Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve

The Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve is a Quebec Wildlife Reserve located in the administrative regions of the Mauricie and Lanaudière, Quebec, in Canada. Like all wildlife reserves, this area is dedicated to the conservation, development and use of wildlife as well as recreational activities. It is however not considered a protected area, because forest and mining activities are being allowed. The reserve is managed by Sépaq which offers camping and equipment rentals.

Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve
Lac Saint-Bernard
LocationMaskinongé Regional County Municipality, Matawinie and D'Autray, Quebec, Canada
Nearest cityJoliette
Coordinates46°40′00″N 73°30′00″W
Area1,556.8 square kilometres (601.1 sq mi)[1]
Created1971
AdministratorSépaq
WebsiteOfficial Site

Toponymy

The name of the is derived from the Mastigouche Hunting and Fishing club, which was established in 1881. The name comes from the Atikamekw or the Algonquin (language) and mean "where the woods are small".[2]

Geography

The reserve is located 95 km northwest of Trois-Rivières and 145 km northeast of Montreal, Quebec. It can be accessed via Saint-Alexis-des-Monts in Mauricie or Saint-Zénon and Mandeville, in Lanaudière.

The reserve includes the Marie-Jean-Eudes Ecological Reserve and the proposed biodiversity reserve of the Lower Collines-du-Lac-au-Sorcerer. It also shares boundaries with the La Mauricie National Park to the east, to the ZEC du Chapeau-de-Paille to the north and ZEC des Nymphes to the west.

Fishing

According to Sépaq, the reserve has 18 fishing lakes containing bass, northern pike, walleye, musky, landlocked salmon, lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and arctic char.[3]

History

The first private hunting club concession in Mastigouche was to Elizabeth Copeland Berthier in 1881. Two otherlarge clubs were later created in the territory which were the Saint-Bernard Club and the Commodore. These clubs were, however, reserved for wealthy American visitors.[4]

In 1971, the Quebec government decided to democratize access to hunting and fishing. It terminated the leases of private hunting and fishing clubs and grouped them to create the reserve under the name "Mastigouche Park". In 1979, it took its present name "Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve".[4]

References
  1. "Wildlife Reserves". Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
  2. "Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve". Bank of place names in Quebec. Commission de toponymie du Québec (Geographical Names Board of Quebec). Retrieved June 28, 2010.
  3. "SÉPAQ Website (Société des établissements de plein air du Québec)". Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  4. "SÉPAQ Website(Société des établissements de plein air du Québec)". Retrieved June 28, 2010.
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