Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

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 Labrador provincial border, some 5240 km2 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 carved 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.

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

Main article: Chevery, Quebec

Chevery () is the administrative centre of the municipality, located at the mouth of the Nétagamiou River. Its population in the Canada 2011 Census was 251.

Harrington Harbour

Main article: Harrington Harbour, Quebec

Harrington Harbour () was founded near the end of the 19th century by fishermen from Newfoundland. The primary activity is commercial fishing for crabs, lobster, turbot, halibut, cod, and lumpfish. Its population in the Canada 2011 Census was 261.

Kegaska

Main article: Kegaska, Quebec

Kegaska () is the westernmost community in the municipality. Its population in the Canada 2011 Census was 138, mostly anglophone settlers from Anticosti Island.

Tête-à-la-Baleine

Main article: Tête-à-la-Baleine, Quebec

Tête-à-la-Baleine (), occasionally known as Whale Head in English, was settled in the 19th century after Michael Kenty bought the local trading post from the Labrador Company. Its population in the Canada 2011 Census was 129.

Musquaro

The ghost town of Musquaro () is at the mouth of the Musquaro River, between Kegaska and La Romaine. Identified as Mascoüarou on Louis Jolliet'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.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 2597.05 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

| 1966 |4316 | 1971 |5108 | 1976 |4771 | 1981 |5176 | 1986 |5315 | 1991 |2756 | 1996 |1214 | 2001 |1183 | 2006 |1028 | 2011 |971 | 2016 |856 | 2021 |787

Transportation

The municipality is served by three small local airports, Chevery Airport, 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 Kégaska, to be extended through the area. The provincial government has announced a feasibility study, although no construction schedule has been announced to date.

Climate

Although located at the same latitude as Cornwall or Vancouver, the cold Labrador Current gives Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc), a little short of a humid continental climate (Dfb). Winters are cold and very snowy due to the influence of the Icelandic Low to the east, with mean snowfall averaging 2.94 metre and extreme cover of 2.00 metre on 10 March 1994. In summer, maritime includes is much more pronounced than in winter and cools average July temperatures by about 5 C-change compared to inland cities like Regina or Winnipeg. |Jan record high C = 6.1 |Feb record high C = 6.1 |Mar record high C = 15 |Apr record high C = 12.8 |May record high C = 21 |Jun record high C = 32.8 |Jul record high C = 31.7 |Aug record high C = 30 |Sep record high C = 28.9 |Oct record high C = 20.6 |Nov record high C = 16.1 |Dec record high C = 8.9 |year record high C = 32.8 |Jan record low C = -38.9 |Feb record low C = -39.5 |Mar record low C = -35 |Apr record low C = -27 |May record low C = -13.3 |Jun record low C = -2.8 |Jul record low C = -0.6 |Aug record low C = -1.1 |Sep record low C = -5 |Oct record low C = -14.4 |Nov record low C = -22.2 |Dec record low C = -35.6 |year record low C = -39.5

Local government

List of former mayors:

• Gaston Bergeron (1963–1970)
• Jean-Paul Daigle (1970–1972)
• Henri-Paul Boudreau (1972–1976)
• Richmond Monger (1976–2011)
• Darlene Rowsell-Roberts (2011–present)

Media

Two community radio 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.

Education

Commission scolaire du Littoral operates:

• Netagamiou School (anglophone and francophone) - Chevery
• Gabriel-Dionne School (francophone) - Tête-à-la-Baleine
• Harrington School (anglophone) - Harrington Harbour
• Kegaska School (anglophone) - Kegaska
• Marie-Sarah School for adults - La Romaine
  • Its school program for children was suspended in 2014. It was formerly a francophone school.

References

References

1. {{mamh. {{#property:P3856
2. "Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent census profile". Statistics Canada.
3. "Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (Municipalité)". Commission de toponymie du Québec.
4. [http://www.tourismlowernorthshore.com/harrington.asp Tourism Lower North Shore: Harrington Harbour]
5. "Musquaro (hameau)". Commission de toponymie du Québec.
6. [[Canada 1996 Census. 1996]], [[Canada 2001 Census. 2001]], [[Canada 2006 Census. 2006]], [[Canada 2011 Census. 2011]], [[Canada 2016 Census. 2016]], [[Canada 2021 Census. 2021]] census
7. (2006-08-25). "New Quebec highway good for Labrador economy: exporter". [[CBC News]].
8. Environment Canada — [http://climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?stnID=5746&prov=&lang=e&dCode=4&dispBack=1&StationName=tete&SearchType=Contains&province=ALL&provBut=&month1=0&month2=12 Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000]. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
9. "Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (municipalité) 22.6.1963 - ...". Institut généalogique Drouin.
10. link. (2017-09-23 ." [[Commission scolaire du Littoral]]. Retrieved on September 23, 2017.)
11. link. (2017-09-23 ." [[Commission scolaire du Littoral]]. Retrieved on September 23, 2017.)