Pointe de l'Est National Wildlife Area

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.

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:

• red sandstone outcrops
• fixed and mobile dunes covered by fragile beach grass patches
• crowberry barrens
• saline prairies
• coniferous forests
• marshes as well as fresh
• brackish and salt water ponds

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

• American black duck
• northern pintail
• red-breasted merganser
• greater scaup
• herring gull
• great black-backed gull
• black-headed gull

Other species rather use Forest environments, such as:

• ruby-crowned kinglet
• red-breasted nuthatch
• rusty blackbird
• blackpoll warbler
• magnolia warbler
• fox sparrow

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:

• black-bellied plover
• sanderling
• greater yellowlegs

Mammals, in the NWA include:

• red fox
• coyote

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:

• surveys
• wildlife enhancement projects
• restoration of habitats

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:

• universities or research centers to address gaps in scientific knowledge
• the province to implement recovery measures for species at risk (particularly those falling under provincial jurisdiction)
• non-governmental organizations or municipal authorities to build public awareness of the wildlife area's objectives

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.

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

• Outreach activities
• Guided tours
• Interpretive panels
• 8 km of hiking trails

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

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

Summary

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

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

• Part of the Ile de L’Est Important Bird Area (IBA)

Keystone or flagship species

• piping plover
• horned grebe

Listed Species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA)

• piping plover (only remaining nesting site of this species in Quebec)
• horned grebe
• Gulf of St. Lawrence aster

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

Other species

Birds:

• American black duck
• northern pintail
• herring gull
• common tern
• arctic tern
• black-bellied plover
• sanderling
• greater yellowlegs

Mammals:

• red fox
• coyote

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

Related links

• Canada Wildlife Act
• Wildlife Area Regulations
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Nature Counts – The State of Canada’s Birds
• Species at risk public registry
• Ile de L’Est Important Bird Area (IBA)
• Pointe de L'est NWA Management plan
• Pointe de L’est NWA on Google maps (Please note that the Google map is a complementary source of information and does not represent the official map or site name)