Baie-Comeau, Québec is the hometown of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. It is a small town located approximately 420 kilometers north-east of Quebec City in the province of Québec, Canada. Its population was of 23,079 at the 2001 census. It is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and of the Manicouagan River , which is home to several hydroelectric dams. The most important Manicouagan hydroelectric dam is Manic 5 located about 215 kilometers north of Baie-Comeau. Those dams are owned by Hydro-Québec and they create the Manicouagan Reservoir.
The town was named after Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau , a local naturalist and was founded in 1936 by Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The region is a major center of lumbering for the pulp and paper industry.
In June 1982, Baie-Comeau was merged with the small town of Hauterive located about 6 kilometers west of Baie-Comeau. The eastern sector of Baie-Comeau is now known as Marquette, while the western sector of Baie-Comeau is entitled Mingan.
