (Newfoundland) and Blanc Sablon (Quebec): journey is 59 km on Route 138 between the centre of the village of Rivière-Saint-Paul, to reach the wharf of Blanc-Sablon; this ferry service is 36 km (about 1 hr 45 min) on the Strait of Belle Isle to St-Alban (Newfoundland); then the journey to reach St John's (capital of Newfoundland and Labrador) is 483 km (duration of approximately 5 hr 12).

By snowmobile

Blanc-Sablon is also accessible in winter by snowmobile via the route Blanche from Natashquan. This 525-km snow road passes through the villages of Kegaska, La Romaine, Chevery, Harrington Harbour, Tête-à-la-Baleine, Mutton Bay, La Tabatière, Saint-Augustin and Rivière-Saint-Paul. Trail layout and conditions may vary from winter to winter. Users of this trail should have enough fuel, geolocation instruments, a satellite telephone system, spare parts in case of breakage, mechanical repair tools, a gun, a map and survival gear. Group travel is recommended.

See

• 1 Whiteley Museum (Musée Whiteley), 302, boulevard Bonne-Espérance (located in the Rivière-Saint-Paul sector), ☏ +1 418-379-2211. The name of this museum evokes William Henry Whiteley, the inventor of the cod trap. This museum showcases artifacts, images of regional history and culture. (updated Jun 2022)

Place of worship

• 2 St.Peter's Parish Church (Église paroissiale Saint-Pierre). (updated Jun 2022)

Buy

Food

• 1 St-Paul's River General Store (Magasin général de la Rivière St-Paul), route Jacques-Cartier (route 138) (located in the village of Rivière Saint-Paul), ☏ +1 418-379-2129. Supermarket. (updated Jun 2022)
• 2 Omni Market - Grocery at Nellie's (Marché Omni - Épicerie Chez Nellie's), 8, chemin Jacques-Cartier (located in the Old Port area), ☏ +1 418-379-2227. Grocery. (updated Jun 2022)
• 3 Marché Omni - Uncle Bills, 123, Brody, Rivière-Saint-Paul (located in the Old Port area), ☏ +1 418-379-2133. Supermarket. (updated Jun 2022)

Specialized food stores

• 4 Aqua Labadie - Scallop farm (Aqua Labadie - Ferme de pétoncles), chemin Jacques-Cartier (route 138) (located in the Rivière Saint-Paul area), ☏ +1 418-461-2434. June 8 to September 21. Open every day. Reservations recommended.. Aquaculture farm. (updated Jun 2022)

Outfitters

• Napetipi River Outfitters, Old Fort Bay (Built on the banks of the Napetipi River), ☏ +1 418-379-2183, lfrbilodeau@globetotter.net. Outfitter operating from Old Fort Bay and offering salmon and trout fishing packages. Fishing is practiced in a completely isolated river, accessible only by boat or seaplane. The outfitter operates on three sites and on two hydrographic slopes. The lodge includes five private bedrooms, a lounge area, bathroom and shower facilities, and a screened terrace with a magnificent view. (updated Jun 2022)
• Green Point Outfitters, St. Paul's River, ☏ +1 418-379-2273, greenpointoutfitter@gmail.com. fishing season: mid-June to mid-August. Pourvoirie Green Point holds exclusive salmon fishing rights over 17 km from the 3rd km upstream from the mouth of the Saint-Paul River. Package including transportation from Blanc-Sablon airport, fishing in exclusive false pits with a guide for two anglers, salmon packing, accommodation in camps along the river (American plan) and transport to the fishing area. (updated Jun 2022)
• Woodland Outdoor Adventures, Old Fort Bay, ☏ +1 780-975-1153, woodlandoutdooradventures@gmail.com. Sa Su 04:30-19:30. The outfitter offers various services: whale watching tour on the Strait of Belle Isle, coastal observation tower, guided tour service and traditional cod fishing packages. The outfitter also includes a boutique. 
• Morgans Camps Outfitter, Old Fort Bay, ☏ +1 418-379-2323, harveyfequet@hotmail.com. Camp Morgains is located in the heart of pristine nature near the Quebec-Labrador border. Its outfitting territory covers 127 km². Trout and salmon fishing packages. 

Eat

• 1 Patt's Diner, 302, chemin Jacques-Cartier (route 138) (in the Rivière Saint-Paul area), ☏ +1 418-379-2020. Small American restaurant. 

Sleep

• 1 Auberge Whiteley Inn, 81, rue Whiteley, Rivière-Saint-Paul (facing the bay), ☏ +1 418-379-2000. The Inn has standard rooms and kitchenette suites (on the ground floor), with an open living and dining room overlooking the waterfront. (updated Jul 2022)

Connect

• 1 CFBS Radio Blanc Sablon inc, boulevard Docteur-Camille-Marcoux, ☏ +1 418-461-2445. Community radio station (89.9 & 93.1 FM) serving the locality and the Lower North Shore. This radio station presents local and regional news, public service announcements, community information, music by local artists, anecdotes, etc. (updated Jul 2022)

Go next

• 1 Blanc-Sablon Blanc-Sablon is the easternmost municipality in Quebec. Blanc-Sablon is a must-see destination for travellers arriving from the island of Newfoundland via the Strait of Belle Isle ferry and heading to Labrador.
• 2 Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Municipality bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence and made up of five villages: Kegaska, La Romaine, Chevery, Harrington Harbor and Tête-à-la-Baleine. Only Kegaska is connected to Route 138. Therefore all those villages are served by boats and planes.
• 3 Saint-Augustin (Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent) Its economy is based on fishing, services to travellers/tourists, in particular snowmobilers using the Route Blanche (in winter) which runs along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon, as well as tourists arriving by the airport or the cargo-passenger boat Le Bella Desgagnés which serves the coastal villages.
• 4 Petit-Mécatina This territory is a hunting & fishing paradise under the aegis of outfitters, with access by seaplane. It can be crossed by snowmobile or ATV.

Routes through Bonne-Espérance

Sept-Îles ← (gap) ← Gros-Mécatina ← (gap) ←

W  E

→ Blanc-Sablon → Happy Valley-Goose Bay via