Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, is a charming town nestled in the heart of Quebec, Canada. This picturesque municipality stretches along the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers, with the town itself situated on the quaint St. Catherine Bay at the confluence of these two majestic rivers. At an elevation of 260 feet, Baie-Sainte-Catherine offers breathtaking views and a unique blend of history and natural beauty.
Baie-Sainte-Catherine serves as the west terminus of the Baie-Ste-Catherine / Tadoussac ferry, a free and frequent service across the Saguenay River to Tadoussac. This ferry is a crucial part of Quebec Route 138, the main land link to Sept-Îles along the Côte-Nord.
Moreover, Baie-Sainte-Catherine is a gateway to the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park and the Saguenay Conservation Park. As such, it is a hub for tourism, particularly for those interested in whale-watching cruises on the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers.
Baie-Sainte-Catherine is steeped in history. It is reputed to be the location of the historic meeting on May 27, 1603, between François Gravé Du Pont, Samuel de Champlain, and the leaders of three Indian nations. This meeting resulted in an agreement that opened the Saint Lawrence River to French explorers.
On the stormy evening of November 27, 1686, the ship La Catherine sank in the bay at the mouth of the Saguenay River. This bay was later identified as "Ance à la Catherine" (Catherine Cove) on the 1731 map by Laure. The name "Saint" was added at an uncertain point in time, following the former widespread practice in Quebec of sanctifying toponyms.
The first permanent settlers arrived in the Canard River area around 1820 and formed a farming village. In 1843, William Price built a sawmill at the first falls on Canards River, which operated for about ten years. The mission of Saint-Firmin was founded in 1847, and its first cemetery opened in 1865 on Alouettes Point, followed by the first chapel of St. Firmin Mission in 1876, also on Alouettes Point. The village transformed into an industrial hub at the beginning of the 20th century with the operation of another sawmill and a cheese factory. In 1903, the village was incorporated as the Municipality of Saint-Firmin, but it officially adopted the name Baie-Sainte-Catherine in 1984 due to common usage.
Baie-Sainte-Catherine is home to a small but vibrant community. The town has 97 private dwellings occupied by usual residents out of a total of 125 dwellings.
The linguistic landscape of Baie-Sainte-Catherine is predominantly French. French is the first language for 97.3% of the population, while English is not the first language for any of the residents. There are no residents who speak both English and French as their first language, and no residents who speak another language as their first language.
