Réserve faunique de Port‑Cartier–Sept‑Îles

Portrait

History

Réserve faunique de Port-Cartier–Sept-Îles was created in 1965. It is composed of a vast expanse of boreal forest and lies near the towns of Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles.

Rivière MacDonald...

This name is related to the activities of the Ontario Paper Company (which became the Quebec North Shore Company in 1938). It was named after Ian MacDonald, Superintendent at Shelter Bay. He lived in Franquelin in 1934, and left with his wife and his son Ronald in 1935.


Attractions

Lac Walker

This lake, about 20 km from Port-Cartier, is a great place for a variety of outdoor activities. Its steep cliffs invite rock climbing and its length of 33 km definitely attracts boating activities.

Although this name appears in the 1914 edition of the Dictionary of Rivers and Lakes of the Province of Québec, other names for this lake have been recorded: Lac Moteghats, Tshishe Muteshekau (Innu for "big lake with mountainous outlines") and Thirty Mile Lake; this name was the result of a poor calculation of its length. It was also called Lac Cache-Deux because of a hunter's blind of the same name located at the lake's outlet.

The official name commemorates Sir Hovenden Walker (1656-1725 or 1728), the British Admiral of Irish origin who failed in his 1711 attempt to seize New France.

Lac Arthur

Immediately east of Grand lac Caotibi, into which this lake flows, and south of Petit lac Caotibi, which are both tributaries of Rivière Toulnustouc Nord-Est, this 11 km² Côte-Nord body of water is about a hundred kilometres north-west of Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles.

It is named after Arthur A. Schmon (1895-1964), born in Newark, New Jersey, who quickly became the inseparable partner of Robert R. McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune newspaper and founder of Baie-Comeau. After studying in Princeton, New Jersey, Schmon served in World War 1 as a warrant officer under  Colonel McCormick. The latter asked Schmon to accompany him to Shelter Bay (Port-Cartier) in 1919 and entrusted him with management of forestry operations. Director of timberlands for Québec and Ontario Paper in 1923 and chairman of the company in 1933, three years later, Schmon supervised the construction of the Baie-Comeau hydroelectric plant and station. He became the first chairman and chief executive officer of Quebec North Shore in 1938. In 1963 he became the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of this paper company.

Not to be missed

  • De la Montagne and MacDonald hiking trails
  • MacDonald Falls and footbridge
  • Carlos Falls
  • The majestic Lac Walker
  • The Lac Arthur sector

Fact Sheet

Area

6,423 km2


Bodies of Water

  • 1,000 lakes, 100 of which are accessible
  • 15 rivers
  • Many streams

Fish

  • Speckled trout
  • Arctic char
  • Lake smelt
  • Whitefish
  • Atlantic salmon

Animals

  • Moose
  • Black bear
  • Woodland caribou
  • Wolf
  • Lynx
  • Fox
  • Snowshoe hare
  • Porcupine
  • Beaver
  • Mink
  • Otter
  • Marten

Birds

  • Ruffed Grouse
  • Spruce Grouse
  • Migratory birds (in spring and autumn)

Forest Cover

  • Coniferous: black and white spruce, balsam fir, tamarack
  • Deciduous: birch, trembling aspen

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