Quebec

In Quebec, approximately 13.6 million hectares (8.6% of the province as of 2010) are designated as protected. Environment Canada maintains 36 protected areas in Quebec, including 8 National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) and 28 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs), comprising over 58 thousand hectares of the province's protected lands and waters. Among the provinces, Quebec is home to the largest portion of Environment Canada’s network of protected areas (25%).

Map of Environment Canada's Protected Areas in Quebec

List of Protected Areas in Quebec

The tables below contain information about the NWAs and MBSs shown on the map above. In addition to the name, year of establishment, and size of each protected area, the tables indicate how these sites fit into national and international networks of conservation areas. The following entities may be noted:

Ramsar: Wetland of International Importance
IBA: Important Bird Area
WHSRN: Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
MAB: Biosphere reserve of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme

This table provides information on the national wildlife areas such as the name of the area, the year it was established, the size in hectares and notes.

National Wildlife Areas

No.	Name	Year established	Size in hectares	Notes
1	Baie de l'Isle-Verte NWA	1980	534	overlaps with l'Isle-Verte MBS part of Baie de l'Isle-Verte Ramsar site part of Marais de la baie de l'Isle-Verte IBA
2	Cap Tourmente NWA Greater Snow Goose Population Monitoring	1978	2,396	also Cap Tourmente Ramsar site part of Cap Tourmente IBA part of Charlevoix MAB
3	Îles de ContrecoeurNWA	1981	325	part of Réserve nationale de faune des Îles-de-Contrecoeur IBA
4	Îles de la PaixNWA	1977	187	overlaps with Îles de la Paix MBS part of Lac Saint-Louis and Îles-de-la-Paix IBA
5	Îles de l'Estuaire NWA	1986	209	part of Île Bicquette IBA part of Île Blanche IBA part of Îles Pèlerins IBA part of Brandypot Islands IBA part of Île aux Fraises IBA
6	Lac Saint-FrançoisNWA	1978	1,521	also Lac Saint-François Ramsar site part of Lac Saint-François NWA and bordering waters IBA
7	Pointe-au-Père NWA	1986	24	part of Rimouski IBA
8	Pointe de l'Est NWA	1978	1,050	also Île de l'Est IBA
Total:			6,246

This table provides information on migratory bird sanctuaries such as the name of sanctuary, the year it was established, the size in hectares and notes.

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries

No.	Name	Year established	Size in hectares	Notes
1	Brador Bay MBS	1925	561	also Baie de Brador IBA
2	Baie des Loups MBS	1925	3,873	also Baie des Loups IBA
3	Betchouane MBS	1925	435	also Betchouane IBA
4	Boatswain Bay MBS	1941	9,616	joins a portion in Nunavut (total area = 16,352 ha) part of Boatswain Bay IBA (Nunavut)
5	Cap-Saint-Ignace MBS	1972	130	within Cap Saint-Ignace IBA
6	Gros Mécatina MBS	1996	2,189
7	Île à la Brume MBS	1925	3,779
8	Île aux Basques MBS	1927	855	part of Île aux Basques et Les Razades IBA
9	Île aux Hérons MBS	1937	623	also Île aux Hérons MBS IBA
10	Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock MBS	1919	1,299	part of Bonaventure Island IBA
11	Carillon Island MBS	1937	465
12	Couvée Islands MBS	1986	15	part of Île de la Couvée IBA
13	Corossol Island MBS	1937	367	part of Corossol Island IBA
14	Philipsburg MBS	1972	757	overlaps with Îles de la Paix NWA part of Lac Saint-Louis et Îles-de-la-Paix IBA
15	Îles Sainte-Marie MBS	1925	4,004	part of Îles Sainte-Marie IBA
16	L'Islet MBS	1986	59	part of L'Islet IBA
17	L'Isle-Verte MBS	1986	258	overlaps with Baie de l'Isle-Verte NWA part of Marais de la baie de L'Isle-Verte IBA
18	Montmagny MBS	1986	122	part of Montmagny IBA
19	Mont Saint-Hilaire MBS	1960	1,006
20	Nicolet MBS	1982	3,009	part of Lac Saint-Pierre Ramsar site also Nicolet et Baie-du-Fèbvre IBA
21	Îles de la Paix MBS	1955	543
22	Bird Rocks MBS	1919	649	part of Les rochers aux Oiseaux IBA
23	Saint-Augustin MBS	1925	4,933	also Saint-Augustin MBS IBA
24	Saint-Omer MBS	1986	65
25	Saint-Vallier MBS	1986	363	part of Saint-Vallier IBA
26	Senneville MBS	1936	570
27	Trois-Saumons MBS	1986	224
28	Watshishou MBS	1925	11,778	part of Watshishou IBA
Total:			52,547

Access and Permitting

Although access to NWAs is not restricted, the primary purpose of these areas is to protect and conserve wildlife and their habitats, and therefore most NWAs are not equipped with facilities to accommodate public visitation. Unless otherwise posted, all recreational activities are prohibited within NWAs.

Although access to most MBSs is not restricted either, the primary intent of these sanctuaries is to protect migratory birds, and therefore hunting, as well as disturbing or molesting migratory birds, their eggs, nests or habitat, is prohibited.

A permit may be obtained from the Minister of Environment authorizing certain activities to take place in an NWA or MBS, if the Minister or delegate is of the opinion that the proposed activity:

• will not interfere with the conservation of wildlife, or
  
• is consistent with the purpose for which the protected area was established; and
  
• is consistent with the management plan for the protected area.

Additional information on entry, prohibited activities and permits in Environment Canada's protected areas is provided on the Management and Activities web pages of the National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries. For more information on Environment Canada's protected areas in Quebec, please contact the regional Environment Canada office: 

Environment Canada - Quebec Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Ecosystem Conservation
1550 avenue d’Estimauville
Québec, Quebec
G1J 5E9
Toll Free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca