Events

475e anniversaire de l'arrivée de Jacques Cartier à Gaspé, Gaspé
In addition to the festivities organized for the 475th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Gaspé, several well-known events will blend their activities with ours to celebrate this important year. In this year of celebrations we invite you to a festive reunion that will include nature, music, theater, dance, circuses as well as many occasions for encounters and discussions. We look forward to seeing you in the midst of our beautiful landscape! Come and be a part of the festivities!

Festival Musique du Bout du Monde, Gaspé (donwtown Gaspé)
August 14th to 16th, 2009
The Festival Musique du Bout du Monde celebrates its 6th edition as well as the international and historical nature of the town of Gaspé with the 475th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival on Canadian soil.
Gaspé welcomes close to 200 artists and more than 20,000 visitors for this event which has now become a must for the summer cultural program. Come to Bout du Monde and enjoy a taseful and extraordinary program that offers a wide array of free activities for the whole family and lively shows in the evening! A wonderful colourful edition with remarkable cultural diversity, rhythms and discoveries

La Grande Traversée de la Gaspésie en ski de fond
End of January to mid-February 2010
The event, very demanding both physically and humanly, involves skiing on a distance of more than 300 kilometres in six days on waymarked trails in the mountain, along the sea or in the open country. Even more, a place to celebrate and meet pleasant people; an absolute treasure of Gaspésie's winter tourism.

Visits

Bardeau et Bateau, Gaspé
Bardeau et Bateau (shingle and boat)
A "steam mill", a bardoiserie (shingle mill) and a fishing harbour with its fleet of varied boats. Slip in the heart of the fisheries world and taste the sea. Discover the complexity and the ingenuity of a steam sawmill through authentic interpretation activities.

Bardeau… Moulin des Plourde (shingle... Plourde mill)
Last "steam mill” in the Eastern Québec. Almost 100 years of sawing to relive in the sawmill which has preserved all its equipment. A place where the wood essence fragrances enhance the atmosphere and where you will feel like a kid in a candy store!

Bateau… Interprétation des pêches (boat... fisheries interpretation)
Here, the fishing industry is lived, seen and interpreted on the wharves in contact with the fishermen. Discover the history of fisheries, from the first fish flakes on the beach to biotechnologies. Visit the new building and its handicraft shop!

Schedule: June 22nd to August 29th, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed on Sunday. For groups, reservations are always needed. Average length of Visit: 60 minutes. Admission fees. Family, group and individual rates and packages available.

Centre d’interprétation du cuivre, Murdochville
The Centre d'interprétation du cuivre offers a scientific and captivating exhibit presenting the world of copper through a discovery gallery. Then, put on a miner's suit, with its hat and light, and accompanied by a guide, go down into the real Miller’s gallery. You enjoy unique sensations? Experience total darkness. When you return to the surface, with a guide, you can take a shuttle to the industrial site, and from there, you are invited to discover a windmill that is part of the most important windmill installations in Canada. Keep your eyes wide-open… the panorama is vast and beautiful. Schedule: June 8th to September 26th, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Average length of Visit: 1 hr/activity. Admission fees. Rates for adults, children, seniors and organized groups. Family package available. Warm clothes required.

Village en chanson de Petite-Vallée, Petite-Vallée
Petite-Vallée has vibrated and traveled through song for a long time. The Village en chanson is a vacation camp specialized in song for people ranging from 8 to 88 years old; a Festival en chanson (song festival) dedicated to new artists; and a stage featuring songs and theatre.

At the Café de la Vieille Forge, while savouring a meal, a delicious espresso or a Québec beer in an enchanting site, you get to hear a story on the maritime influence and the evolution of Québec song. Schedule: June 22nd to September 1st, daily from noon to 5 p.m. and on shows days, from noon to midnight. Admission fees for shows in the thatre. Free admission to the Café.

Member of Gaspésie Gourmande

Centre socioculturel Manoir le Boutillier, Gaspé
Designated as a historic monument and as a national historic site of Canada, the manor was constructed around 1850 by John LeBoutillier, a leading cod merchant of the time who was originally from Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. Discover an historic representation (circa 1850-1860) of the John LeBoutillier and Co manager's house. Services offered: guided visits (30 minutes), tearoom, handicraft shop and summer theatre. Schedule: June 15th to October 12th, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m (last visit at 4:30 p.m.). Admission: adults $7; seniors and students $5; families $16; children 11 years old and under free. Reservations recommended for groups.

Member of Gaspésie Gourmande.

Sanctuaire Notre-Dame des Douleurs
Site of worship and pilgrimage since 1940 where you can visit a church and see the works of art it contains, including the main crucifix, a statue of Saint Joseph the Worker (by the sculptor Médard Bourgault) and the eight stations of the Chemin des douleurs de Marie (work of Rose-Anne Mona, French ceramist). The tomb of the founder, Father Jean-Marie Watier, is located in the Chapelle du Souvenir (Memorial Chapel) which is open 24 hours a day. Three small houses for retreat are available through all seasons for solitary contemplation.

In beautifully landscaped exterior gardens, you will find a replica of the Lourdes grotto, a calvary, an outdoor altar, a Carrara marble statue of the archangel Saint Michel and seven bronze stations of the Chemin des douleurs de Marie. Hikers can follow a mountain trail to discover different types of woodlands or have a moment's reflection. Schedule: year-round. End of June to early September, Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and weekends from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Early September to end of June, during the week from 9:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Average length of Visit: 1 hour. Admission: adults $3; students 12 years old and older: $1. Reservations recommended for groups.

Activities

Croisières Baie de Gaspé, Gaspé
Whale cruise, marine mammals observation, geology, history and guide-interpreter. Capacity of 48 persons. Schedule: from June 1st to October 5th. Time of departure: from one to four departures everyday. Approximative length: 2.5 hours. Rates (taxes included): adults $55, children from $15 to $35, low rates for families, seniors and students. Departure site: Havre de Grande-Grave.

Aube Aventure, Gaspé
The Aube Aventure work cooperative is the result of group work based on human warmth and professionalism. The team offers services that allow to discover this little paradise located in Cap-aux-Os in the Gaspésie. Whether it is by sea kayaking, canoeing, sailing or through some training, you will live an unforgettable and safe experience with guide-interpreters. Terraces, private beach, islet, wharf, comfortable yurt rental, spa, kitchen, resting rooms and related activities enhance your stay at this new site that overlooks the Forillon tip and the Gaspé Bay. An additional sea kayaking service point is located at Grande-Grave in the Forillon national park, and another one on the shore of the Dartmouth River for the canoeing excursions.

Discover the falls, the gorges and the river salmon through half-day canoeing excursions. Sea kayaking excursions lasting from two hours and a half to four or five hours allow to observe seals and even sometimes a whale (three to six day excursions become a must). A four-hour sailing ride allows you to drive a keel and unveils the secrets of the bay. Sea kayaking, canoeing and swiftwater rescue training and certification are offered by instructors certified by existing federations such as Fédération québécoise de canot et de kayak (FQCK), Lifesaving Society and Paddle Canada.

Schedule: May 15th to October 15th, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., destinations and departure times will vary depending on the service point. Admission fees. Reservations recommended. Equipment rental according to recognized certification. 

Member of Aventure Écotourisme Québec

Cap Aventure, Gaspé
Member of the Marine Mammals Ecowatch Network (ROMM) and official site of the Sentier maritime du Saint-Laurent.

A business specializing in sea kayaking, Cap Aventure offers you safe guided rides with unforgettable experiences and discoveries among the seals, whales, and seabirds. Scientific outings where you can participate as an observer in the collection of data about seal distribution and population dynamics. On top of certified guide interpreter services, Cap Aventure also offers you basic training, an observation sheet, binoculars, a waterproof bag and sea kayak equipment. The findings will be transmitters to ROMM for their marine mammal study project.
On a seashore site, rustic campground (tent platform, barbecue, table and locked shed), snack bar and dairy bar. Services offered: guided excursions and trips from dusk to dawn, sea kayaking lessons that are certified by the Fédération québécoise du canot et du kayak (FQCK). Kayaking packages and whale kayak-cruise packages available at the Auberge internationale Forillon. Schedule: May 4th to October 9th. Average length of Visit: 2.75 hours. Admission fees. Reservations recommended.

Member of Aventure Écotourisme Québec

Griffon Aventure, Gaspé
In the outskirts of Forillon Park, the Griffon Aventure team offers an array of adventure activities. Canyoning is the activity for this summer (cliff jumping, swimming and sliding). If heaven exists, you will find it here! Take half a day or a full day and go down the Saint-Jean River in a canoe, a kayak or a family raft. You will be surprised by its wild water and its landscapes. The sport rafting activity (mid-April to mid-June) is done on a 22-kilometre distance. Great activities in clear water. On-site: wooded campsite, furnished tent on platform, and shelters. Enjoy a festive and rustic atmosphere in a beautiful seashore environment. Schedule: Mid-April to mid-June in Murdochville and June, July, August in L'Anse-au-Griffon, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Average length of Visit: 4 hours. Admission fees. Reservations recommended.

Member of Aventure Écotourisme Québec

Plongée Forrilon, Gaspé
Unforgettable scuba diving activities for the whole family with the Plongée Forillon team. A boat excrusion for snorkeling with seals is offered daily for beginners (children and adults). Enjoy swimming with those playful and curious marine mammals. In the middle of starfish, lobsters and other fascinating creatures, you will be seduced by unforgettable marine life mysteries. Average length of Visit: 3 hours. Admission: $65 (taxes included). Special family rates: $55 per person (taxes included).

Parc national du Canada Forillon

A visit to Forillon National Park is sure to be a unique adventure. Discover the flora, geological formations, and the astonishing fauna of this land replete with natural riches. It is on the basis of these natural features combined with a rich human and cultural history that the park theme L'harmonie entre l'Homme, la terre et la mer (harmony between man, the earth and the sea) was developed.

Forillon National Park is open year-round. A network of over 70 kilometres of trails leads hikers through magnificent seascapes and mountain views. Cruises, sea kayaking, biking, horseback riding, scuba diving, swimming, tennis and picnicking ensure a good time in the park. During the winter season, visitors can try cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or dogsledding.

You can watch seals, whales, black bears, porcupines and many species of birds. Take part in the many educational activities proposed by naturalists, and visit the interpretation centre where an exhibit will introduce you to the most significant features of the park. Visit the Grande-Grave heritage site, where the Hyman & Sons store, the warehouse and the Blanchette house reveal an unforgotten past.
Make sure to fully enjoy all the park's attractions by staying in one of the partially serviced campsites (reservations: 1 877 737-3783 or www.pccamping.ca), in the group camping, in a wilderness camping areas, a yurt, a shelter (winter only) or a tent trailer (ready-to-camp formula).

Schedule: The reception services are offered daily from early June to mid-October. Reduced hours in June as well as in September and October.
Admission: daily rates apply to all park visitors (including the campers). Adults $7.80; seniors $6.80; youth $3.90; families or groups (maximum of 7 people per vehicle) $19.60; children under 6 years old free; business groups $6.02/person. Off-season rates and annual permits available. Additional fees are also charged for camping and for some other services (cruises, swimming pool, sea kayaking, bicycle rental...).