Max. 22 °C

Sustainable Tourism

Mindful of the need to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the archipelago, the Madelinot community has taken its tourist industry in hand to ensure that it conforms with the principles of sustainable tourism. In 2006, after a discussion meeting designed to pinpoint the impact of tourism on the environment and to identify the issues involved in its continued growth, the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and its socio-economic partners established an overall policy for tourism development. The commitments and means to be employed under this policy are based on four fundamental principles:

The economic, social and cultural impact of the development of tourism must be beneficial to the community as a whole and must contribute to an improved quality of life for Island residents;
Tourism development must help promote and also preserve the diversity and unique aspects of our physical environment;
Tourism development must provide opportunities to showcase and also to preserve the regional identity and culture, and the maritime, insular lifestyle that are the heritage of all Madelinots;
Tourism development must be a complement to other economic activities on the Islands, specifically those activities related to the exploitation of natural resources on land and in the sea.

Visit the Municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine website to learn more about the overall policy governing tourism development.

The dune protects the islands

Shaped by the wind and the waves, dunes are a defence that protect the inlands from flooding. Our dunes are held in place by the Short-liguled Ammophila (beach grass), which allows sand accumulation. Motorized and repeat foot traffic crushes and kills vegetation. The wind then creates dune scarps that make the dune all the more fragile.

To keep the dunes healthy, please use the provided access paths and infrastructure and avoid using motorized vehicles in natural settings. Our dunes are a unique habitat for many bird and plant species, amongst which 15 are endangered. They also offer nesting sites and migration stopover for about 50 000 migratory birds.

To keep the dunes alive, please keep dogs on a leash and respect birds' nesting and feeding sites by watching them from a distance.

Wetlands : indispensable jewels

Marshes, swamps, bogs and fens are indispensable. Productive habitats, they serve as food safe, shelter and nursery for avian fauna and for various fish species. Due to the absence of lakes and rivers on the archipelago, wetlands contribute significantly to the provision of drinking water, as well as to the filtration of bacteria and toxic matters in suspension.

They also provide numerous benefits to residents and visitors by providing habitats that allow recreational hunting and fishing, clam and berry harvesting, as well as wind and water sports. We all have the power to practice our activities without compromising the health of these precious miniature factories that work for us, and for free !

Simple ways of making a difference for the Islands' environment

Les Îles de la Madeleine are drawing their drinking water from the underground water table. This reserve is not an inexhaustible resource. As water is essential for living, let's preserve it! To find out more about drinking water management, visit the Municipalité des Îles website (French only).

Sorting of waste is now part of the every day life of the Madelinots. Thus, everywhere, you will find a green bin to dispose your recycled waste, a brown one for your compost waste and a black one for your waste. Sorting, it's easy, especially when one has the tools. Thank you for taking part in this collective effort! You can find out more about waste management in the archipelago (French only).