Country Canada Constituted January 1, 1990 Postal code(s) G0G 2P0 Area 1,199 km² Population 732 (2011) RCM Côte-Nord | Region Côte-Nord Time zone AST (UTC-4) Area code(s) 418 and 581 Local time Monday 2:31 PM Province Québec | |
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Weather -3°C, Wind N at 29 km/h, 64% Humidity | ||
Bonne-Espérance is a municipality in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec in Canada.
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Map of Bonne-Esp%C3%A9rance, QC, Canada
The municipality is made up of the fishing villages of Rivière-Saint-Paul (St. Paul's River), Middle Bay, and Vieux-Fort (Old Fort Bay), and was incorporated as a municipality on January 1, 1990. All three communities are accessible via Quebec Route 138 from Blanc-Sablon to the east only; this road currently ends at Vieux-Fort before commencing again at Natashquan some 300 kilometres (190 mi) west-south-west.
Early History of Bonne Esperance
Bonne Esperance was first known to be inhibited by the Maritime Archaic people. The Maritime Archaic people are probably the ancestors of today’s Innu people. The Maritime Archaic people were on the coast for about 9000 years ago, when the French people saw these people they called them Montagnais, because of the hilly land they lived on. In 1534 Jacques Cartier claimed this new found land for the King of France. They believed that Old Fort Bay was the first capital of North America. They called this new found land “New France”. It is rumoured that Cartier erected the first cross claiming the land in Baie des Rochers, about 15 km away from what is now known as Old Fort Bay, researchers still do not know the exact placement of the cross. In 1702 Augustin Le Gardeur de Courtemanche was granted a large concession by the King of France. It is believed that Courtemanche built a fort in Old Fort Bay, but this fort supposedly burnt down. When France lost the Seven Years' War in 1763 “New France” was taken over by Britain.
Economy
One of the main jobs for people in Bonne Esperance area is the fishery. There are three fish plants, one located in each of the villages: Middle Bay, St. Paul’s River and Old Fort. The fish plants are open during the summer months. This facility employs around 100 people. There is also a school board which employs about 25 people, including teachers, janitors, secretaries and technicians. There is the municipality which employs about 10 people. There is the Coasters Association which employs about 11 people and there are local grocery stores/ businesses that employ a number of people. There is also USL; this is a construction company which operates in Ontario and Alberta. Every year, many of the men leave their community and go to work in both places usually leaving in the spring and returning in the fall. During the winter months, most people who fish, work in the fish plants, and go to work in Alberta and Ontario collect employment insurance benefits.