Havre-Saint-Pierre (Quebec Canada)

Havre-Saint-Pierre is a port town in Quebec Canada, located in Cote-Nord region, on the northern bank of St Lawrence River, and along Route 138, approx 200 km (120 mi) east of Sept-Iles. The town has population around 4,000. Port Havre-Saint-Pierre is one of all 9 St Lawrence cruise ports of call - together with Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres, Saguenay, Baie-Comeau, Sept-Îles, Gaspe, Montreal and Magdalen Islands.

Port's cruise shipping business started in 2008. The cruising season runs May through October. In 2018, the cruise port reported a record season with handled 10 ship calls and 5931 passengers plus 2790 crew. In 2008-2018, the port received calls from 17 different cruise companies and over 40,000 cruise ship visitors (pax + crew). Maiden callers in 2018 were the luxury liners Seabourn Quest (Seabourn Cruises), Silver Wind and Silver Cloud (Silversea Expeditions), MS Fram (Hurtigruten).

For season 2019 were booked 14 cruise ship calls.

Historically, the town's first inhabitants came from Magdalen Islands (Îles de la Madeleine) in the 19th century. Major geological features close to the town include Romaine River (to the north and west), l'Ile du Havre Island (approx 1 km offshore from the town), les Chutes Manitou (waterfall on Manitou River, to the west) and Anticosti Island (to the south, vissible on clear weather days).

In 1857, a group of families from Magdalen Islands settled on the Esquimaux Point (Eskimo Point). The Parish was officially founded in 1872 when also the post office opened. In 1873 was incorporated the municipality. The city's name was changed from Esquimaux Point to Havre-Saint-Pierre in 1927. This was North Shore's largest town, until 1936 when surpassed by Baie-Comeau.

Tourism a major contributor to the local economy as the town is close to the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. The Park encompasses a large number of isles in the Mingan Archipelago (Gulf of St Lawrence) and is famous for its unique diversity of floral and faunal species (including puffins and the Mingan Thistle), along with rare geological features (monoliths) found on many of its islands.

Havre St Pierre is also a popular vacation travel destination for sea fishing (largely of scallops, lobsters, snow crabs), while trout and salmon can be found in the lakes and rivers.