[1] The Belles Amours harbor is an inlet that stretches inland for more than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi), and has provided a sheltered anchorage for fishermen since the 16th century.

[2] The harbor was called "Beaulsanim" by the Basque captain Martin de Hoyarçabal in his Voyages Avantureux (1579).

Others think it comes from the French word balsamine (balsam), a plant, or which several varieties grow wild in the region.

[4] The Brador Hills, so named by Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield on his 1843 map, stretch from east to west for about 40 kilometres (25 mi) between Belles Amours River and the Newfoundland border.

[5] The river basin include part of the proposed Basses Collines du Lac Guernesé Biodiversity Reserve.