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Baie-Saint-Paul

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Overview

Baie-Saint-Paul is the cultural, economic, and administrative centre of the Charlevoix region of Quebec. It is known for its art galleries, shops, restaurants, accommodation and its offer of recreational tourism activiti

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia1,123 words

WBP editorial3

A canvas for the senses

Beyond the well‑trodden streets, Baie‑Saint‑Paul offers a living gallery of colour and form. Early morning light glints off the river’s mist, turning the harbour into a mirror for the surrounding mountains. Artists, many of whom set up studios in repurposed barns, take advantage of the ever‑changing palette, often hosting informal sketch‑sessions on the dockside. If you linger at the local bakeries, the scent of freshly‑baked pain au‑levain mingles with the faint aroma of pine from the nearby forest, rendering each bite a miniature sensory journey. This interplay of natural light, craft, and culinary tradition makes the town feel more like an ongoing exhibition than a static destination.

Seasonal rhythms for a quieter stay

Visiting in late autumn, when the maple leaves turn fiery and the tourist flow eases, reveals a different side of Baie‑Saint‑Paul. The annual harvest festival, though modest, showcases regional cheeses, cider and the first frosts on the countryside. In winter, the surrounding hills are dusted with snow, and the town’s low‑key charm is amplified by the glow of street lamps on quiet streets. This period also opens up the nearby ski hills without the long queues of peak season, allowing a relaxed descent into the landscape that many guidebooks overlook.

More in cities0

While the main highways connect Baie‑Saint‑Paul to larger centres, the real connectivity lies in its network of trails. The river’s mouth provides access to a series of boardwalks that meander through tidal wetlands, offering glimpses of migratory birds and quiet spots for contemplation. On foot, the old mill paths ascend gently into the Charlevoix hills, where you can pause at family‑run farms that still practice traditional dairy methods. These routes are favoured by cyclists and hikers seeking a pace that respects the town’s rhythm rather than racing past it.

Introduction

Not to be confused with St. Paul's Bay. City in Quebec, CanadaBaie-Saint-PaulCity Coat of armsLocation within Charlevoix RCMBaie-St-PaulLocation in central QuebecCoordinates: 47°27′N 70°30′W / 47.450°N 70.500°W / 47.450; -70.500Country CanadaProvince QuebecRegionCapitale-NationaleRCMCharlevoixConstitutedJanuary 3, 1996Government • MayorMichaël Pilote • Federal ridingMontmorency—Charlevoix • Prov. ridingCharlevoix–Côte-de-BeaupréArea • Total564.36 km2 (217.90 sq mi) • Land545.85 km2 (210.75 sq mi) • Urban4.03 km2 (1.56 sq mi)Population (2021) • Total7,371 • Density13.5/km2 (35/sq mi) • Urban4,308 • Urban density1,069.5/km2 (2,770/sq mi) • Pop (2016-21) 3.1% • Dwellings3,782Time zoneUTC−5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)Postal code(s)G3ZArea codes418 and 581Highways R-138 R-362 R-381Websitewww.baiesaintpaul.com Baie-Saint-Paul (French pronunciation: [bɛ sɛ̃ pɔl]; 2021 Population 7,371; UA population 4,308) is a city in the Province of Quebec, Canada, on the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River. Baie-Saint-Paul is the seat of Charlevoix Regional County Municipality. The city is situated at the mouth of the Gouffre River. The place gained some prominence in the 1770s when Doctor Philippe-Louis-François Badelard named a disease he was researching the "Baie-Saint-Paul maladie". This illness was the subject of one of the first medical publications done in Lower Canada. It is also where Cirque du Soleil originated back in the early 1980s and the location of the first show using the name Cirque du Soleil during "La Fete Foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul" in 1984.

History

[edit] The bay was first called Baie de l'Ilet on a map by Pierre Desceliers circa 1550, then Baie du Gouffre by Samuel de Champlain in 1632, referring to a whirlpool at the mouth of the Gouffre River at the St. Lawrence. By 1641, the name Baie Saint Paul came in use, and this name appeared in the report of Pierre Boucher to the King of France about the great earthquake of 1663. The current area of the city was divided between the seigneuries of Côte-de-Beaupré (to the west of the Gouffre River), granted in 1636, and Rivière-du-Gouffre (to the east of the Gouffre River), granted to Pierre Dupré in 1682. Around 1650, the first settlers arrived, making the area one of the first in New France to be colonized. In 1681, the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul parish was founded, but its canonical erection dates from September 21, 1715. A visitor in the early 1800s noticed mineral springs and mineral resources in the area. In 1845, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de la Baie-Saint-Paul was created, but dissolved two years later. It was reestablished in 1855 (its name shortened to Baie-Saint-Paul in 1964). On March 25, 1893, the village itself separated from the parish municipality to form the Village Municipality of Baie Saint-Paul, which changed status to ville in 1913, reverted back to village status in 1922, but regained city status in 1961. In 1921, the parish municipality lost more territory when the newly-founded Municipality of Rivière-du-Gouffre was split off. On January 3, 1996, the Parish Municipality and the City of Baie-Saint-Paul, along with the Municipality of Rivière-du-Gouffre, were joined again into the new City of Baie-Saint-Paul.

Geography

[edit] The town is situated in the wide and deep valley of the Gouffre River, surrounded by the high peaks of Cap aux Corbeaux, Cap aux Rets, Cran Suzette, and Hospice. Its landscape is characterized by sandbanks, striated mountain slopes, waterfalls, streams, fertile meadows, and sandy terraces. In addition to the main namesake population centre, the city also contains the hamlets of Saint-Placide-de-Charlevoix (47°24′32″N 70°37′33″W / 47.40889°N 70.62583°W / 47.40889; -70.62583), Saint-Placide-Nord (47°27′48″N 70°35′33″W / 47.46333°N 70.59250°W / 47.46333; -70.59250), and La Mare (47°28′49″N 70°31′42″W / 47.48028°N 70.52833°W / 47.48028; -70.52833). Climate[edit] Baie-Saint Paul has a humid continental climate with vast seasonal differences. Summers are mild and moderated by its proximity to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. In winter, interior Canada influences the climate with frequent cold waves. Climate data for Baie-Saint-Paul Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 11.0(51.8) 12.0(53.6) 16.0(60.8) 30.0(86.0) 35.5(95.9) 33.9(93.0) 35.6(96.1) 34.0(93.2) 33.0(91.4) 25.0(77.0) 18.5(65.3) 13.5(56.3) 35.6(96.1) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −6.9(19.6) −4.5(23.9) 0.7(33.3) 7.4(45.3) 15.6(60.1) 21.2(70.2) 23.9(75.0) 22.5(72.5) 17.3(63.1) 10.8(51.4) 3.5(38.3) −3.8(25.2) 9.0(48.2) Daily mean °C (°F) −12.5(9.5) −10.2(13.6) −4.4(24.1) 2.9(37.2) 10.1(50.2) 15.6(60.1) 18.5(65.3) 17.1(62.8) 12.2(54.0) 6.3(43.3) −0.5(31.1) −8.7(16.3) 3.9(39.0) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −18.2(−0.8) −16(3) −9.5(14.9) −1.6(29.1) 4.5(40.1) 10.0(50.0) 12.9(55.2) 11.7(53.1) 7.1(44.8) 1.8(35.2) −4.4(24.1) −13.5(7.7) −1.3(29.7) Record low °C (°F) −36(−33) −34.4(−29.9) −32(−26) −18(0) −6.7(19.9) −0.5(31.1) 2.8(37.0) 0.5(32.9) −5(23) −9(16) −23.9(−11.0) −33(−27) −36(−33) Average precipitation mm (inches) 74.1(2.92) 63.0(2.48) 83.5(3.29) 94.6(3.72) 95.5(3.76) 94.7(3.73) 86.3(3.40) 85.9(3.38) 83.4(3.28) 80.3(3.16) 79.1(3.11) 78.8(3.10) 999.3(39.34) Average rainfall mm (inches) 14.0(0.55) 12.7(0.50) 39.2(1.54) 76.1(3.00) 95.0(3.74) 94.7(3.73) 86.3(3.40) 85.9(3.38) 83.4(3.28) 78.5(3.09) 53.0(2.09) 9.4(0.37) 728.0(28.66) Average snowfall cm (inches) 60.2(23.7) 50.4(19.8) 44.3(17.4) 17.1(6.7) 0.5(0.2) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 1.7(0.7) 26.1(10.3) 69.4(27.3) 269.8(106.2) Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 9.7 7.1 9.4 10.3 11.7 12.5 13.1 13.3 11.1 10.9 9.6 10.5 129.3 Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 1.5 1.0 4.1 8.9 11.7 12.5 13.1 13.3 11.1 10.7 6.3 1.9 96.2 Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 8.9 6.3 6.3 2.6 0.07 0 0 0 0 0.41 3.9 9.4 37.8 Source: Environment Canada

Demographics

[edit] Saint-Jean-Baptiste street In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Baie-Saint-Paul had a population of 7,371 living in 3,427 of its 3,782 total private dwellings, a change of 3.1% from its 2016 population of 7,146. With a land area of 545.85 km2 (210.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 13.5/km2 (35.0/sq mi) in 2021. Historical census populations – Baie-Saint-PaulYearPop.±% 1901 1,408—     1911 1,857+31.9% 1921 2,291+23.4% 1931 2,916+27.3% 1941 3,500+20.0% 1951 3,716+6.2% 1956 4,052+9.0%YearPop.±% 1961 4,674+15.4% 1966 4,702+0.6% 1971 4,163−11.5% 1976 4,066−2.3% 1981 3,961−2.6% 1986 3,925−0.9% 1991 3,733−4.9%YearPop.±% 1996 7,379+97.7% 2001 7,290−1.2% 2006 7,288−0.0% 2011 7,332+0.6% 2016 7,146−2.5% 2021 7,371+3.1%Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes, or merger in 1996.Source: Statistics Canada Mother tongue (2021): English as first language: 0.6% French as first language: 97.2% English and French as first language: 0.5% Other as first language: 1.5% Historical census populations – Baie-Saint-Paul Parish (1855–1995)YearPop.±% 1871 3,623—     1881 3,794+4.7% 1891 3,760−0.9% 1901 2,519−33.0% 1911 2,305−8.5% 1921 2,220−3.7%YearPop.±% 1931 1,264−43.1% 1941 1,347+6.6% 1951 1,448+7.5% 1956 1,646+13.7% 1961 1,268−23.0% 1966 1,341+5.8%YearPop.±% 1971 1,576+17.5% 1976 1,813+15.0% 1981 2,029+11.9% 1986 2,139+5.4% 1991 2,297+7.4%Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.Source: Statistics Canada Historical census populations – Rivière-du-Gouffre Municipality (1921–1995)YearPop.±% 1931 667—     1941 693+3.9% 1951 727+4.9% 1956 720−1.0%YearPop.±% 1961 658−8.6% 1966 631−4.1% 1971 684+8.4% 1976 834+21.9%YearPop.±% 1981 1,222+46.5% 1986 1,230+0.7% 1991 1,305+6.1%Source: Statistics Canada

Local government

[edit] List of former mayors of former City of Baie-Saint-Paul (1893-1995): Arsène-Hidalla Simard (1893–1897) Pierre D'Auteil (1897–1901) Eugène Guillemette (1901–1903) J. Onézime Paré (1903–1904, 1919–1921) Michel Tremblay (1904–1905) Émile Gagnon (1905–1913) Médéric Tremblay (1913–1915, 1920–1921) François Boivin (1915–1917) Joseph Gariépy (1917–1920) Euloge Tremblay (1921–1933) François-Xavier Gariépy (1933–1935) J.-Émile Boivin (1935–1939, 1941–1943) J.-Étienne Desgagné (1939–1940) Joseph Girard (1940–1941, 1949–1951, 1955–1959) Henri Tremblay (1943–1949) Charles-Édouard Tremblay (1951–1955, 1959–1962) Philippe Harvey (1962–1965, 1970–1972) Jean-René Gaudreault (1965–1967) Edmour Simard (1967–1970) Philippe Desgagné (1972–1974) Désiré Ménard (1974–1978) Roland Bouchard (1978–1982) Augustin Côté (1982–1986) Jacinthe Blackburn Simard (1986–1995) List of former mayors of current City of Baie-Saint-Paul: Jacinthe Blackburn Simard (1996–1999) Jean Fortin (1999–2021) Michaël Pilote (2021–present)

Baie-Saint-Paul

A canvas for the senses

Seasonal rhythms for a quieter stay

Local pathways, not just roadways