Native name: Menagoesenog | |
|---|---|
 The Magdalen Islands | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Gulf of Saint Lawrence |
| Coordinates | 47°26′54″N61°45′08″W / 47.44833°N 61.75222°W /47.44833; -61.75222 |
| Area | 205.53 km2 (79.36 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Canada | |
| Province | Quebec |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 12,781 (2011) |
| Pop. density | 62.2/km2 (161.1/sq mi) |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| • Summer (DST) | |
| Area code(s) | 418, 581 |
TheMagdalen Islands[1] (French:Îles de la Madeleine,pronounced[ildəlamadlɛn]) are anarchipelago in theGulf of St. Lawrence. Since 2005, the 12-island archipelago is divided into twoCanadian municipalities: the majority-francophone Municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the majority-anglophone Municipality of Grosse-Île, in theGaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region,Quebec.[2][3]
The Magdalen Islands are the jagged remains of a vanished part of the mainland. Approximately 126 kilometres (78 mi) in combined area,[4] they form a string of islands and beaches in the southeastern part of theGulf of St. Lawrence.
The rocks that make up the island massifs are of three kinds: horizontal and softsandstones, of a blood-red color, which give the archipelago a distinctive character. These red sandstones are juxtaposed with harder, grey sandstones, which also formcliffs in some places. Finally, volcanic actions created rounded, symmetrical domes like breasts, which were given the name of Demoiselles (or "young ladies"),[5] though this is disputed.[6] Where volcanic effusions have come into contact with sandstones, large masses ofgypsum are found.
A group of seven islands form the central core of the archipelago: Île du Havre Aubert (known locally as Amherst Island),[7]Île du Cap aux Meules (known locally as Grindstone),[8] Île du Havre aux Maisons (known locally as House Harbour),[9] Île aux Loups (known locally as Seal Island),[10] 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) andÎle de la Grande-Entrée. These islands are connected together by sand spits ortombolos.
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 nearÉtang-du-Nord on the south-west coast of Île du Cap aux Meules (Grindstone), Île Rouge and Île Paquet (formerly Île aux Cochons)[11] 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 toÎle Brion[12] and theRochers aux Oiseaux.
Supporting the islands is a series ofshoals andreefs that are permanent hazards to maritime navigation.[13] The archipelago has been considered, for more than 400 years, as one of the richest marine regions of EasternCanada.[14]
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.[15]
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.
![Corps-Mort,[16] uninhabited rock, from the island of Havre-Aubert at low tide.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a023_022_Corps_Mort.jpg)
![Sandy Hook Dune,[17] a hook-shaped sand spit about six kilometres (3.7 mi), Havre Aubert island](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a024_119_Sandy_Hook.jpg)
![Fatima, Butte du Vent (Hills)[18]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a024_Ile_Madeleine_098.jpg)
![Lighthouse of L'Anse-à-la-Cabane[19] (hamlet), former name Millerand (hamlet), Île du Havre Aubert (island)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a960618_16a_Anse_Cabane.jpg)
In the 21st century, the islands' beaches provide a habitat for theendangered piping plover (Charadrius melodus).[20][21]
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, andcrustaceans; 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.[22]
![Nest of the piping plover[20][22] on a beach of Île de la Grande-Entrée](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a960528_17_nid_pluvier.jpg)
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TheRochers 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 myriadgannets (French:margaulx),razorbills, andgreat auks (now extinct) that were found there. In 1919 BrotherMarie-Victorin used the name Rochers aux Oiseaux during his visit to the Rocks; since 1974, theCanadian Wildlife Service has made them aMigratory Bird Sanctuary.[23]
![Support one of the six Northern gannet colonies in North America[23]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a960618_02a_Rochers_aux_Oiseauxa.jpg)
The Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area[25] is located onLa 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.[26]
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 theAcadians 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 asBird Rocks andBrion Island complete the archipelago.[13]
While the Îles de la Madeleine are a land area of 205.53 square kilometres (79.36 sq mi) in the province ofQuébec, they are in fact closer to theMaritime provinces andNewfoundland than to theGaspé Peninsula on the Québec mainland. The Mi'kmaq consider the islands a part of theEpegwitg aqPigtug district ofMi'kma'ki—the traditional territory of theMi'kmaq Nation—and call the islandsMenagoesenog.
Administratively, the islands are part of theGaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region in the Canadian province ofQuébec. The islands form theterritory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and thecensus division (CD) of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Their geographical code is 01.
The islands are also coextensive with theurban 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, andGrosse-Île (pop. 490). Their mayors are Gaétan Richard and Rose Elmonde Clarke, respectively.
Within the area known asDawnland, these islands were once calledMenquit by theMi'kmaw Nation, meaning "islands battered by waves." Around the mid 19th century asMi'kmawi'simk (the Mi'kmaw language) shifted, the name changed to becomeMenagoesenog reflecting islands "battered by the surf." Although not a distinct district withinMi'kma'ki, the archipelago falls within the territorial bounds of the Mi'kmaw homeland.
| 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Population | 12,781 (-2.4% from 2006) |
| Land area | 205.40 km2 (79.31 sq mi) |
| Population density | 62.2/km2 (161/sq mi) |
| Median age | 48.1 (M: 47.9, F: 48.4) |
| Private dwellings | 6,153 (total) |
| Median household income | $52,267 |
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| Canada Census Mother Tongue - Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec[28] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Total | French | English | French & English | Other | |||||||||||||
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
12,660 | 11,900 |  1.1% | 94.00% | 695 | 16.3% | 5.49% | 40 | 20.0% | 0.32% | 25 | 61.5% | 0.20% | ||||||
12,975 | 12,030 |  1.9% | 92.72% | 830 | 16.9% | 6.40% | 50 | 100.0% | 0.38% | 65 | 37.5% | 0.50% | ||||||
12,575 | 11,800 | 8.7% | 93.84% | 710 | 0.7% | 5.65% | 25 | 58.3% | 0.20% | 40 | 33.3% | 0.32% | ||||||
13,730 | 12,925 | n/a | 94.13% | 715 | n/a | 5.21% | 60 | n/a | 0.44% | 30 | n/a | 0.22% | ||||||
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.[29] However, under theKöppen climate classification its climate ishumid 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.[30][31]
The highest temperature ever recorded was 31.1 °C (88 °F) on 31 July 1949.[32] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −27.2 °C (−17 °F) on 14 February 1891.[32]
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 km2 (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.[33]
| Climate data forÎles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 13.6 | 7.7 | 11.1 | 16.8 | 25.0 | 32.8 | 37.0 | 37.1 | 33.5 | 26.3 | 20.4 | 13.7 | 37.1 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.3 (54.1) | 9.0 (48.2) | 12.0 (53.6) | 17.2 (63.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 28.9 (84.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.6 (87.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.4 (68.7) | 13.1 (55.6) | 31.1 (88.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −3.6 (25.5) | −0.7 (30.7) | 4.1 (39.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 15.9 (60.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 17.3 (63.1) | 11.4 (52.5) | 6.1 (43.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.5 (22.1) | −6.8 (19.8) | −3.6 (25.5) | 1.5 (34.7) | 7.1 (44.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.4 (65.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 9.0 (48.2) | 3.7 (38.7) | −1.3 (29.7) | 5.6 (42.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.4 (16.9) | −10.1 (13.8) | −6.4 (20.5) | −1.2 (29.8) | 3.7 (38.7) | 9.1 (48.4) | 14.6 (58.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 11.7 (53.1) | 6.4 (43.5) | 1.3 (34.3) | −3.6 (25.5) | 2.7 (36.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.5 (−15.7) | −27.2 (−17.0) | −26.1 (−15.0) | −12.9 (8.8) | −6.1 (21.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | 1.8 (35.2) | 3.9 (39.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | −5.6 (21.9) | −12.8 (9.0) | −24.4 (−11.9) | −27.2 (−17.0) |
| Record lowwind chill | −42.1 | −41.3 | −37.1 | −23.2 | −10.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −8.6 | −21.2 | −32.8 | −42.1 |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 92.8 (3.65) | 74.3 (2.93) | 75.8 (2.98) | 71.2 (2.80) | 79.4 (3.13) | 74.7 (2.94) | 84.0 (3.31) | 77.7 (3.06) | 96.9 (3.81) | 107.8 (4.24) | 99.3 (3.91) | 103.7 (4.08) | 1,037.7 (40.85) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 37.1 (1.46) | 27.4 (1.08) | 39.0 (1.54) | 56.7 (2.23) | 82.0 (3.23) | 76.3 (3.00) | 75.5 (2.97) | 84.2 (3.31) | 95.8 (3.77) | 93.3 (3.67) | 91.6 (3.61) | 43.6 (1.72) | 802.6 (31.60) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 61.1 (24.1) | 47.5 (18.7) | 37.0 (14.6) | 17.0 (6.7) | 4.5 (1.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (0.3) | 17.3 (6.8) | 51.7 (20.4) | 236.8 (93.2) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 22.5 | 16.8 | 16.7 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 11.4 | 13.4 | 12.0 | 12.3 | 16.7 | 17.5 | 21.0 | 188.0 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.6 | 4.3 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 14.1 | 12.3 | 13.1 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 17.2 | 14.1 | 7.2 | 131.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 20.2 | 14.4 | 12.3 | 6.1 | 0.95 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.61 | 7.8 | 17.9 | 80.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 1300 LST) | 85 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 83 | 85 | 81 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | −8.3 (17.1) | −8.9 (16.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | 9.3 (48.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.6 (56.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 4.5 (40.1) | 0.5 (32.9) | −4.8 (23.4) | 2.2 (36.0) |
| Source:Environment CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada[34] (rain/rain days, snow/snow days, humidex, wind chill 1981–2010) Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[35][32] (dew point, humidity 1951–1980) Canadian Climate Normals 1951–1980[36] | |||||||||||||
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 thepost-tropical storm Dorian that hit the islands in September 2019.[37]
A report inThe 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 ... [and the] sea-level rise, have caused the islands to crumble into the sea".[38]
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 fromThe Washington Post provided these specifics about the effects of erosion:[39]
"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.[citation needed]
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 forbicycle camping,sea kayaking,windsurfing, andkitesurfing. During the winter months, beginning in mid-February,ecotourists visit to observe newborn and youngharp seal pups on thepack ice in theGulf of St. Lawrence, which surrounds the islands.[citation needed] However the ice cover has reduced recently and the observation "season" has been cancelled several times.
The island is home toCanadian Salt Company Seleine Mines, which producesroad salt for use inQuebec,Atlantic Canada and the United States' eastern seaboard.[40] 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.[33] This may be due toclimate change that has warmed the surrounding waters to some extent, yielded increasing lobster harvests. An identification guide formarine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence was completed in 2008.[41]
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% ofHydro-Québec's direct emissions. Hydro-Québec plans to build an underseaHVDC 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%.[42]
In 1534, Jacques Cartier explored the islands and left the first certain evidence of European visits to the archipelago
Study of land use opportunities for agricultural use
Volcanic actions created rounded, symmetrical domes like breasts, and which were given the name of Demoiselles
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.
A true jewel of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a treasure trove of natural resources that must be used with caution, love and intelligence.
An examination of the islands' cliffs reveals a world of fantasy: caves, towers, corbels, etc
Deadman's Island ou Dead Bodys and Île du Mort.
Located at the eastern end of Île du Havre Aubert, in the Magdalen Islands
The appellation underlines the strength of the almost constant offshore wind.
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
Piping Plover is a small, stocky shorebird that depends on its cryptic coloration to avoid predators
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
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.
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.
In 1919, Brother Marie-Victorin used this name during his visit to Les Rochers
6 trails from 0.6 to 1.8 km, reference directory for Pointe-de-l'Est National Wildlife Refuge
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.
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
Season after season, storm after storm, it is becoming clearer that the sea, which has always sustained these islands, is now their greatest threat
Important source of information on the status of marine resources harvested in the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.
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