Just 20 kilometers from the Canadian coast of Newfoundland but 4,300 from Paris, the small archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French possession with unique peculiarities. It is not a rarity that France still has, in the 21st century, some colonies spread across the globe. But the two small islands have a special status, called Overseas Collective, which is only held by another very remote group of atolls, Wallis and Futuna, located in the Pacific Ocean.
This legal qualification prevents Saint Pierre and Miquelon, even though they are part of the French Republic, from being considered part of the European Union. You just have to look closely at any euro bill: territories such as Guyana or some Caribbean islands appear, but not that portion of the Atlantic.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon were left out of the independence of Canada. Between 1534 and 1763, the so-called New France occupied an important part of North American territory. Today, the cultural legacy is that Quebec is culturally and linguistically Gallic but belongs to Ottawa. Instead, the two whaling islands remained in the hands of Paris.
Indeed, these two islands of only 242 square kilometers were originally a base for whaling ships that set out to hunt in Newfoundland waters starting in the 16th century. It was an important base for Basque boats, and that’s where the name Miquelon comes from, a loving adaptation of the name Mikel used in the French Basque Country. So great was the mark of the Basque people on that Atlantic coast that the flag of the archipelago itself, in addition to a sailboat and the convenient sea waves, includes an ikurriña, the Basque flag.
In nearby Newfoundland – also very frequented by Basque whalers – place names such as Channel-Port aux Basques persist at the southwestern end of the island. Still, every summer, a competition-exhibition of Basque rural sports is held in Miquelon, including some ball games.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon still lives mainly from fishing. The tourism that comes to them is scarce. And communications have improved, since until a few years ago only a ferry leaving from Fortune kept them linked to Canada. But now the San Pedro airport has summer flights to and from Paris, with the intention of encouraging the arrival of French and Basques in search of their ancestors.
The small network of accommodations on the two islands also often serve as contacts to hire boats that take you to dolphin and whale watching, now that cetaceans are no longer hunted and live peacefully in those cold waters. Ornithologists also have good observation points in the archipelago. A small industry that is thriving is that of Canadians who come in the summer to study French, since the language that has remained has less interference from English than that spoken in Quebec.
Tourists arriving in Saint Pierre and Miquelon have good coastal hiking opportunities and should not fear eating fish practically throughout their stay. Especially cod, which is caught in abundance. French-style cuisine continues to rule the islands’ gastronomy.