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;
• the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve: visitors are enchanted by the limestone monoliths (in islets or cliffs) shaped by the incessant waves. This park is an important center of attraction: 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);
• small villages with a rustic built heritage equipped with a wharf which is the soul of the place;
• its resorts (e.g. cabins, hunting or fishing camps);
• outfitters offering 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);
• picking wild berries such as blueberries, raspberries, crowberries, red berries;
• fishing (deep sea, shore or inland);
• hunting (shore or backcountry);
• 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

The Minganie is made up of the following municipalities:

• 1Natashquan
• 2Aguanish
• 3Baie-Johan-Beetz
• 4Havre-Saint-Pierre
• 5Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan
• 6Mingan
• 7Rivière-Saint-Jean
• 8Rivière-au-Tonnerre
• 9 Lac-Jérôme
• 10 Anticosti — Gulf of St. Lawrence Island encompassing Anticosti National Park

By car

• From downtown Montréal, it is necessary to travel 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 traveling 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, 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

• Hunting. (updated Jul 2022)
• Fishing. (updated Jul 2022)
• Hiking. (updated Jul 2022)

Connect

Low-altitude satellite communication services (eg 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 traveling 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

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