French first, always
On the Côte-Nord, as everywhere in Quebec, your customers search and think in French. So your site has to be flawless in French first. Bill 96 has also strengthened the requirements around French in commercial communications in Quebec, so making French the main language isn't just logical, it's good practice.
English opens doors
Tourists, people from outside the province and English-speaking customers often search in English. A clean English version makes you accessible and credible to them. For an outfitter, an inn or a tourism business, it can make a real difference to the season.
Done right, it's not just translated
A good bilingual site isn't a button that swaps the language over the same text. Each language should have its own pages, genuinely written, at their own address. That's how Google understands that you have a French version and an English version, and shows the right one to the right person.
What it changes for getting found
Done correctly, your French version ranks for French searches and your English version ranks for English searches. You reach two audiences instead of one, without diluting either. Done badly, the opposite happens: Google often indexes only one, and you lose half your audience without knowing it.