Gaspesy

The Gaspésie , or “peninsula of Gaspésie” is the Péninsule south-east of the Quebec located at the east of the Vallée of Matapédia, and surrounded of water of the Fleuve St-Laurent in north, Golfe St-Laurent in the east and Baie of Heats in the south. The name of Gaspésie is a derivative of the word Gaspé, Micmac Gespeg which means “fine grounds”.

Gaspésie is the cradle of the Canada at the time of the unloading of Jacques Cartier in the Baie of Gaspé in 1534. A few two hundred years later, the Battle of Ristigouche in 1760, at the bottom of the Bay of Heats, seals the fate of the News-France at the time of the last naval battle, for the conquest of the new world, between the two colonial great powers of the time: the France and the England.

In turn land of welcome for the Intrigues, Acadie NS, Loyal supporters, the fishermen Basque, Breton, Jersey, the emigrants Irish, Scottish, Belgian and the migrations of Canadian-French, Gaspésie preserves of it the mark still today as well by its evocative toponyms as by the various picturesque accents which follow one another of one village the other.

Geography

The surface of Gaspésie is of 30.341 km ², and its population reaches the 100 roughly; 000 inhabitants. The peninsula is bordered in north by the estuary of the the St. Lawrence, in the south by the Baie of Heats and in the east by the Golfe of the St. Lawrence. It includes the whole of Gaspésie administrative (Gaspésie-Island-of-the-Madeleine) and part of the administrative area of the Low-Saint-Laurent. This article will deal with tourist Gaspésie.

This area begins with Holy-Flavie, where road 132 separates into two to form an itinerant loop of approximately 885 km. It is at this precise point that it is necessary to choose between the route of the south and that of north.

This vast territory is divided into five natural areas: the Coast (left is MRC of Mitis and MRC of the area of Matane), the Highone, the Point (Coast-of-Gaspé and Rock-Bored the), Bay-of-Heats and the Valley of the Matapédia.

Areas of Gaspésie

Gaspésie consists of five natural areas. In north, bordered by the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, Gaspésie includes/understands the Coast, the Highone and part of the Point. In the south, bordered by the Bay of Heats, one finds part of the Point, Bay-of-Heats and the Valley of Matapédia. The coast located at north is much more abrupt than that of the south what supported the human occupation and its activities in the south of Gaspésie.

The Coast

The Coast is held Holy-Flavie with Méchins along the estuary of the the St. Lawrence by following immense curve. Matane is more the big city of this area which has an average altitude of 160 Mr. Three rivers are thrown in the St. Lawrence and cross the landscape perpendicularly: the rivers Mitis, Matane and Cape-Cat. These rivers are famous for fishing with the Saumon. The landscape is mainly composed of hills worked by the Agriculture and of more or less wooded sectors. Towards Méchins, the relief becomes more abrupt. The local population saw agriculture in summer and exploitation of the Bois in winter. The town of Matane gathers the major part of the population of this area.

The Highone

The Highone extends along the St. Lawrence gulf from the town of Cape-Cat at the village from Large-Valley while passing by Holy-Anne-of-Mounts. It includes the National park of Gaspésie on part of the Mounts Knack-Shocks.

The landscape consists of Falaise S and Montagne S which marks the end of the chain of the the Appalachian Mountains. Road 132 fact of many laces wedged between the littoral and cliffs. Many valleys were formed with the mouth of the rivers. They are often the place of the sites of many villages of fishermen, because with the shelter of the wind and the waves. More in the grounds, the mounts reach 1.300 m height.

The Point

It is the extreme part of Gaspésie going of Large-Valley to Port-Daniel and bathing in the Golfe of the St. Lawrence. One it affuble often of the one of the most beautiful places of Gaspésie. The landscape is less abrupt and more cut out coast of courses and handles. More in the south, the landscape is made up large bays like bay of Gaspé, the bay of Malbaie and that of Handle-with-Beaufils. It includes the National park Forillon which is the extreme point of this area. The principal saving in this area is the fishing and the marketing of fish. The town of River-with-Fox is the capital with its important fishing port. The point of Saint-Pierre was one of the most important sites of fishing and represents the point more in the east of Gaspésie.

The Rocher Bored is an important tourist place of the Point with its particular landscape. The village of Percé is attended the most besides of Gaspésie. The point finishes in the town of Port-Daniel located at the edge of the Baie of Heats.

Bay-of-Heats

Its name comes from bay and its moderate water close to 20°C which inspired Jacques Cartier on his arrival in the area. In this area a microclimate reigns there which contrasts with the cold of the northern part of Gaspésie. It includes the National park of Miguasha which protects the site containing from many Fossile S of plants and animals.

The Valley of Matapédia

Sometimes named simply “the Valley”, it is the part in the west of Gaspésie and the only one not to have access to the sea. The forest recovers most of the area. Fishing with the Saumon is a popular leisure in the many rivers of the valley. The river is stopped by two big lakes of glacial origin: the lake Matapédia and the lake with Salmon.

Road 132

It makes it possible to make the full rotation of Gaspésie and to reach all the tourist attractions of the area. It was completed in 1929 after a decision of Joseph-Léonide Perron, Minister for the roadway system. Road 132 bore in its honor the name of Perron boulevard, because it made it possible to disenclose the area and all the villages which constitute it and which were accessible only by the sea or chaotic ways. This road also made it possible to support tourism with the construction of tourist infrastructures.

Road 132 circumvents Gaspésie while following the coasts and by connecting the cities and villages of North and the South. It crosses the five natural areas of Gaspésie. Another road, road 299 makes it possible to reach in the middle of Gaspésie and in the more high summits of the southernmost Quebec.

Geology

The landscape was formed by the appearance of the chain of the the Appalachian Mountains which upset is North America there is one half-milliard of years. The chain extends from the Alabama until Newfoundland on 2 500 km. The northern part of Gaspésie appeared during orogenesis taconienne at the same time as the Faille of Logan which separates the Canadian shield from the Appalachian Mountains in the St. Lawrence. The Mounts Knack-Shocks were formed during this rising. The south of Gaspésie was formed later during acadian orogenesis there are 390 million years and that of the south-eastern St. Lawrence. The first area is made up of the basins slopes of Madawaska, Matapédia, the News and Cascapédia. The second gathers the basins slopes of Bécancour, Boyer, the Boiler, the South, Etchemin, the Wolf, Mitis, Matane, Holy-Anne, of York, of Rimouski, Kamouraska and Fouquette.

In the northern part of Gaspésie escarpée, the rivers are short and are thrown in the Golfe of the St. Lawrence like the rivers Cape-Cat, Saint-Anne and Madeleine. In the south, the rivers are longer, calmer and are thrown in bay of Heats. The Large-Cascapédia river is longest and measures 58 kilometers.

The largest basins slopes are those of the rivers Ristigouche, Matapédia, Bonaventure and Cascapédia. The principal lakes of the area are those of Seven Islands, Cascapédia, Holy-Anne and York and all are mainly used for the fishing, the Villégiature and the activities récréo-tourist.

This hydrographic network was used formerly for the transport of the Bois to the mouths of the rivers on which were pulp mills. The mouths were also places of refuge for the boats and sites privileged for the villages of fishermen. Today, this network whose water quality is irreproachable makes it possible to support the development of watery fauna but also to maintain the fishing of leisure to the Saumon.

Climate

The climate of Gaspésie is very heterogeneous because of its contrasted reliefs and landscapes. He is regarded in way boreal general as . However, the temperatures are more important on the seaside than on the relief and precipitations of Pluie and more important Neige contrary to the temperatures in altitudes, on the tops of the chain of the the Appalachian Mountains.

The climate is more rigorous than the remainder of Quebec because of influence of the Golfe of the St. Lawrence. The average temperatures with Cape-Cat are of 3,3°C and precipitations of 1000 mm/an. On the contrary, in top of the Mount Jacques-Cartier, the temperature goes down to -3,6°C and the Pergélisol can reach the 60 m of depth. The climate is known as subartic, even alpine in top of the tops. The Wind and the Brouillard are also climatic parameters very present. The wind farm of Cape-Cat attests presence of a regular and permanent wind.

One observes, in addition to the differences in altitudes, a western difference/is climate. The point is touched much by the bad weather with 1 400 mm/an that extreme west with 900 mm/an. In the same way, a NORTH-SOUTH difference is characterized by higher temperatures in the south in Bay of Heats (19°C) against (17°C) on the edges of the the St. Lawrence.

History

First men

The oldest traces of human occupation of the Québécois territory find on the archeological site of the Marten on the northern coast of Gaspésie. This area has an important concentration of sites paléo-Indians going back to approximately 9 000 years before today. This population is characterized by its culture known as plano . This name comes from the techniques of manufacture of the points of lances used to drive out. These first men were nomads which moved with the herds of Bison S or Renne S that they drove out. Traces of the Amerindian S are discovered with the 7.000 year old Marten to 2.000 years before today. Then, these people modified their modes of displacement by exploiting much more the natural resources. They gradually built Territoire S made up of villages.

At the 16th century, Gaspésie is separate into two. In north, the Iroquois have all the valley of the the St. Lawrence, while in the south, the Micmac S hold the Baie of Heats. The two people practice the fishing with the Maquereau X and the Phoque S at sea, and with the Saumon S in the grounds. But, in 1570, the iroquois leave the territory because of territorial conflicts with the Intrigues. The latter thus take the control of all Gaspésie. They are large fishermen and exploit all the marine resources: seal, Morse, molluscs, shellfish and of many fish.

French occupation then English

At the 16th century, the occupation of the grounds in Gaspésie by Europeans is not permanent. Only the coasts and the sea are occupied in a seasonal way by the fishermen. But, as from the 17th century, fishing with the Morue becomes prevalent and the fishermen install with ground of the installations of drying and treatment of cod before sending it in Europe. In 1676, Pierre Denys of the Round establishes in Gaspésie the first permanent station of fishing. Colonization by Europeans is thus justified by fishing. At that time, various Seigneurie S is held by some owners of fishing. The majority of the cities like Port-Daniel, Matane, Gaspé are founded because of rise of the economy generated by fishing. The seigniory of Pabos is the most important station of fishing in 1750.

But the area is disturbed by the ceaseless conflicts between the France and the England. The warships are permanently in water of Gaspésie and the gulf of the St. Lawrence, preventing the work of the fishermen and the commercial exchanges. Periods of calm and chaos follow one another in the colonies of Gaspésie. In 1756, the England declares the war in France sounding the beginning of the Guerre Seven Year old during which France loses the News-France.

The opening of Gaspésie

At the 18th century and 19th century, Gaspésie saw primarily fishing and of its parallel activities. Its maritime activity is managed by Europeans and in particular theNorman ones of the island of Jersey which assembles true companies of fishing. The Bateau is the only means of communication what causes an insulation of Gaspésie compared to the remainder of Canada. This insulation had an significant impact on the culture, the inheritance and the lifestyle of Gaspésie. The Chasse for the whale is applied to the 19th century and the port of Gaspé is the first Canadian port with seven boats out of thirteen. Hunting proceeded close to the point gaspésienne and in the mouth to the St. Lawrence river and related to four species of whale of which the black Baleine, the Rorqual with bump, the common Rorqual and the Blue whale. The oil extracted the whales made it possible to feed the Quebec. But surpêche, competition with the American hunters and the coal oil cause the end of this activity towards 1900.

The 20th century marks a turning for Gaspésie with the decline of fishing to the Morue. Gaspésie was in the middle of the sea links and river thanks to its proximity with the ocean and the St. Lawrence river. With the decline of fishing, Gaspésie becomes isolated and far from the urban centres from Quebec and Montreal. In 1911, the Railroad reached Gaspé disenclosing Gaspésie completely. Then starting from 1920, road 132 gives access the whole of the peninsula. Gaspésie approaches the remainder of Quebec. The forestry development consequently becomes a new activity with the colonization of the valley of the Matapédia.

Economy

The economy was mainly centered the fishing, the Agriculture and the Forestry development. Today, Gaspésie must diversify because its primary resources are also efficient only formerly because of the Surpêche, the overexploitation of the forests and the reduction in the number of farmers. The economy is consequently obliged to diversify and to reorientate themselves towards new resources. Thus, of the drug companies, of naval construction and transformation of wood settle in Gaspésie.

Agriculture

As of the occupation of Gaspésie by the French sailors, the ground is exploited to feed the men with ground. This exploitation is reduced and limits to a market gardening. Then with the installation of the companies of treatment of cod, agriculture and the breeding are densifient. But this agriculture remains a food Agriculture.

Under the British occupation, the acadian ones which fled the deportation exploit the ground in a more important way but the grounds do not belong to them contrary to the loyal supporter which receive State of the acres of ground. The principal cultures are the Orge and the Potato and the farmers collect the hay. They raise also oxen, horses, cows and sheep. The 20th century experiences the significant development of agriculture and the farmers organize themselves in association like the union of the agricultural producers.

In 2002, the number of farms is 644 including 328 exploitations of vegetable production and 316 of livestock production. The more half of the exploitations of livestock production raises beef animals while in vegetable production, the more half produces cereals and protéagineux. The agricultural production bringing back the largest incomes is the production of the Potato with 45% of the incomes of vegetable production.

Fish

The fishing is a historical and economic resource important of Gaspésie. The first European men came to fish the Baleine and the Morue on the coasts gaspésiennes. Today, it is the area of Quebec which produces the most fish and shellfish with 40.897 tons on a total of 62.222 tons in 2004. But with the moratorium on the Cod instituted by the government Mulroney which prohibits fishing of them since 1992, they are the shellfish like the Crevette and the Crabe of snows which are the most unloaded products. They are territories dedicated to safeguarding and discovered Nature. It is zones in which the Chasse, the fishing and the sports activities are regulated, defined by article 111 of the Law on the conservation and the development of fauna . The Gaspésienne peninsula counts eight faunal reserves.

List faunal reserves:

faunal Reserve of the Knack-Shocks
faunal Reserve of faunal River-Cascapédia
Reserve of faunal River-Saint-Anne
Reserve of faunal Matane
Reserve of faunal Dunière
Reserve of faunal Port-Daniel
Reserve of River-Matapédia-and-Patapédia
faunal Reserve of River-Saint-Jean

Zones of exploitations controlled (zecs)

The zones of exploitations controlled or zecs, non-profit making companies, are natural zones regulated by article 104 of the law on the conservation and the development of fauna , as for the faunal reserves. These zones owe respected four great principles: conservation of fauna, accessibility with the faunal resource, the participation of the users and self-financing of the operations.

In Gaspésie, there exist fifteen zecs out of the 86 zecs Quebec recovering a surface of 1 205 km ². The majority of the zecs are devoted to sporting fishing with the Saumon. Activities with taking away as hunting, fishing and the gathering are subjected to a payment giving an import duty and of use. This taking away allows autoalimenter the zecs and to ensure the safety of the users. The taking away are thus deducted and supervised to maintain a renewal of the animal species and floral in the reserves.

Flora

The flora of Gaspésie is very varied because of the microclimates that one meets there. Indeed, between the maritime edges and the tops of the tops, vegetable cover is different from one zone to another. The Forêt recovers most of the territory of which 96% are Résineux of which the Sapin balsam tree dominating. Some Leafy S as the maple live close to the maritime coasts, while the interior of the grounds is populated of Conifère S.

Vegetable cover evolves/moves with altitude. With altitude 0, one finds maple S and yellow birches, then towards 100m the fir trees appear then around 250 m with 300m of the black spruce. It is about the Scandinavian moderate zone with predominance of fir trees and yellow birches. Beyond 900m, the leafy trees are not present any more, only the white spruces and the fir trees resist the rigorous conditions of the winter. It is about the boreal zone with predominance of fir trees and white birches. Beyond 1.000m, a vegetable cover characteristic of the Toundra is present with a herbaceous vegetation and Lichen.

Certain areas try to emphasize the flora of Gaspésie as at the Jardin of Mongrel at Large-Mongrel. The Barachois, of the visible sand banks in the Bay of Gaspé, are also particular mediums where the flora must resist the Salinité of the ground. One finds there plants like the Mertensie, the maritime Glaux, the Salicorne or the maritime Gesse.

Lastly, seven plants have the statute of threatened and protected species. One can quote the Polystic of the rocks or the Adiante of Canada. The site of the ministry for sustainable development, the environment and the parks give the whole of the list of the plants threatened of the Canada.

Fauna

Fauna, of a great richness, includes/understands many birds as well as large mammals. The area is famous for the ornithological observation with more than 300 species of birds like the Gannet , the Grèbe jougris, the gray Bihoreau, the Around the wood pigeons or the Eider with sleeping bag.

Gaspésie makes it possible to discover also many marine mammals in particular with broad of the Forillon Point. Some whales like the blue Fin-back whale, the common Fin-back whale or the Petit fin-back whale are common in the area. gray seals or common can be observed from the coast.

The mammals are characteristic of the Canada like the black Ours, the moose (dash of America) and the Cerf of Virginia. The area has the single herd of caribou S installed in the south of the St. Lawrence river since 1930. It resides in the National park of Gaspésie and one estimates the size of the herd from 150 to 200 individuals. This herd and its habitat are very protected because it represents the single herd isolated from the south of Quebec and its decline during the hundred last years is very important. One observes the caribou on the mounts Knack-Shocks and the Monts McGerrigle. Contrary to the caribous, the moose is very present in Gaspésie with a very important density of 4,16 mooses by 10 km ² and a total population of approximately 5 000 mooses. This density is explained by the absence of Prédateur S. Nevertheless, the Chasse with the moose, which is coveted much by the gaspésiens, occurs once per annum and lasts approximately a week. By this means one tries to regularize the number of mooses in gaspesy. So with the last census one counts too much of it, one will increase the number of hunting permits authorized in certain sectors for this period or one will lengthen the period of Chasse.

Inheritance

Headlights

In Gaspésie, the headlights are numerous and various because the Navigation was always dangerous in the gulf of the St. Lawrence and various bays of the peninsula. The first headlights built in years 1860 are turns of Bois square or octagonal for economic reasons. These headlights form a network along the gulf. The headlight of Cape-of-Rose trees classified historic building is the first set up in Gaspésie in 1858.

In the years 1870, the government sets up a telegraph network which makes it possible the various headlights to follow the course of the ships. The headlight of the Marten is built in 1876. In the years 1900, this network becomes without wire and makes it possible to the guards of headlight to communicate with the boats. Later, other headlights, this time in cast iron, are built in Métis, Cape-Cat and Matane and the Point-with-the-Fame.

Covered bridges

Gaspésie is known for its ten covered bridges of wood all almost in service builds until 1950. This characteristic was formerly economic because to cover a bridge made it possible to increase its lifespan by avoiding the rotting of the wood of the apron. The roof is built in shingles of Cèdre and often dyed in red starting from the ox blood mixed with oil for the sealing.

More known and longest of the covered bridges is the bridge Jean Chassé going back to 1945 on the Matane river with Saint-Rene-with-Matane. The Heppel bridge going back to 1909 on the Matapédia river is oldest bridges.

Others

the wind farm Nordais is located at Cape-Cat and counts 133 wind mills of which highest wind vertical of the world.
the rock of Cape-Cat
the synclinal one of the mount saint-Pierre
the rock the Lying one with Large-Valley
the glaciated valley of Mount Saint-Pierre
the Mount Jacques-Cartier in the National park of Gaspésie
the water saint-Anne fall close to the lodging of the Mount-Albert in the National park of Gaspésie
the layer of Géode of the Mount Lyall
the mine of Copper of Murdochville
peninsula of Forillon
the rock Head of Indian with Saint-Georges-with-Malbaie
the rock of Bored and the island Bonaventure
the Handle-with-Beaufils and its Agathes
the cave of Saint-Elzéar
the barachois of Carleton
the National park of Miguasha

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

Information Gaspésie (tourist information)
cultural Zone of Gaspésie
governmental Gate Gaspésie-Island-of-the-Madeleine
Chart of tourist Gaspésie
Tourism in Gaspésie
Gate Gaspésien
official Tourist site of the government of Quebec
Information and news of Gaspésie

Bibiography

Paul Laramée and Marie-Jose Auclair, Gaspésie , editions of the Man
Gabriel Audet, Gaspésie: Low-Saint-Laurent, Islands of the Madeleine , Stitched

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