Portrait of the Region

Lower North Shore (Click for Larger View)

Despite an illustrious history and spectacular landscape, the Lower North Shore is one of the least known parts of Quebec. Located some 1,600 kilometres (994 miles) northeast of Montreal, it stretches 375 kilometres (233 miles) along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Beginning at the Natashquan River to the west, the Lower North Shore covers remote territory beyond the end of the road. Route 138 begins again at the village of Old Fort, and takes you to the eastern end of the Lower North Shore and the border with Labrador.

The Lower North Shore is a wild stretch of coastline dotted with islands, passages, and sandy beaches. The Gulf of St. Lawrence resembles the ocean here, with whales, seabirds and the occasional iceberg that drifts down from Greenland. Fast-flowing salmon rivers cross boulder fields and tundra. The natural resources of this seemingly barren land have attracted many people for thousands of years, from the ancient Maritime Archaic Indians to today’s French, English and Innu-speaking inhabitants. Today, some 5,000 residents of the Lower North Shore make this isolated and grandiose landscape our home. We call it the Coast, and refer to ourselves as Coasters.