Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, is a vibrant community nestled in the easternmost part of Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality. As the most populous community in the county municipality, Blanc-Sablon boasts a population of 1,122 inhabitants as of 2021.
Blanc-Sablon's history dates back to the early European explorers who may have named it after the fine white sand of the bay (blanc means "white", whereas sablon is the diminutive form of sable meaning "sand"). Alternatively, it may be named after Blancs-Sablons Cove in Saint-Malo, the hometown of Jacques Cartier, who landed at the place in 1534.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, Basque and Portuguese fishermen frequented the area seasonally. Permanent settlement began in the 19th century with the arrival of French Canadians, Acadians, and Jersey settlers. In 1858, the Mission of Longue-Pointe-de-Blanc-Sablon was established, later taking the name Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon or Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes at the end of the 19th century.
In 2007, fifty hectares of land in Blanc-Sablon were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as they contain over 60 archaeological sites relating to 9000 years of human occupation.
Blanc-Sablon is located on the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the entrance of the Strait of Belle Isle. The municipality borders Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent to the south-west, and L'Anse-au-Clair, Labrador, to the north-east.
The Blanc-Sablon archipelago, located off the coasts of the villages of Blanc-Sablon and Brador, includes Long Island, Lazy Island, Basin Island, Island of the Parrots, Wood Island, and Greenly, housing the Bird Sanctuary of Brador Bay.
Blanc-Sablon operates in the Atlantic Time Zone (Atlantic Standard Time or AST). The average solar noon in Blanc-Sablon occurs at 11:48, making it the only village where local time coincides with zone time.
Blanc-Sablon experiences a subarctic climate with short, cool summers, and very long and snowy winters. Despite its latitude being only 51 degrees north, it experiences a much colder climate than other localities at the same latitude due to the cold Labrador Current.
The municipality of Blanc-Sablon includes three villages: Blanc-Sablon, Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, and Brador Bay.
Blanc-Sablon is served by a ferry for the communities along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It also serves as the northern terminus of a ferry service across the Strait of Belle Isle to the island of Newfoundland.
Currently, Blanc-Sablon is inaccessible directly via the rest of the Quebec road network. However, the Quebec government annually plans, invests, and works towards connecting Quebec with Labrador via Blanc-Sablon with the completion of Route 138.
The Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon Airport provides scheduled air service to Blanc-Sablon, making it easily accessible for visitors from afar.
