9 Indigenous communities in the region
The Indigenous culture of the Côte-Nord is an integral part of the region’s soul. From Essipit to Nutashkuan, from Uashat mak Mani-Utenam to Ekuanitshit, including Pessamit, Unamen Shipu, Pakua Shipu, Matimekush–Lac-John, and Kawawachikamach, the Innu and Naskapi communities invite you to discover a living heritage deeply connected to nature, language, Indigenous traditions, and the land.
Museums, interpretation centers, crafts, stories, rituals, traditional dishes, and cultural experiences offer opportunities to meet the Innu people who have inhabited the North Shore for millennia. Here, every visit becomes an opportunity to learn, understand, and experience an authentic encounter with warm and cheerful people!
The Maritime Culture of the Côte-Nord
The sea shapes both landscapes and ways of life
The maritime culture of the Côte-Nord is evident everywhere the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf shape the landscapes, livelihoods, and traditions. From lighthouses that guide ships to tales of shipwrecks, from bustling docks to colorful houses facing the sea, every coastal village tells a story of courage, fishing, families, and departures.
In Havre-Saint-Pierre, Cayenne culture reflects a vibrant Acadian heritage, while in Natashquan, Innucadie illustrates the fusion of Innu and Acadian cultures, set to the rhythm of stories, music, pebbles, and the open sea. Crab fishing, seafood, ferries, boats, islands, fine-sand beaches, and communities accessible by sea serve as a reminder that the North Shore is a region deeply connected to the water. Here, the sea is not merely admired: it is worked, celebrated, savored, and passed down from generation to generation in the DNA of the North Shore residents.
A culture rooted in immigration
A culture shaped by migration and the sea
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Indigenous peoples were already living on the Côte-Nord. Beginning in the 16th century, French, Basque, and Breton fishermen frequented the coastline, soon joined by other groups who came to work in the fishing industry and trade.
The region also has a strong Acadian heritage. In 1857, families from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine founded Havre-Saint-Pierre, where the Cayenne identity remains very much alive today. Further east, Irish, Jersey, and British families also contributed to the development of the communities along the Lower North Shore.
These diverse influences have shaped a unique North Shore culture, still evident today in the languages, maritime traditions, surnames, cuisine, and identity of the coastal villages.
A Strongly Present English Culture
We speak english too
The Côte-Nord is a French-speaking region, but it also has an English-speaking presence that is deeply rooted in its history and identity. This reality is particularly evident in the Lower North Shore, where several communities have, over time, developed a culture strongly linked to the English-speaking world, largely due to their proximity to Newfoundland and Labrador and their maritime history. Some communities in the region are, in fact, recognized as English-speaking minority communities.
This diversity is also evident in the major centers of the Côte-Nord. In Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, the presence of English-language schools attests to the vitality of these communities. According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, 1,760 school-age children on the Côte-Nord were eligible for English-language education, including 520 in Sept-Îles and 190 in Baie-Comeau. These figures demonstrate that the English language and culture still hold a very real place in our region.
For visitors, this English-speaking presence adds a unique flavor to the region. It serves as a reminder that the North Shore has always been a meeting place for different cultures, shaped by the sea, fishing, travel between coastal villages, and ties to Labrador and Newfoundland. On the Lower North Shore, English, French, and Indigenous cultures coexist and together contribute to a unique tourist experience that is deeply rooted in the Côte-Nord.
Far from being merely a linguistic presence, the English-speaking community is therefore part of the Côte-Nord’s living heritage. Its schools, villages, traditions, and stories enrich our regional identity. For us, Anglophones are not “outsiders”: they are our neighbors, our families, our friends, and an integral part of the Côte-Nord. This diversity is a treasure we can be proud of, and one we love to share with visitors in a spirit of hospitality, sharing, and North Shore pride.
I don't believe there is any nation under the sun more mocking and more playful than the Montagnais.
What Is the Côte-Nord DNA?
The values cherished by the people of the Côte-Nord...
Respect for nature and the environment, sharing, mutual aid, and solidarity, the pursuit of tranquility and renewal, respect for the Quebec language and expressions, curiosity about the surrounding world, contemplation of landscapes, the importance of enjoyment, humor, and festivities, candor, epicureanism and culinary curiosity, the celebration of cultural heritage, resilience and perseverance, and the importance of social harmony. ..
A culture deeply rooted in the region
The millennia-long presence of the Innu and Naskapi peoples, the coastal communities, the Acadian heritage, and local traditions give the Côte-Nord a cultural identity as strong as its landscapes. In fact, Tourisme Côte-Nord lists Indigenous culture among the experiences that directly reflect the region’s “unique DNA.”
With a view of the sea
The St. Lawrence River is as much a part of our history as it is of our landscape. For centuries, its waters have sustained communities, facilitated travel, and connected villages—often situated directly on the coastline. Fishermen, sailors, merchants, and families have built their daily lives around the rhythm of the tides, the seasons, and marine resources. From old fishing stations to today’s docks, from lighthouses to shipwrecks, this maritime history remains clearly visible in the region’s heritage and traditions. Even today, we keep our eyes turned toward the sea: to watch whales, set sail, fish, navigate, or simply contemplate this immense river that continues to shape the identity of the Côte-Nord.