Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve

Off Havre-Saint-Pierre in Quebec on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, this park reserve protects about a thousand islands, islets, cays, and limestone reefs shaped by horizontally layered calcareous rocks and marine erosion. It contains Canada’s largest concentration of erosion monoliths, important fossil-bearing formations, and unusual subarctic habitats that support rich flora, black spruce, and major bird populations, along with seals and visiting whales. People have used the archipelago for at least 2,000 years, from First Nations harvesting marine resources to later European fishing and whaling. Growing recognition of its fragile ecological value led to its protection in 1984.