Quebec tourists ‘invade’ beaches

MONTREAL • Quebec’s annual two- week construction holiday is in full swing, and with many Quebecers staying closer to home this summer because of COVID-19, towns in the Gaspé region are seeing an influx of tourists drawn to the charming seaside landscapes.

But the mayor of Gaspé, a popular tourist destination on the peninsula’s eastern coast, is concerned some visitors are camping anywhere they find space, harming the environment and upsetting locals.

“We’re seeing a lot of tents on public beaches, in forests, on private land without the approval of the owners of that land,” Mayor Daniel Côté said.

Côté said he had high hopes tourists would come to the Gaspé this summer despite the pandemic. Authorities had closed off the region to outsiders earlier this year.

But Côté said he was caught off guard by the number of tourists who arrived without hotel or camping reservations. “People invaded public beaches and decided that that’s where they would set up camp,” he said.

A series of photos posted on Facebook Wednesday showed tents and camping chairs lined up along a beach, as well as empty beer cans and other garbage littering the sand. The Canadian Press could not independently verify the photos, which purportedly were taken at Haldimand Beach in Gaspé.

Côté said public beaches are under provincial authority, so the municipality has limited means to intervene.

But he said Gaspé intends to hire people to patrol busy public areas and inform visitors of the rules, which include a ban on driving vehicles on public beaches and to safely dispose trash.

The town is also working with Quebec provincial police and the nearby Mi’kmaq Nation of Gespeg to protect the area, Côté added. “As a municipality we don’t have coercive power to force people to leave the areas … so we’re going to go with raising awareness.”

Officials with the Mi’kmaq Nation of Gespeg said in a statement that unregulated camping in the area had gotten “out of control” and was negatively affecting local wildlife and ecosystems.

“On the beaches, washed up wood, which is important for slowing erosion, is being burned without knowledge of its consequences,” the statement reads. “Migratory birds are being disturbed on their nesting grounds. We cannot even keep track of the amount of waste that litters the waters, the beaches, the parking lots, and rest areas.”

The regional public health authority launched an awareness campaign this month to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19 in the Gaspé region amid the wave of tourists.

Small teams are being deployed to make sure people are respecting public health guidelines, explained Clémence Beaulieu Gendron, a spokeswoman for CISSS de la Gaspésie. She said several local mayors have asked the public health teams to come to their towns.

So far, a team of four outreach workers is working in the area of Sainte-anne-des-Monts, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, while others have been sent to Gaspé, Percé and Carleton-sur-mer.

“They’re not police. It’s important to say that,” Beaulieu Gendron said about the workers. “It’s really to raise awareness to avoid a second wave, or in any case, to decrease the risk of spreading the virus in the region during summer vacation.”