During a Guides GQ visit to Anticosti in early September, as part of a Minganie tour organized by Voyages CoSte, SÉPAQ Anticosti general manager Éric Harnois welcomed us to his offices in Port-Menier.
Harnois has held the position since 2022; before being appointed to lead Québec’s largest SÉPAQ operation, he spent 12 years as director of Réserve faunique de Mastigouche. He had dreamed of wide-open spaces and found his own ‘Yukon’ in Québec, on Anticosti. 
Éric Harnois, General Manager of SÉPAQ Anticosti
Since December 2021, SÉPAQ Anticosti has operated nearly three-quarters of Anticosti Island, which is now more accessible to the public than ever. High-quality new facilities and additional hunting sectors allow even more hunters to fulfil a lifelong dream: tracking deer on the natural jewel that is Anticosti.
‘We are somewhere completely different, yet we feel at home. It is a truly unique experience.’ LGBTQ+ outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers will be pleased to know they can expect a warm welcome on Anticosti. The guest-services and management teams work to ensure that every visitor and leisure guest enjoys the best possible conditions.
Anticosti is immense!
A few years ago, SÉPAQ Anticosti acquired Safari-Anticosti’s 1,500-square-kilometre territory, expanding its presence alongside Parc national Anticosti and the island’s other outfitting operations. Since arriving, Harnois has seen not only the vastness of his new territory but also the density of a deer herd that, in his view, has weathered recent seasons very well. Anticosti offers 7,943 square kilometres to explore, 16 times the area of the island of Montréal, as well as air service from Montréal aboard a Nolinor Boeing 737 and more than 160 employees in peak season.
‘The landscape changes as you travel deeper into the territory. Chute Vauréal, for example, is stunning in spring when the thaw swells its flow, and there are many deer to observe along the way,’ he says.
Chute Vauréal
Éric Harnois describes a long-term vision for making this environment even more accessible. His priorities are the quality of the welcome and safety everywhere, at all times. Now that Anticosti is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, its standards must also reflect that status. Most of the thousands of hunters, anglers and leisure guests who visit SÉPAQ Anticosti are Quebecers and Canadians, Harnois notes. To better meet their needs, the organization has begun a programme of infrastructure upgrades.
The island also offers leisure accommodation and new chalet packages. New salmon-fishing packages with lodging have been introduced, and the number of vacation chalets has increased. Solar power and other alternative systems are also being installed in some pavilions to reduce the site’s environmental footprint by limiting generator use.
‘We wanted to provide services that meet guests’ expectations,’ explains the director of SÉPAQ Anticosti. ‘Our goal was to act quickly and ensure the long-term durability of our facilities, using materials such as sheet-metal roofing, pine-board interiors and cedar decks. We have invested several million dollars in this work over the past three years, and further improvements remain for the years ahead.’
Across the island in 2024, figures for the preceding season supplied by the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) recorded 8,091 deer: 2,250 females, 4,978 males and 863 fawns. From the 220 white-tailed deer introduced to the island in 1896, the population has grown into the greatest concentration of deer in eastern North America. Isolation from the mainland protects Anticosti deer from disease, while the island’s distinctive geography differentiates them in several respects from their mainland counterparts.
Last year, SÉPAQ Anticosti welcomed 3,837 hunters, 217 more than the year before. By the end of the 2025 season, many hunters had already confirmed for 2026 and several more were on a waiting list. ‘Places remain, but they go quickly. People can still try their luck in the draw, which runs until January 15.’
Anticosti is also a wonderful destination for anglers seeking salmon, anadromous brook trout (sea trout) and native lake-dwelling brook trout (speckled trout), all amid generous and captivating natural surroundings. Each day, anglers can choose, for example, between fly-fishing the pools of rivière La Loutre and fishing for brook trout on Grand lac Long or Petit lac Long.
Exploring Anticosti by Land or Sea
Other leisure options include visiting in July for a Photo Exploration stay with an experienced guide. Guests can capture Anticosti’s wild beauty and exceptional light through a camera or smartphone. ‘It is a unique opportunity to explore the trails of this fascinating island, whose abundant nature awakens every sense. Anticosti is much more than an island of deer,’ Harnois says.
Discovering the spectacular island of Anticosti is becoming increasingly affordable through a range of excursions on land and at sea. Visitors can take a cruise along the coast, choose a picnic at sea or walk through canyon Vauréal with a guide. 
The island’s beauty is breathtaking. We experienced it ourselves.
See the SÉPAQ Anticosti website for full details and to find the package that meets your expectations: sepaq.com/sepaq-anticosti/vacances-ete/
See the Voyages CoSte website as well for packages that explore this national treasure, including Escapade Anticosti and SÉPAQ Anticosti: voyagescoste.ca/tour/escapade-anticosti.
_______________
Photos: SÉPAQ Anticosti and Pierre Perreault