Baie-Sainte-Catherine

Baie-Sainte-Catherine is a picturesque municipality of the regional county municipality (MRC) of Charlevoix-Est, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, at Quebec, in Canada. It is located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and on the west shore of the Saguenay River.

The territory of Baie-Sainte-Catherine is suitable for recreational tourism activities focused on forestry (hunting, fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, hiking, picking wild fruits) and boating on the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay River. In addition, Pointe Noire is a privileged observation center for the Saguenay Fjord and the Saguenay–Saint-Laurent Marine Park. The Baie-Sainte-Catherine wharf is a starting point for cetacean observation cruises. From Baie-Sainte-Catherine, water sports enthusiasts can go sea kayaking.

History
This toponym originates from the sinking of the ship La Catherine in 1686.

The site of the Saint-Firmin cemetery, built in 1865, named Saint-Firmin until 1908, and was restored from the originals in 1979. In 2008, this site was declared a heritage site. In 2017, the Government of Quebec acquired this site from the Séminaire de Chicoutimi for the purpose of enhancing it.

Geography
The territory of Baie-Sainte-Catherine is predominantly forest cover. The Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay occupies a strip of territory approximately and a width of  at. The inhabited part of the territory is located on the riparian strip at the maximum of the St. Lawrence River.

The municipal territory is crossed by the Basque River, the Grande Crique brook, the Flavien brook, the Sainte-Catherine brook and the Canards brook, which all flow onto the shore of the St. Lawrence River. The Petites Îles River and the David River flow into the Saguenay. The main lakes are Lac Buteux and Lac François. The main capes and points are:
 * on the St. Lawrence River: Cap du Basque, Pointe au Bouleau, Pointe aux Alouettes and Pointe Noire;
 * on the Saguenay River: Cap Blanc, Cap Noir and Pointe aux Petites Îles.

Get in
The village of Baie-Sainte-Catherine is accessible by road, boat (via the St. Lawrence River or the Saguenay River), snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles.

By car

 * From Tadoussac (, 26 min.), take the Tadoussac-Baie Sainte-Catherine ferry; take route [[Image:Qc138.svg|18px]] (westbound) to the village of Baie-Sainte-Catherine.
 * From Quebec (city) (, 2:41 hours), take route [[Image:Qc138.svg|18px]] eastbound up to village of Baie-Sainte-Catherine.

By bus

 * Operates a daily route between Baie-Comeau and Montreal including stops in Forestville, Tadoussac, Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Siméon, La Malbaie, Clermont, Saint-Hilarion, Baie-Saint-Paul, Saint-Tite-des-Caps, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Boischatel, and Quebec City. Trips toward Baie-Comeau start from Quebec City and do not include a stop in Montreal.

By boat
Baie-Sainte-Catherine is at the confluence of the Saint-Laurent and Saguenay rivers and is accessible seasonally by pleasure boat.



Buy

 * Food/alcohol