Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent () is a regional county municipality in the Côte-Nord region of far-eastern Quebec, Canada. It includes all communities along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence between the Natashquan River and the Newfoundland and Labrador border.
It has a total area of according to Quebec's Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire (which includes coastal, lake, and river water territory), and a land area of according to Statistics Canada. The population from the 2021 Canadian census was 3,382.
Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and the neighbouring Minganie Regional County Municipality are grouped into the single census division of Minganie–Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (known as Minganie–Basse-Côte-Nord before 2010). The combined population at the 2021 census was 9,849.
Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality was created in July 2010, replacing Basse-Côte-Nord, which was a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality. It is territorially much larger than Basse-Côte-Nord was, because at the time of its creation it received the (uninhabited) Petit-Mécatina unorganized territory in a transfer from Minganie Regional County Municipality.
Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality is characterized by the absence of road connections between the villages that are spread out along its shoreline of the gulf. Except for Blanc-Sablon, all communities are only accessible by boat or plane, although Quebec Route 138 is being planned to extend all along the coast. Since the early 1990s, the region's commercial fishing industry has seen a steep decline, but a tourism industry is being developed to promote hunting and fishing outfitters, among other activities.
Subdivisions There are 6 subdivisions and one native reserve within the RCM:
Municipalities Blanc-Sablon
Bonne-Espérance
Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent
Gros-Mécatina
Saint-Augustin
Unorganized territories Petit-Mécatina
Native Reserves(not associated with RCM) La Romaine Pakuashipi
Demographics
Transportation Access Routes Highways and numbered routes that run through the municipality, including external routes that start or finish at the county border:Official Transport Quebec Road Map
Autoroutes None
Principal Highways
Secondary Highways None
External Routes
River basins There are a number of large rivers that flow in a generally north–south direction through Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent to enter the Gulf. Near the coast the river basins tend to narrow in towards the river mouth, and between their mouths are areas that drain into the Gulf through smaller streams. From west to east, the larger river basins, which may cover parts of Labrador or Minganie, are: River Basin size Mouth coordinates Map link km2 sq. mile Kegaska EKVRF Musquaro EHJBL Musquanousse EHJBE Washicoutai EIMJY Olomane EHLXL Coacoachou EFYLS Étamamiou EGHQJ Nétagamiou EHJYJ Little Mécatina EHPVV Gros Mécatina EGOUH Véco EIKOR Kécarpoui EGVDL Saint-Augustin EHYVQ Coxipi EGAGW Chécatica EFWRJ Napetipi EHJJP Saint-Paul EIASD Belles Amours EFMPJ Brador EFQKI
See also List of regional county municipalities and equivalent territories in Quebec
References
External links