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The Magdalen Islands

Native name: Menagoesenog
The Magdalen Islands
Geography
Location	Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Coordinates	47°26′54″N 61°45′08″W / 47.44833°N 61.75222°W / 47.44833; -61.75222
Area	205.53 km (79.36 sq mi)
Administration
Canada
Province	Quebec
Demographics
Population	12,781 (2011)
Pop. density	62.2/km (161.1/sq mi)
Additional information
Time zone	AST (UTC−4)
• Summer (DST)	ADT (UTC−3)
Area code(s)	418, 581

The Magdalen Islands (French: Îles de la Madeleine, pronounced [il də la madlɛn]) are an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since 2005, the 12-island archipelago is divided into two municipalities: the majority-francophone Municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the majority-anglophone Municipality of Grosse-Île, in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region, Quebec, Canada.

Geography

The Magdalen Islands are the jagged remains of a vanished part of the mainland. Approximately 126 kilometres (78 mi), they form a string of islands and beaches in the southeastern part of the Gulf of St Lawrence.

The rocks that make up the island massifs are of three kinds: horizontal and soft sandstones, of a blood-red color, which give the archipelago a distinctive character. These red sandstones are juxtaposed with harder, grey sandstones, which also form cliffs in some places. Finally, volcanic actions created rounded, symmetrical domes like breasts, which were given the name of Demoiselles, though this is disputed. Where volcanic effusions have come into contact with sandstones, large masses of gypsum are found.

A group of seven islands form the central core of the archipelago: Île du Havre Aubert (known locally as Amherst Island), Île du Cap aux Meules (known locally as Grindstone), Île du Havre aux Maisons (known locally as House Harbour), Île aux Loups (known locally as Seal Island), Grosse Île (home to most of the Islands' English-speaking community), Île d'Entrée (known locally as Entry Island, home to a small English-speaking community) and Île de la Grande-Entrée. These islands are connected together by sand spits or tombolos.

On the outskirts of the main islands are a series of islets and rocks which are remnants of marine erosion; in the lagoons separating these islands, are Île aux Goélands and the surrounding islets near Étang-du-Nord on the south-west coast of Île du Cap aux Meules (Grindstone), Île Rouge and Île Paquet (formerly Île aux Cochons) at the entrance to the lagoon of Havre aux Maisons (House Harbour), Île Shag to the east of the Dune du Sud. In the gulf north of the archipelago, cliffs of the reddish and greyish green sandstone, a few hundred feet high and relatively unmarked by sea erosion, give a fortress-like appearance to Île Brion and the Rochers aux Oiseaux.

Supporting the islands is a series of shoals and reefs that are permanent hazards to maritime navigation. The archipelago has been considered, for more than 400 years, as one of the richest marine regions of Eastern Canada.

Coastal dynamics

In the Magdalen Islands, the coastal dynamics are amplified by the wind, with waves most often 0.5 to 2 metres (1.6 to 6.6 ft) high breaking on the coast at a rate of four to seven seconds, depending on their height.

Adding up the many bays and indentations, the coastline is inordinately long: 385 kilometres (239 mi) in all, more than 60% of which is sandy beaches, often topped by a dune. The territory is constantly changing, the unconsolidated deposits are expanding at the expense of the rocky cores they connect.

The red sandstone cliffs, the most widespread and friable, are rarely more than 30 metres (98 ft) high. They are subject to rapid erosion (often more than 1 metre, 3 ft 3 in per year) due to the action of frost, ice, waves and sea spray that make numerous openings while undermining their base. Erosion features and shapes such as caves, towers, and corbels.

• Diversity
• Grindstone, coast between L'Étang-du-Nord and Fatima.
• Corps-Mort, uninhabited rock, from the island of Havre-Aubert at low tide.
• Sandy Hook Dune, a hook-shaped sand spit about six kilometres (3.7 mi), Havre Aubert island
• Fatima, Butte du Vent (Hills)
• Lighthouse of L'Anse-à-la-Cabane (hamlet), former name Millerand (hamlet), Île du Havre Aubert (island)
• Shoreline erosion on a beach on Île du Havre Aubert (island)
• Dune du Nord (dune), between Pointe-aux-Loups (hamlet) and Grosse-Île

Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)

In the 21st century, the islands' beaches provide a habitat for the endangered piping plover (Charadrius melodus).

Many of the piping plover's nesting areas are subject to human disturbance or other threats, and it is now considered an endangered or threatened species in all parts of its range. During courtship, males perform display flights over breeding territory, with slow wingbeats and piping call notes. On the ground, males approach females, stand upright with neck stretched, and rapidly stamp their feet with an odd high-stepping gait. Usually, the nest has four eggs, sometimes two or three, and rarely five; the eggs are pale buff, spotted with black and dark brown. Their incubation period lasts 26 to 28 days.

The plover's diet includes insects, marine worms, and crustaceans; the young feed themselves. At first, both parents brood their young during cool weather, and within a few days, female birds depart, leaving males to care for young.

• Piping plover
• Nest of the piping plover on a beach of Île de la Grande-Entrée
• Adult and chicks
• On the fly
• Adult

Rochers aux Oiseaux (Bird Rocks)

The Rochers aux Oiseaux (English: Bird Rocks) include the Bird Rock and the Margaulx Rock; these rocks emerge in the Gulf of St. Lawrence about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Grosse-Île. On June 25, 1534, Jacques Cartier discovered these rocks, which he named the Îles de Margaulx because of the myriad gannets (French: margaulx), razorbills, and great auks (now extinct) that were found there. In 1919 Brother Marie-Victorin used the name Rochers aux Oiseaux during his visit to the Rocks; since 1974, the Canadian Wildlife Service has made them a Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

• Bird Rock is 300 metres (984 ft) long by 150 metres (492 ft) wide and 30 metres (98 ft) high, and forms a kind of red sandstone citadel that is practically inaccessible but inhabited by thousands of birds and a lighthouse that is now automated.
• Margaulx Rock is 1.3 kilometres (1 mi) to the northwest, and refers to three small cays.

• Bird Rocks Migratory Bird Sanctuary
• Lighthouse, keepers' house, and outbuildings
• Red sandstone citadel
• Support one of the six Northern gannet colonies in North America

Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area

The Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area is located on La Grosse Île and the reserve occupies an area of 748 hectares (1,848 acres) in the village of the same name. It offers landscapes characteristic of the Islands: a reddish rocky core, coastal belts reshaped by the wind into dunes, moors, huge beaches and freshwater, saltwater or brackish water ponds. The reserve has six hiking trails from 0.6 to 1.8 kilometres (660 to 1,970 yd) in length: L'Échouerie, Le Rabougri, La Camarine, La Lande, Le Mitan, Le Bol-à-Soupe.

• Grande Échouerie Beach Trail Flora
• Dunes and beaches
• Vaccinium macrocarpon - Large cranberry.
• Abies balsamea - Balsam fir.
• Sarracenia purpurea - Purple pitcher plant.

Nomenclature

Owing to the succession of French and English influences, it is not surprising that each of the islands has several names.

The names used by the Acadians of the archipelago are as follows: Grande-Entrée island (Coffin), Boudreau island, Cap de l'Est island, Grosse-Île, Pointe-aux-Loups island, Havre-aux-Maisons island (Alright or House Harbour), Cap-aux-Meules (Grindstone) island, Havre-Aubert island (Amherst), Corps-Mort island (Deadman), and Entrée islands. Uninhabited islets as Bird Rocks and Brion Island complete the archipelago.

Geography

While the Îles de la Madeleine are a land area of 205.53 square kilometres (79.36 sq mi) in the province of Québec, they are in fact closer to the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland than to the Gaspé Peninsula on the Québec mainland. The Mi'kmaq consider the islands a part of the Epegwitg aq Pigtug district of Mi'kma'ki—the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq Nation—and call the islands Menagoesenog.

Administratively, the islands are part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region in the Canadian province of Québec. The islands form the territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and the census division (CD) of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Their geographical code is 01.

The islands are also coextensive with the urban agglomeration of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, which is divided into two municipalities: Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine (2011 census pop. 12,291), the central municipality, and Grosse-Île (pop. 490). Their mayors are Gaétan Richard and Rose Elmonde Clarke, respectively.

Within the area known as Dawnland, these islands were once called Menquit by the Mi'kmaw Nation, meaning "islands battered by waves." Around the mid 19th century as Mi'kmawi'simk (the Mi'kmaw language) shifted, the name changed to become Menagoesenog reflecting islands "battered by the surf." Although not a distinct district within Mi'kma'ki, the archipelago falls within the territorial bounds of the Mi'kmaw homeland.

Demographics

Population

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		12,660		11,900	1.1%	94.00%		695	16.3%	5.49%		40	20.0%	0.32%		25	61.5%	0.20%
2006		12,975		12,030	1.9%	92.72%		830	16.9%	6.40%		50	100.0%	0.38%		65	37.5%	0.50%
2001		12,575		11,800	8.7%	93.84%		710	0.7%	5.65%		25	58.3%	0.20%		40	33.3%	0.32%
1996		13,730		12,925	n/a	94.13%		715	n/a	5.21%		60	n/a	0.44%		30	n/a	0.22%

Climate

The maritime climate of the Îles de la Madeleine is markedly different from that of the mainland. The huge water masses that circle the archipelago both temper the weather and create milder conditions in each season. On the islands, winter is mild, spring is cool, summer has a few heat waves, and fall is typically warm. The Îles de la Madeleine have the least annual frost in Quebec. The warm breezes of summer persist well into September and sometimes early October. However, under the Köppen climate classification its climate is humid continental (Dfb) because its winters average far below freezing by maritime standards. Seasonal lag is strong because of the freezing water and the time that it takes for the gulf to warm up again. Also, in winter, sea ice occasionally forms, impeding offshore communications and activities.

The highest temperature ever recorded was 31.1 °C (88 °F) on 31 July 1949. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −27.2 °C (−17 °F) on 14 February 1891.

The Îles de la Madeleine have warmed 2.3 °C (4 °F) in the late 19th century, twice the global average. As a result, the residents are facing a growing number of problems, as extreme climate change transforms the land and water around them. The sea ice that used to encase and protect the islands from most winter storms is shrinking at a rate of about 1,437 km (555 sq mi) annually. Parts of the shoreline have eroded into the sea at a rate as much as 4.3 metres (14 ft) per year in the 2010s. Important roads are at risk of washouts, and important infrastructure, including the hospital and city hall, sit near deteriorating cliffs. Recently the sea has been rising at a rate of 7 mm (0.28 in) per decade, threatening to contaminate freshwater aquifers.

Erosion

Several news articles in 2019 pointed out that erosion of the coastline had already become a significant issue. Researchers have found that the amount has doubled since 2005, and was averaging 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) per year. Recent events that added to the problem included a significant windstorm in November 2018 and the post-tropical storm Dorian that hit the islands in September 2019.

A report in The Washington Post in late October 2019 also indicated that increasing temperatures have led to reduced ice cover over the years, leading to less protection from winter storms. "That ice has been disappearing ... sea-level rise, have caused the islands to crumble into the sea".

Researchers have found that the rise in sea levels has been approximately double that of the global norm and that the sea ice is shrinking at approximately 12% per decade. A November 2019 report from The Washington Post provided these specifics about the effects of erosion:

"Some parts of the shoreline have lost as much as 14 feet (4 m) per year to the sea over the past decade. Key roads face perpetual risk of washing out. The hospital and the city hall sit alarmingly close to deteriorating cliffs. Rising waters threaten to contaminate aquifers used for drinking water ... Nearly a dozen homes on the islands have been relocated, and most everyone expects that number to grow."

The sole benefit has been the increase in lobster yields on the islands, at least double what was the norm in the past.

Economy

Tourism

Tourism is a major component of the islands' economy, as they have many kilometres (miles) of white sand beaches and steadily-eroding sandstone cliffs. Also, they are a destination for bicycle camping, sea kayaking, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. During the winter months, beginning in mid-February, ecotourists visit to observe newborn and young harp seal pups on the pack ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which surrounds the islands. However the ice cover has reduced recently and the observation "season" has been cancelled several times.

Industry

The island is home to Canadian Salt Company Seleine Mines, which produces road salt for use in Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the United States' eastern seaboard. Opened in 1982, the salt mine and plant is located in Grosse-Île and extracts salt from an underground mine 30 metres (98 ft) below Grande-Entrée Lagoon. It produces 1,000,000 tonnes (980,000 long tons; 1,100,000 short tons) of salt, and employs 200 people.

Although fishing is a traditional occupation, lobster have become a more lucrative local business. It was once common for lobstermen to haul in 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) during a nine-week season that begins each spring, but now it is not unusual to bring home twice that amount, or more. This may be due to climate change that has warmed the surrounding waters to some extent, yielded increasing lobster harvests. An identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence was completed in 2008.

Energy

The islands currently generate electricity at the Cap-aux-Meules oil-fired thermal power plant. The 67 MW plant generates 125,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, or about 40% of Hydro-Québec's direct emissions. Hydro-Québec plans to build an undersea HVDC cable from the mainland 225 km (140 miles) away, connecting the islands to the main grid upon completion in 2027. The plan will cost $2.3 billion over 40 years, saving approximately 12%, and reduce emissions by 94%.

See also

• List of regional county municipalities and equivalent territories in Quebec
• Quebec Route 199, the only provincial highway on the islands
• Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien, the ferry company serving the Magdalen Islands
• Maritime Quebec
• List of Quebec regions
• Coins of the Magdalen Islands (numismatic history).
• List of islands of Quebec

References

1. "Home". Council for Anglophone Magdalen Islands. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024.
2. "Les Îles de la Madeleine". Commission de toponymie Quebec (in French). Government of Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 29 February 2024. In 1534, Jacques Cartier explored the islands and left the first certain evidence of European visits to the archipelago
3. "Municipalities | Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine". Archived from the original on 2024-07-05.
4. Lauréan Tardif (1967). "Soil Science of the Magdalen Islands" (9 of 51) (in French). Ministère de l'Agriculture of de is Colonisation. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Study of land use opportunities for agricultural use
5. Frère Marie-Victorin; Ernest Rouleau (1964). "Section des Îles-de-la-Madeleine". florelaurentienne.com (in French). Les presses de l'Université de Montréal. p. 925. Retrieved 21 March 2024. Volcanic actions created rounded, symmetrical domes like breasts, and which were given the name of Demoiselles
6. Commission de toponymie Québec (2006). "Les Demoiselles" (in French). Les Publications du Québec. p. 925. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
7. Commission de toponymie Québec. "Île du Havre Aubert" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
8. Commission de toponymie Québec. "Île du Cap aux Meules" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
9. Commission de toponymie Québec. "Île du Havre aux Maisons" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
10. Commission de toponymie Québec (1994–1996). "Île aux Loups" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
11. Commission de toponymie Québec. "Île Paquet" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
12. Commission de toponymie Québec (1994–1996). "Île Brion" (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
13. ^ Roland Sanschagrin (1964). "Magdalen Island Geological report 106" (PDF). Province of Quebec, department of natural resources. pp. 9, 11 of 65. Retrieved 29 February 2024. In comparing different maps, it appears that the tombolo being built between Havre-Aubert and Entrée islands has changed considerably in form over the years.
14. Miroslav M. Grandtner (2017-05-20). "A string of islands and beaches: the Magdalen Islands" (PDF) (in French). Quatre-Temps Vol. 21, no 3. p. 4. Retrieved 5 March 2024. A true jewel of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a treasure trove of natural resources that must be used with caution, love and intelligence.
15. Fortin, Jean-Charles (2003). "Histoire des Îles-de-la-Madeleine". Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (in French). Institut québécois de recherche sur la culture. pp. 50 of 407. Retrieved 4 April 2024. An examination of the islands' cliffs reveals a world of fantasy: caves, towers, corbels, etc
16. "Le Corps-Mort". Commission de toponymie Québec (in French). Government of Quebec. 1986-12-18. Retrieved 6 March 2024. Deadman's Island ou Dead Bodys and Île du Mort.
17. "Dune Sandy Hook". Commission de toponymie Québec. Government of Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 6 March 2024. Located at the eastern end of Île du Havre Aubert, in the Magdalen Islands
18. "Butte du Vent". Commission de toponymie Quebec (in French). Government of Quebec. 1971-11-18. Retrieved 4 March 2024. The appellation underlines the strength of the almost constant offshore wind.
19. "Anse-à-la-Cabane lighthouse". Commission de toponymie Quebec (in French). Government of Quebec. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 7 March 2024. Built in 1870 and 1871, it was erected during the first wave of lighthouse construction to make navigation safe in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
20. ^ "Recovery Strategy (Amended) and Action Plan for the Piping Plover melodus subspecies (Charadrius melodus melodus) in Canada" (PDF). Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Government of Canada. 2022. p. 134. Retrieved 5 March 2024. Piping Plover is a small, stocky shorebird that depends on its cryptic coloration to avoid predators
21. Jean-François Rail (2009). "Seabirds and Colonial Waterbirds of the Magdalen Islands" (PDF). Canadian Wildlife Service. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. p. 74. community of seabirds that can be found nesting in the numerous and characteristic red sandstone cliffs, as well as on sandy islands in lagoons and rocky offshore islands
22. ^ "Piping Plover". Audubon. 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024. Many of its nesting areas are subject to human disturbance or other threats, and it is now considered an endangered or threatened species in all parts of its range.
23. ^ "Les rochers aux Oiseaux". Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in Canada. Retrieved 2 March 2024. Oil pollution is also a concern due to the proximity of the islands to the main shipping route that leads to the St. Lawrence seaway.
24. "Rochers aux Oiseaux". Commission de toponymie Quebec. Government of Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 2 March 2024. In 1919, Brother Marie-Victorin used this name during his visit to Les Rochers
25. Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area
26. "Pointe-de-l'Est National Wildlife Refuge" (in French). Balise. 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024. 6 trails from 0.6 to 1.8 km, reference directory for Pointe-de-l'Est National Wildlife Refuge
27. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
28. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
29. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
30. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
31. "Climate | Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine".
32. "Magdalen Islands ferry stuck - most ice in two decades". Pei Canada. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
33. Page, Julia (8 February 2018). "Bad season seal hunt in Magdalen Islands". CBC. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
34. ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1961-1990 Station Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
35. ^ Dennis, B. The ice used to protect them. Now their island is crumbling into the sea. Washington Post, 31 October 2019.
36. "Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Composite Station Threads)". Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020 Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
37. "Historical Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
38. "Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980 Volume 8: Atmospheric, Pressure, Temperature and Humidity" (PDF). Environment Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-08-09. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
39. Leavitt, Sarah (15 October 2019). "The disappearing islands". CBC News. Retrieved 5 January 2020. For decades, efforts have been underway to tame the effects of erosion on the Magdalen Islands, an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. But the effects of climate change left these tiny islands vulnerable when it came to facing two powerful and unpredictable storms in less than a year.
40. Dennis, Brady (31 October 2019). "The Canadian islands crumbling into the sea". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 January 2020. They're in the middle of this gulf, which used to be covered with ice for a large part of the winter and kind of protected these islands from the winter storms
41. "Once protected by ice, Canada's crumbling Magdalen Islands face disaster". The Washington Post. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020. Season after season, storm after storm, it is becoming clearer that the sea, which has always sustained these islands, is now their greatest threat
42. "Québec". Windsor Salt. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18.
43. Nozères, C.; Archambault, D.; Chouinard, P.-M.; Gauthier, J.; Miller, R.; Parent, E.; Schwab, P.; Savard, L.; Dutil, J.-D. (2010). "Identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence and sampling protocols used during trawl surveys between 2004 and 2008" (PDF) (in English and French). Regional Science Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute. Retrieved 8 April 2024. Important source of information on the status of marine resources harvested in the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
44. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Environnement- (11 November 2021). "225 kilomètres de câbles entre la Gaspésie et les Îles-de-la-Madeleine". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2023-04-11.

Notes

1. Climate data was recorded on Grindstone Island in the community of Cap-aux-Meules from August 1890 to February 1983 and at Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport from May 1983 to present.

External links

• The Wabanaki Confederacy, Willard Walker, 1998, Part of the Indigenous Studies Commons, p. 31
• Histoire des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Fortin, Jean-Charles, Larocque, Paul, 2003, 407 p, Collections de BAnQ (French).
• Bird Watching, The maritime regions of Quebec are home to hundreds of species of birds
• Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, official site
• Municipalités et villes de la Gaspésie
• Magdalen Islands tourist association
• The official tourist site of the islands
• Quebec tourism information on the Magdalen Islands including a map (with the French names)
• Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area, official site

v t e Magdalen Islands
Islands	Wolf Island Brion Island Entry Island Big Entry Island East Island Grindstone Island Aubert Port Island House Port Island Shag Island Corps-Mort Big Island Rochers aux Oiseaux
Localities	Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine Bassin Cap-aux-Meules Fatima Grande-Entrée Havre-Aubert Havre-aux-Maisons L'Étang-du-Nord L'Île-d'Entrée Pointe-aux-Loups Grosse-Île Grosse-Île Old Harry
Politics	Urban agglomeration of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine Îles-de-la-Madeleine (provincial electoral district)

v t e Adjacent counties and equivalent territories
Gulf of Saint Lawrence Gulf of Saint Lawrence Le Rocher-Percé RCM Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine TE Gulf of Saint Lawrence Gulf of Saint Lawrence

• Magdalen Islands
• Archipelagoes of Canada
• Archipelagoes of the Atlantic Ocean
• Coastal islands of Quebec
• Landforms of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Territories equivalent to a regional county municipality
• Census divisions of Quebec