Rivière-Saint-Jean

Rivière-Saint-Jean is a welcoming riverside municipality of Minganie, on the North Shore of the Saint-Lawrence River, in Quebec. It is on the route des Baleines (route 138) which runs along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf.

This picturesque locality is coveted for simply getting away from it all and enjoying nature along Route 138, between Sept-Îles and Havre-Saint-Pierre. The main attractions of Rivière-Saint-Jean are:
 * Magpie Bay, offering a safe haven for navigation, particularly in the Vieux Quai cove at the mouth of the Magpie River and the barachois of the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River. At low tide, the sandstone is revealed over approximately 620 m from the end of the bank (east bank of the Saint-Jean River) which largely bars the confluence of this river with the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In addition, the Cayes of the Magpie River protect the coast from strong waves. The Seal Strike which extends from the Magpie River to the Saint-Jean River allows you to observe several species of marine animals, such as seals, taking a break there;
 * the barachois of the Saint-Jean River where the municipal wharf has been built, as well as a launching ramp; visitors can obtain seafood products according to the arrivals of fishermen;
 * the villages of Magpie and Rivière-Saint-Jean, each of which has a sympathetic character with an architecture reflecting the maritime, forestry and passenger services history of Route 138;
 * its backcountry offering a larger-than-life paradise for recreational tourism activities (hunting, trapping, fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, vacationing, observation of flora, fauna (especially with autonomous cameras) and landscapes, as well as snowshoeing);
 * the valleys of the Magpie River, the Jupitagon River, and the Saint-Jean River;
 * nautical activities on the Gulf of St. Lawrence: boating, kayaking, and paddle boarding.

Understand
This municipality has two villages: the main village of Rivière-Saint-Jean (at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River) and the hamlet Magpie (opposite Magpie Bay and on the west side of the mouth of the Magpie River). These villages face the western end of Anticosti Island, the shortest distance of which is 38.3 km, at the height of Pointe à Robin, at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River, versus Pointe Wakerham on Anticosti Island. Rivière-Saint-Jean is made up of the townships of Fornel and Rocamadour.

Rue des Forestiers (perpendicular to Route 138) allows you to go north for recreational tourism activities in the forest (hunting, fishing, vacationing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, observation of flora, fauna and landscapes).

History
The first inhabitants of the village of Rivière-Saint-Jean were fishermen from Gaspésie; they settled there towards the end of the 19th century, at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River, the same period as Jersey companies. The village was gradually built up thanks to the construction of a church from 1895-96.

By car
From Québec City, Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, take Route 138 east; it goes directly to Rivière-Saint-Jean. From Quebec, it is about a 9-hr-23-min drive.

– From Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, take route 172 east to its intersection with route 138 near of Tadoussac. Continue on Route 138 east to Rivière-Saint-Jean. From Saguenay City, it is about a 7-hr-54-min drive.

Get around
Route 138 (east-west direction) along the north shore of the river and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is the main artery in the territory of Rivière-Saint-Jean.

Languages
97.7% of the residents are French-speaking, while 2.3% are English-speaking (2016).

Recreational vehicles
There is a dump station for recreational vehicles on Rue du Ruisseau.

Connect
There is no cellular network in Rivière-au-Tonnerre. Nevertheless, since 2021, the municipality has set up three Wi-fi access zones: in Sheldrake (in the middle of the village), near the Saint-Hyppolite church and at the seaport. There is a telephone booth in front of the general store.