Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Quebec is a town in Quebec
, Canada. The municipal's territory extends along the Saguenay
and Saint Lawrence River
s, whereas the town itself is on the small St. Catherine Bay, which is located at the confluence of these two rivers. Its elevation is 260 feet.
It is the west terminus of the Baie-Ste-Catherine / Tadoussac ferry
, which offers free and frequent service across the Saguenay River
to Tadoussac
. The ferry is part of Quebec Route 138
which is the main land link to Sept-Îles
along the Côte-Nord
.
Baie-Sainte-Catherine is a gateway to the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park and to the Saguenay Conservation Park. Therefore it caters to tourism, particularly to whale-watching
cruises on the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers.
and Samuel de Champlain
and the leaders of three Indian nations with whom they concluded an agreement that opened the Saint Lawrence River to French explorers.
On the stormy evening of November 27, 1686, the ship La Catherine went aground and sank in the bay at the mouth of the Saguenay River. On the 1731 map by Laure, this bay was identified as "Ance à la Catherine" (archaic French for "Catherine Cove"). At some uncertain point in time, "Saint" was added, following the former widespread practice in Quebec of sanctifying toponyms.
Around 1820, the first permanent settlers came to the Canard River area and formed a farming village. In 1843, William Price built a sawmill at the first falls on Canards River, that operated some ten years. In 1847, the mission was founded, and named "Saint-Firmin" by the bishop of Quebec. Its first cemetery opened in 1865 on Alouettes Point, followed by the first chapel of St. Firmin Mission in 1876, also on Alouettes Point. At the beginning of the 20th century, it transformed into an industrial village when another sawmill and cheese factory operated there.
In 1903, the village was incorporated as the Municipality of Saint-Firmin. But since the place was called Baie-Sainte-Catherine in common use, the municipality officially adopted this name in 1984.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 100 (total dwellings: 110)
Mother tongue:
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada. The municipal's territory extends along the Saguenay
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
and Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
s, whereas the town itself is on the small St. Catherine Bay, which is located at the confluence of these two rivers. Its elevation is 260 feet.
It is the west terminus of the Baie-Ste-Catherine / Tadoussac ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, which offers free and frequent service across the Saguenay River
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
to Tadoussac
Tadoussac, Quebec
Tadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...
. The ferry is part of Quebec Route 138
Quebec route 138
Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal...
which is the main land link to Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles, Quebec
For the islands in north of Brittany, see JentilezSept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec, Canada. It is the northernmost town in Quebec with any significant population...
along the Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord is the second largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec...
.
Baie-Sainte-Catherine is a gateway to the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park and to the Saguenay Conservation Park. Therefore it caters to tourism, particularly to whale-watching
Whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
cruises on the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers.
History
Baie-Sainte-Catherine has the reputation of being the location of the historic meeting on May 27, 1603, between François Gravé Du PontFrançois Gravé Du Pont
François Gravé , said Du Pont , was a French navigator , an early fur trader and explorer in the New World.Gravé Du Pont is known to have traded furs in the New France, since maybe 1580, surely before 1599, reaching Trois-Rivières in...
and Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
and the leaders of three Indian nations with whom they concluded an agreement that opened the Saint Lawrence River to French explorers.
On the stormy evening of November 27, 1686, the ship La Catherine went aground and sank in the bay at the mouth of the Saguenay River. On the 1731 map by Laure, this bay was identified as "Ance à la Catherine" (archaic French for "Catherine Cove"). At some uncertain point in time, "Saint" was added, following the former widespread practice in Quebec of sanctifying toponyms.
Around 1820, the first permanent settlers came to the Canard River area and formed a farming village. In 1843, William Price built a sawmill at the first falls on Canards River, that operated some ten years. In 1847, the mission was founded, and named "Saint-Firmin" by the bishop of Quebec. Its first cemetery opened in 1865 on Alouettes Point, followed by the first chapel of St. Firmin Mission in 1876, also on Alouettes Point. At the beginning of the 20th century, it transformed into an industrial village when another sawmill and cheese factory operated there.
In 1903, the village was incorporated as the Municipality of Saint-Firmin. But since the place was called Baie-Sainte-Catherine in common use, the municipality officially adopted this name in 1984.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 227 (2001 to 2006 population change: -16.8 %)
- Population in 2001: 273
- Population in 1996: 295
- Population in 1991: 312
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 100 (total dwellings: 110)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 0 %
- French as first language: 100 %
- English and French as first language: 0 %
- Other as first language: 0 %