THE REGION

Unique and Magical Charlevoix

A hospitable region with magnificent scenery that captivates painters, poets, writers and visitors; Charlevoix, where nature and culture blend in perfect harmony.


View of La Malbaie

Covering a territory of 6,000 km2 and located in the heart of the Laurentian shield (the oldest soil on earth), Charlevoix has a population of 30,000. The region's economy is based mainly on forestry, farming and tourism. Most of the agricultural land of Charlevoix lies between LA MALBAIE and BAIE SAINT-PAUL, in the belt between highways 138 and 362. One must leave the highways and travel along the secondary roads leading to towns and villages to grasp this special way of life, which has, for a long time, ensured the livelihood of local residents. These concession roads offer breathtaking sceneries that you won't forget.

Nowadays days, the milk industry dominates the economy of the region. There are also wild boar and turkey farms.

The romanticism of the region is present everywhere, as much in the bigger hotels, such as the Manoir Richelieu, built at the beginning of the 20th century, as in the congenial, cordial smaller Inns.

Scenery and Characteristics

The main elements that give Charlevoix its special cachet are undeniably the impressing Laurentian Mountains and the majestic Saint Lawrence River. The wildlife and the exceptional richness of its flora have warranted its classification as a biosphere reserve.

The fall colors alone make the detour worthwhile.

Enchantment is guaranteed.


Village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François

At La Malbaie, one can find the Murray Bay golf course, one of the oldest in the country. A promenade lets the hiker walk the bay up tu the Quai Casgrain Park. The Maison du Tourisme, home of the Charlevoix Regional Tourist Association, stands nearby.

The Quai de Pointe-au-Pic area was significantly restored back in the summer of 1997. The buildings and the pier have been renovated, the layout of the Rue du Quai has been modified to better accommodate pedestrians and new recreational and tourist oriented installations have been added. It's a superb new sector that is worth seeing.

Upon coming into BAIE SAINT-PAUL from Quebec, the landscape that unfolds covers quite a vast territory.

To our right, we see l'ÎLE-AUX-COUDRES, quietly resting on the river. In front of us, a chain of mountains watch over BAIE SAINT-PAUL, nesting at the bottom of the valley which can be reached by descending a steady and impressive slope. To our left, the foothills of the Laurentian mountains circle the region.


View on the St. Lawrence river and the village of Baie St-Paul

"The flora of the hinterland is mostly dominated by Boreal forests. However, the varied relief and the rigorous weather associated with the natural history of the forest (forest fires, insect epidemics) led to the establishment of particular plants and forest species (vegetation with arctic alpine aspects, tundra, elm and oak Laurentian maple groves). Furthermore, the ice age which affected the territory of Charlevoix molded the region, leaving an impressive rock front at the palissade, near SAINT-SIMÉON, or the morainic deposits of Nairn Lake , near SAINT-AIMÉ-DES-LACS."  Translated from: Charlevoix, Guide Touristique, p. 10.

An Awe-inspiring Nature

At the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers, where soft and salted waters mix together, more that 6 species of migratory great whales meet yearly, and regular cruises are available to watch these imposing mammals in their natural habitat.

Charlevoix offers a choice of many restaurants and it shelters many parks, including the "Parc Marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent", which covers some 1138 km2. You will discover the splendor of the Saguenay Fjord, one of the most beautiful in the world. And it's in the regional park of Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie that you will observe the highest rock faces in Eastern Canada. One of the central grounds of the Biosphère reserve of Charlevoix is the Parc Des Grands-Jardins, located at the entrance to Quebec's southern urban regions. There are also some controlled exploitation zones (ZEC) and some outfitters opened to the general public.

History

The Charlevoix region owes its name to father François Xavier de Charlevoix, Jesuit priest and first historian of New-France. The settlements started at BAIE SAINT-PAUL, which first opened up to colonists in 1678. Colonization continued at l'ÎLE-AUX-COUDRES in 1728 and at LA MALBAIE in 1760.

The La Malbaie area owes its name to Samuel de Champlain, who docked there in 1608 for the night, unknowing to the fact that the bay completely empties itself when the tide goes down. In the morning, when he wanted to leave, he realized he had to wait for high tide. So he shouted out: "Ah la malle bayes !" (the bad bay). Later on, it was re-baptized Murray Bay, in reference to the "seigneurie" awarded to John Naird by General James Murray, then Governor of Canada. But that was temporary, and La Malbaie remained as the name.

Standing just by the river, Pointe-au-Pic was the birthplace of the first vacation resorts in Canada. With the beginning of the last century came a return to romanticism, and this meant an interest for tourism in Charlevoix. The White Ships, these steam vessels that were also called "floating palaces", carried on board the high society of New York, Toronto and Montreal when its members were in search of complete exotic change.
At the time, Murray Bay was the most sought after golf destination. The Manoir Richelieu, a renowned hotel that turned 100 years old in 1999, was the meeting place of the rich and famous.


Murray Bay Golf Club


The little Baptist Church

On the Chemin des Falaises, the rich tourists built their own summer residences. Among them, William-Howard Taft, then President of the United States; he really loved the region, and liked to say about Murray Bay that it was "as intoxicating as champagne, but without the headache of the morning after". Most of the impressive villas still stand on the Chemin des Falaises. Some are private residences, some others have been converted into cozy inns to greet those in search of quietness, good taste and fine cuisine. A little further up, on the Bellevue boulevard, one can find a little Baptist Church that goes back to 1867.

It was at the beginning of the English Regime (1760) that the region which extends from POINTE-AU-PIC to CAP-A-L'AIGLE was first colonized. Towards the end of the 18th century, resorts appeared in Canada, more precisely at LA MALBAIE, with the Scottish Noblemen: Malcom Fraser and John Nairn, who in 1760, received visitors in their manor.

Today, enriched with a tradition of hospitality dating back 200 years, Charlevoix is known as one of the best gastronomical and tourist regions in Québec.

The official colonization of l'ÎLE-AUX-COUDRES began in 1728 with the granting of the first concessions. This small island with its smooth landscape, owes its name to Jacques Cartier, who named it in 1535. Between 1763 and 1773, two wind mills were built to grind wheat into flour for the inhabitants. In 1825, after several winters without flour, a water mill was built to compensate for the lack of wind. In 1836, they built another wind mill on the remains of the first one from 1763, in the event of possible water shortages. In such a case, they had only to transport the wheat from one mill to another.

Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, they added a house, a forge, an annex and a hen house to the water mill. Today, the mills have been restored. Guided tours offer an opportunity to learn their history and how they worked.

350 million years ago, a gigantic meteorite hit the land of Charlevoix. The meteorite's impact created a visible mark and its center is found at Mont des Éboulements. Going to BAIE SAINT-PAUL, means you are going into the bottom of a crater. The seismic character of the region is in part due to this collision. Earthquakes, of which the most important took place in 1663, also contributed to enhance the characteristic relief of this region.

Source: Charlevoix, Guide touristique
Région Touristique de Charlevoix, Collection Charlevoix
Translation: Global Internet Inc.

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