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25 great endangered wild rivers - North Coast

25 large wild rivers under threat

The North Coast's last great wild rivers

North coast map
North coast map

Endangered rivers: Magpie, Aguanish, Natashquan, Olomane, Petit-Mécatina, Saint-Augustin, Saint-Paul

It's on the territory of the Innu communities of the Côte-Nord that we find the rivers of greatest interest to Hydro-Québec. There are seven major endangered rivers on the Côte Nord, including the Rivière du Little Mecatina which is currently being a preliminary study on hydroelectric potential by Hydro-Québec. In the wake of theLa Romaine complex opens in April 2023Hydro-Québec reiterated its intention to develop new dams on the North Shore with the Petit Mécatina river. Located on the border of Labrador, the Petit Mecatina River flows into the St. Lawrence River between Natashquan and Blanc-Sablon, and has its source in Labrador. The government of says to develop dams in the area, with plans to build power plants with a potential of 1,200 MW on the river after the end of the Romaine project.

Route 138 extension: a crucial road for the region's development

The extension of Highway 138 is at the heart of the demands made by the elected representatives of the aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities of the Lower North Shore. No road, no damthe elected representatives of these isolated regions, which are experiencing housing crisis with the prospect of economic prosperity.

The extension of the road and the harnessing of the Petit Mecatina River nevertheless open the door to the construction of dams on 5 other rivers on the North Coast. For the government, dams are the primary reason for extending the road. This road is highly coveted by the private sector, which sees an opportunity to develop hydrogen and wind power on the North Shore. This road must not be built to meet Hydro-Québec's energy needs, or to meet the energy requirements of its customers. private-sector industrial dreams. The extension of Highway 138 should not come at the price of sacrificing rivers, but first and foremost for the well-being of local communities, the vast majority of whom want this road. 

The construction of this road represents a major technical challenge, and will entail astronomical costs due to the steepness of the North Shore and the instability of the soil at certain points on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, over rivers and inlets that need to be spanned. If the private companies are targeting this area for their wind turbines, the government has no intention of passing the bill on to them.

Rivière Petit-Mécatina
Petit-Mécatina River_credit photo: Gabriel Rondeau

Impact of the opening up of the territory on the North Coast

The opening up of the Côte-Nord region by roads and construction sites has had a major impact on the natural resources that are suddenly more accessible. This fragmentation of the territory contributes to the loss of biodiversity in the region through human predation, facilitated by access to new hunting and fishing grounds. Although communities need this road for their social and economic development, opening up the territory exposes it to the danger of being drained of resources.

Negotiations with the Innu

Negotiations between the government and the Innu are a prerequisite for any new development on the North Shore rivers south of the 55th parallel. Negotiations will be highly complex, as the communities have been greatly affected during the development of the Manic complex in 1965, when they had only received derisory compensation in exchange for the destruction of their territory ancestral lands. The government and Hydro-Québec acted in the 1960s without even consulting the aboriginal communities, which is something that has never been done before. unthinkable today. There's a huge amount of catching up to do, since the Innu received derisory financial compensation compared with what was paid to the Cree and Inuit, who will receive more than $6 billion over 50 years in compensation for similar impacts on their territory in the wake of the James Bay construction. The signing of theThe Pessamit agreement concluded on February 15, 2024 opens the door to compensation for the first time. Similar agreements will have to be negotiated with each of the communities affected if the projects are to go ahead.

Take action to protect our last great wild rivers

Tell your elected representatives that you care about river protection

This dam [La Manic], which is now at the heart of 14 major infrastructures on the traditional territory of the Innu community of Pessamit, on the North Shore, has become a blatant symbol of Quebec colonialism in defiance of Aboriginal rights.

Magpie River

La Magpie is located in the Havre-Saint-Pierre region, near the mouth of the La Romaine River. L'Muteshekau-shipu Alliance strongly opposes the construction of power plants. The site is a biodiversity reserve with significant recreational and tourism potential. The Magpie is a natural jewel to be protected, and the Innu and non-natives unite to ensure that no hydroelectric development disturbs it. The MRC and the Conseil des Innus d'Ekuanitshit consider themselves guardians of the river. Even though it's closed by a dam just off Route 138, we've included it in the list of great wild rivers, because everything else is untouched. It has been named legal personality in 2023, but this status does not make it a river truly protected from development. This mention is merely symbolic, since there is no legal basis to protect it in the eyes of the law.

List of Côte Nord wild rivers (and Lac Saint-Jean)

Name of the riverModulus flow (m3/s)Length (km)Height difference (m)Catchment area (km2)Potential MW* (in MW)
Aguanish1642576715776
Magpie1792906107640850
Natashquan36937857916110
Olomane1372574725439
Petit Mécatina (du)429451610195801200
Saint Augustin2921934279510
St.Paul165,91613477370

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