| Blanc-Sablon | |
|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |
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Blanc-Sablon
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Côte-Nord |
| Regional county | Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent |
| Settled | 19th century |
| Incorporated | January 1, 1990 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Mayor | Anthony Dumas |
| • Federal riding | Manicouagan |
| • Prov. riding | Duplessis |
| Area[1][2] | |
| • Total | 254.49 km2 (98.3 sq mi) |
| • Land | 247.63 km2 (95.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| • Total | 1,263 |
| • Density | 5.1/km2 (13.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) |
| Postal code | G0G 1W0 |
| Area code(s) | 418 (461 exchange) |
| GNBC Code | EOACK |
| NTS Map | 012P06 |
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec is the easternmost community in the province of Quebec, Canada, between the municipalities of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and L'Anse-au-Clair, in Labrador. With a population of 1,263[2] inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality in Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality.
Blanc-Sablon is the eastern terminus of a coastal ferry service operating from Rimouski and Sept-Îles[3][4] along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence; this service is subsidized by the government of Quebec. It is also the northern terminus of a ferry service operating across the Strait of Belle Isle between the island of Newfoundland and the province's mainland territory of Labrador[5] through Quebec. The ferry, subsidized entirely by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador connects with a southern terminus at St. Barbe, Newfoundland and Labrador.
It is also accessible by road via Quebec Route 138 from Labrador only, and by scheduled air service through the Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon Airport.
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Blanc-Sablon is located on the north coast of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence near the entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle. Two significant bays, Brador and Blanc-Sablon, mark its shores and the headland that separates these bays is dominated by Mont Parent, a 100 meters (330 ft) high flat-topped hill named after Martin Parent who was a local fisherman from the middle of the 19th century.[6]
Located off the Blanc-Sablon shore are numerous islands that make up the Blanc-Sablon archipelago, of which Bassin, aux Perroquets, au Bois, and Greenly Islands are the most significant.
The place was already known to early European explorers who may have named it after the fine white sand of the eponymous bay (blanc means "white", whereas sablon is the diminutive form of sable meaning "sand"). Or it may be named after Blancs-Sablons Cove in Saint-Malo, home town of Jacques Cartier, who landed at the place in 1534 and set up a cross near the current site of Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon.[7]
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Basques and Portuguese fishermen seasonally frequented the area. In 1704, Augustin Le Gardeur de Courtemanche, landlord of the lower Côte-Nord at that time, built Fort Pontchartrain at the current location of Brador. Permanent settlement did not begin until the 19th century with the arrival of French-Canadians, Acadians, and Jersey settlers. In 1858, the Mission of Longue-Pointe-de-Blanc-Sablon was established and took the name Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon or Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes at the end of 19th century. In 1884, the post office opened.[7][8]
The area was first incorporated in 1963 as part of the Municipality of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent, but separated on January 1, 1990, and became the Municipality of Blanc-Sablon.[7]
The municipality includes three villages: Blanc-Sablon, Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, and Brador Bay.
Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon () is the largest community in the municipality, and is located on the headland that separates Brador Bay from Blanc-Sablon Bay. It was originally known as Longue-Pointe (Long Point) until the beginning of the 20th century. It has a small natural harbour, and long depended on the fishing business.[9]
Brador or Brador Bay () is on the eastern shore of the namesake bay, 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) north of the village of Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon. While known in the 18th century as Fort Pontchartrain and Phélipeaux Bay, its current name is the shortened form of Labrador. In French, the syllable la is a definite article, and in documents from the 17th and 18th century, this syllable was considered as such and separated from the rest of the name. François Martel de Brouague, the King's Commander of this region from 1714 to 1760, referred to this location as: "A la Baye de Phélipeaux, coste de la Brador" ("At the Bay of Phélipeaux, coast of the Brador").[10]
Population:[11]
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 438 (total dwellings: 482)
Mother tongue:[2]
Blanc-Sablon experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc).
| Climate data for Blanc-Sablon, QC | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
8.1 (46.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
20.5 (68.9) |
25.3 (77.5) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
16.2 (61.2) |
7.8 (46.0) |
26.5 (79.7) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −8.2 (17.2) |
−8 (18) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
12 (54) |
15.6 (60.1) |
16.5 (61.7) |
12.8 (55.0) |
6.9 (44.4) |
1.6 (34.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
4.3 (39.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.3 (8.1) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
8 (46) |
11.8 (53.2) |
12.6 (54.7) |
8.9 (48.0) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−2 (28) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
0.2 (32.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −18.4 (−1.1) |
−17.5 (0.5) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8 (46) |
8.8 (47.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −32.3 (−26.1) |
−34.1 (−29.4) |
−32.5 (−26.5) |
−23 (−9) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
0 (32) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−18.9 (−2.0) |
−30.2 (−22.4) |
−34.1 (−29.4) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 109.5 (4.311) |
88.4 (3.48) |
82.9 (3.264) |
51.6 (2.031) |
73.6 (2.898) |
99.9 (3.933) |
108.1 (4.256) |
102.2 (4.024) |
92.9 (3.657) |
86.8 (3.417) |
68.7 (2.705) |
102 (4.02) |
1,066.5 (41.988) |
| Source: Environment Canada[12] | |||||||||||||
| Petit-Mécatina | Div. No. 10 Subd. A (NL) | |||
| Bonne-Espérance, Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-St-Laurent | L'Anse-au-Clair (NL) | |||
| Blanc-Sablon | ||||
| Gulf of Saint Lawrence |
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