Land for sale in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec

About Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine

The area

This administrative region joins the Gaspé Peninsula with the Magdalen Islands (Îles de la Madeleine) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The peninsula is bounded by the St. Lawrence estuary to the north, the Bas-Saint-Laurent to the west, and Chaleur Bay and New Brunswick to the south. The region had about 89,300 people in 2021, in five MRCs (La Haute-Gaspésie, La Côte-de-Gaspé, Le Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure and Avignon) and the Communauté maritime des Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The largest towns are Gaspé (about 15,100), Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine (about 12,200), Chandler, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Carleton-sur-Mer. At the tip of the peninsula, Forillon National Park covers almost 245 km² of sea cliffs and Appalachian forest.

History

The peninsula is part of Gespe'gewa'gi, "the last land," the seventh and largest district of Mi'gma'gi and the unceded territory of the Mi'gmaq; the Mi'gmaq communities of Listuguj, Gesgapegiag and Gespeg are here. From the 18th century, cod merchants drew Anglo-Norman, Irish, Scottish, French-Canadian and American families to fishing stations along the coast. The sea still matters most: fish and seafood plants make up 34 of the region's 80 food processors, with snow crab and lobster as the signature products.

Services and access

Santé Québec runs emergency departments at the hospitals in Maria, Chandler, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Gaspé, and 24-hour emergency points at the CLSCs in Paspébiac and Grande-Vallée. On the islands, the Hôpital de l'Archipel in Cap-aux-Meules has a 24/7 emergency room. Other services such as obstetrics have closed for short periods for lack of staff; the health authority posts notices. Gaspé's Michel-Pouliot Airport has scheduled flights to Québec City and Montréal on two airlines. The CTMA ferry takes about five hours between Prince Edward Island and the islands.

Land and climate

The provincial agricultural zone covers about 86,000 ha, and only about 31% of it is farmed. The region has about 240 farms; dairy and maple syrup bring in the most farm revenue, and sea salt and berries are among its distinctive products.

Before you buy

Building permits and zoning come from the local municipality, within its MRC's land use plan (schéma d'aménagement); on the islands, the Communauté maritime plays the MRC's role. In the agricultural zone, a house or other non-farm use can need authorization from the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ). Along the coast, the province maps coastal erosion and landslide constraint zones, which must be carried into MRC plans and bring extra limits on building near the shore.

Sources

• Gouvernement du Québec, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine (région 11)
• Statistics Canada, 2021 Census population and dwelling counts (table 98-10-0002)
• MAPAQ, Profil régional de l'industrie bioalimentaire, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine (2023)
• Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat
• Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government
• Parks Canada, Forillon National Park and its cultural history
• Santé Québec Gaspésie, emergency services
• Santé Québec Îles-de-la-Madeleine, services and facilities
• Ville de Gaspé, Michel-Pouliot Airport
• CTMA ferry
• Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec, agricultural zone maps and authorizations
• Ministère de la Sécurité publique, coastal erosion constraint zones

Written by AcreScout from the sources listed; facts checked September 30, 2026. Rules change: confirm anything that matters with the municipality.