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Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area

Notice    

Welcome to Pointe de L’est National Wildlife Area.

Pointe de l’Est National Wildlife Area is open to the public during the day. Interpretive activities are now open. Please note that while Environment and Climate Change Canada establishes trails and infrastructure to support visitor access and use of selected National Wildlife Areas, staff are not always on-site for management of public safety.

Please respect the environment and leave no trace.

Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area (NWA) covers an expanse of dunes, barrens and ponds is located at the northeastern tip of the Magdalen Islands archipelago in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Description

In 1978, Environment Canada created Pointe de l’est NWA to protect important habitats. The NWA serves as staging areas for migratory birds, especially shorebirds, and as breeding grounds for species at risk like the piping plover and the horned grebe.

Image of landscape habitat of Pointe de l'Est NWA
Pointe de l'Est NWA

Located in a maritime environment, the area is currently used by more than 150 bird species and 10 or so mammal species. The wildlife area features a wide diversity of habitats including:

During nesting periods, the site's open areas provide suitable habitats for colonial birds along with other bird species such as:

Other species rather use Forest environments, such as:

Image of a Piping Plover in a shoreline
Piping Plover

Two species at risk breed within or near the wildlife area: the horned grebe nests at the edges of ponds in the NWA and the piping plover nests on sandy shores surrounding the wildlife area. Numerous shorebird species are observed during the fall migration, including:

Mammals, in the NWA include:

The wildlife area is exposed to a number of threats and presents management challenges, including the impact of motorized vehicules use and the risk of accidental spills associated with marine transportation.

More information on Pointe de l'Est NWA is provided in the summary table below.

Management

Under the Canada Wildlife Act, NWAs are protected and managed in accordance with the Wildlife Area Regulations. The primary purpose of NWAs is to protect and conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. For this purpose and according to the legislation, all activities in a NWA that could interfere with the conservation of wildlife can be prohibited. Consequently, most NWAs are not accessible to the public and all other activities are prohibited in all NWAs. However, some activities may be authorized through Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations or the issuance of permits as long as they are consistent with the management plan goals for the NWA. For more information, consult the NWA Management and Activities section.

Any authorized activities are listed in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations; signage is also posted at access points.
Authorized activities listed in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations for Pointe de l'Est NWA, include:

  1. Non-commercial wildlife viewing on designated trails and at lookouts and observation towers and in designated areas
  2. Non-commercial hiking on designated trails
  3. Participation in a non-commercial group meal or non-commercial group event involving 15 or more people in designated areas
  4. Non-commercial operation of a vehicle, other than a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle, on designated roads and in designated parking areas
  5. Non-commercial operation of an all-terrain vehicle on designated trails and in designated parking areas
  6. Non-commercial berry picking, by hand and without tools, up to a maximum daily amount of 22.7 litres (5 gallons) of all types of berries combined, per person, in designated areas
  7. Non-commercial snowshoeing on designated trails
  8. Sport hunting of migratory birds — including with dogs off-leash — without a commercial guide, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset in designated areas, if the hunting is carried out
    1. in accordance with any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by the laws of Quebec for sport hunting in that province; and
    2. without the use of toxic shot

Permits may be issued for research activities in keeping with the priorities set out in the management plan for the wildlife area or for other conservation activities such as:

Priority will be given to collaborative activities with local agencies and organizations to promote the protection and the conservation of wildlife species and their habitat in the NWA. For example, initiatives could be launched or continued with the following entities:

More information on access and permitting for Pointe de l'Est NWA can be obtained by contacting the Environment and Climate Change Canada regional office.

Notice from Environment and Climate Change Canada

Public Notice - Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area [PDF - 147 KB]

Environment and Climate Change Canada would like to inform the public that Pointe de l'Est NWA--located in the municipality of Grosse-Île in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine administrative region--is a protected area. Since its creation in 1978, the NWA has been protecting wildlife and habitats, particularly those of migratory birds and species at risk.

To protect the area, the Department is informing NWA visitors of their obligation to follow certain rules, as dictated by the Canada Wildlife Act and its corresponding regulations. Anyone who neglects to follow these rules or obey the laws in effect may be subject to fines and prosecution.

Hiking, nature viewing, photography, vehicle parking at official sites and use of the marked ATV trail are authorized in designated areas.

Without a permit issued by the Minister, it is strictly prohibited for anyone in the NWA to:

  • move about (on foot, on any motor vehicle, on horse, etc.) except in designated areas
  • hunt, unless you are hunting migratory birds, in which case you must be in compliance with the authorized periods, conditions, locations and hunting instruments (see section 3.(1) of the Wildlife Area Regulations)
  • fish
  • destroy or remove a plant
  • allow any domestic animal to run at large
  • swim, picnic, camp or carry on any other recreational activity or light a fire
  • operate any mode of transportation
  • dump or deposit any trash

For complete information on applicable regulations, please consult the Canada Wildlife Act; Wildlife Area Regulations; Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994; and Species at Risk Act at Environment and Climate Change Canada website.

To file a complaint or report illegal activities, please contact Environment and Climate Change Canada by phone at 1-800-668-6767 or by email at enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca.

This notice shall not be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any Aboriginal, treaty or other rights of Aboriginal peoples.

Public services

Activities and services at Pointe de l'Est NWA are offered by the La Salicorne organization and include guided hiking tours and outreach activities to build awareness of wildlife species habitat conservation. Please contact La Salicorne for additional information on the activities and services available.

Activities and services

Location of wildlife area (access)

Route 199 in the municipality of Grosse-Île

More information on services offered to public can be obtained by contacting the Environment and Climate Change Canada regional office.

Map of the area

Map - See long description below
Map of Pointe de l'Est NWA
Long description

Map showing Île de l'est, Quebec, and the surrounding water and land. The boundaries of Pointe de l'est NWA area indicated. The NWA is interspersed with private land across Île de l'est between the St. Lawrence Gulf and Havre de la Grande Entrée, to the east of Grosse-Île. The scale on the map is in kilometers. Permanent water, intertidal zones, roads and highways are all indicated on the map. A small inset national map situates the NWA in Canada. 

This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to define legal boundaries.

Summary table

Summary table of Pointe de l'Est NWA
Category Information
Protected area designation NWA
Province/Territory Quebec
Latitude/Longitude 47°38' North / 61°27' West
Size 724 ha
Reason for creation of protected area
  • Protection of important habitats serving as staging areas for migratory birds, particularly shorebirds, and breeding grounds for species at risk, including the piping plover and horned grebe.
Date created (Gazetted) 1978 – Legal description
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Management Category Natural Monument or Feature – (III): Protected area set aside to protect a specific natural monument
Additional designation
Keystone or flagship species
Listed Species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA)
Main habitat type
  • dunes
  • marshes
  • ponds
  • barrens
  • stunted forests
Faunistic and floristic importance
  • Strategic staging area for migratory birds (particularly shorebirds)
  • Important breeding ground for many bird species, including the horned grebe
Invasive species
  • There is little documentation on invasive alien species in the NWA. The micro-lepidopteran (moth) Paraswammerdamia conspersella could damage the crowberry barrens
Additional links Birds: Mammals:
Main threats and challenges
  • Impact of all-terrain vehicle use and risk of accidental spills associated with marine transportation
Management Agency Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service)
Public access and usage Authorized activities listed in Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations for Pointe de l'Est NWA, include:
  1. non-commercial wildlife viewing on designated trails and at lookouts and observation towers and in designated areas
  2. non-commercial hiking on designated trails
  3. participation in a non-commercial group meal or non-commercial group event involving 15 or more people in designated areas
  4. non-commercial operation of a vehicle, other than a snowmobile or an all-terrain vehicle, on designated roads and in designated parking areas
  5. non-commercial operation of an all-terrain vehicle on designated trails and in designated parking areas
  6. non-commercial berry picking, by hand and without tools, up to a maximum daily amount of 22.7 litres (5 gallons) of all types of berries combined, per person, in designated areas
  7. non-commercial snowshoeing on designated trails
  8. sport hunting of migratory birds — including with dogs off-leash — without a commercial guide, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset in designated areas, if the hunting is carried out
    1. in accordance with any applicable federal permit and any authorization required by the laws of Quebec for sport hunting in that province; and
    2. without the use of toxic shot

Note: If there is a discrepancy between the information presented on this web page, any notice posted at the NWA site and the law, the law prevails, as it is the legal instrument authorizing the activity. 

Contact us

Environment and Climate Change Canada - Quebec Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Protected Areas
801-1550, D’Estimauville Avenue
Québec (Quebec)
G1J 0C3

Toll-free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca

La Salicorne
377, Route 199
Grande-Entrée (Quebec)
G4T 7A5

Phone number: 418-985-2833

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