Travel better | Go to the Îles-de-la-Madeleine without harming them

The Îles-de-la-Madeleine attracted more than 70,000 visitors last summer, even more than before the pandemic. However, crowds sometimes have a detrimental impact on this isolated archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. How to visit the Islands without being an additional burden for them?

Simon Chabot
The Press

In the Islands, vacationers like to explore the beaches and the capes… without always realizing that rolling in the dunes or climbing on the rocks of the coast promotes erosion. A phenomenon that could ultimately be catastrophic for the archipelago. Especially with global warming and the storms it heralds, as the destructive passage of Fiona.

Tourism is important, crucial even, for the Magdalen Islands economy, of which it is the second most important activity after fishing. But obviously, it is not without risks. Tourisme Îles-de-la-Madeleine, which adopted a sustainable development strategy in 2021, is therefore seeking to make visitors aware of the fragility of the archipelago.

Travelers are now invited to make a dozen commitments. Among them: do not travel in the dunes, use drinking water responsibly, save electricity (still mainly produced with fuel oil), properly sort your waste (which is exported to the continent), etc.

“We are the first region in Quebec to offer this kind of plan to visitors,” says Frédéric Myrand, from Tourisme Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

With 73,600 visitors from June to September this year, up 17% compared to 2019, for a population of just under 13,000 people, the question still arises: is one more tourist to the Islands one tourist too many? The shortage of housing for seasonal workers, among others, may lead one to believe so… but not everyone there is of the same opinion. Following consultations, “there is no consensus on the capacity for growth of the tourist flow”, notes Tourisme Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

To finance its increasingly used tourist infrastructure and manage its waste, the municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine still wishes to request a $30 fee from all visitors aged 13 and over starting next year, found The Press Friday.

A privileged contact

One thing is certain, a traveler who would like to take advantage of the nature and culture of the Magdalen Islands while limiting the negative repercussions of his presence would do well to travel… out of season.

“It is certain that visitors who come before or after the season have privileged access to the producers”, launches Ben Arseneau, of the Fumoir d’antan, in Havre-aux-Maisons. The season, moreover, is getting longer, especially in September and October, notes the entrepreneur. “Fall is fantastic on the Islands, he says, but those who come in the spring can also enjoy the seafood! »

From fall to spring, a traveler will find great opportunities to recharge his batteries (yoga, massage therapy), go hiking, especially on the Sentier entre vents et tides, go on a fishing excursion, observe wildlife (including whitecoats , at the end of winter) and even practice certain nautical activities such as windsurfing (kitesurfing).

Frédéric Myrand advises conscientious vacationers to explore the ends of the archipelago, which are less frequented. To the east, for example, Grosse-Île, with its immense beaches and the “disgusting lobster rolls” of the Fish Shack, or Grande-Entrée and the Auberge La Salicorne, which offers discovery activities such as clam fishing in a secret bay, worth the trip.

Whatever the moment, it is better to book your accommodation and your means of transport on site before arriving, recommends the tourist office.

push wheel

Whether he comes in summer or winter, a traveler can do good on the Islands, believes Karine Rioux, director general of the ZIP committee of the Magdalen Islands, an environmental organization.

In addition to informing themselves, and avoiding acting as if everything was permitted, visitors can collaborate in restoration or conservation projects. The ZIP committee notably organizes cleaning chores. Last July, 470 kg of waste was collected in one day on a beach in Havre-aux-Maisons…

“When people want to participate, it’s never a refusal,” says Karine Rioux. Other organizations such as Attention FragÎles or the Société de conservation des Îles-de-la-Madeleine also welcome visitors (or their donations). “There are also a lot of citizen initiatives, people really take care of their corner. »

After Fiona, the Islands are in great need of care. The flooding and gusts caused by the storm have damaged coastal and forest environments, destroying some of the work done to protect them. The fight against the effects of global warming has only just begun. “We will have to choose our battles and invest our efforts in the right places”, believes Karine Rioux. So much the better if visitors also push the wheel.

Close-up on the Islands

TV5 Monde has just launched its new documentary magazine To life, to Earththe first episode of which was essentially devoted to the effects of global warming on the Magdalen Islands (with a detour to the North Shore).

The documentary team, led by Chloé Nabédian, a journalist specializing in climate, was notably in the archipelago during the passage of Fiona and collected the testimonies of the Madelinots at the very moment when they saw the damage caused by the storm, wondering how long their part of the country will resist the onslaught of the elements.

Fishermen, scientists and farmers also share their concerns and the solutions they propose in the face of climate change. The nearly 100-minute documentary is primarily intended for a European audience (we talk about the prefecture and euros), but the encounters it offers are relevant and often touching. It is offered as a catch-up on the TV5Unis site.