Gesgapegiag: Culture and Hospitality at the Heart of the Gaspé Peninsula

For the Behind the Scenes in Gaspésie web series, Christine Bérubé-Martin met with Percy Carli-Jerome and Bernard Jerome, two enthusiasts who promote the culture and hospitality of their community.

A warm welcome from the Mi’gmaq community

Percy Carli-Jerome is the manager of Relais de la Cache, a popular snowmobile clubhouse located at the intersection of Route 299 and regional trail #595. From providing customer service to doing maintenance and working in the kitchen, Percy is truly a jack-of-all-trades who loves his work. Since the community of Gesgapegiag bought the business, Percy has seen the snowmobile clubhouse transformed through renovations, including the addition of a restaurant and extra rooms for travellers.

Bernard Jerome is the cultural and language coordinator for the Mi’gmaq community of Gesgapegiag. For Bernard, maintaining certain traditional practices, such as basket weaving, is essential. As he explains, beyond their value as traditions, these creative expressions also help preserve the Mi’gmaq language, which is what people speak as they work at the centre. Gaspésie is home to three Mi’gmaq communities: Listuguj, Gesgapegiag, and Gespeg.

A service hub and local handicrafts

Located in the middle of the forest over 100 km from any other gas station, Relais de la Cache helps ensure that snowmobilers can safely access the mountains at the heart of the Gaspé Peninsula. As the area receives significant snowfall every year, it’s one of the places with the longest riding season. In addition to lots of snow, the trails in this area provide access to the magnificent landscapes of the Chic-Chocs, giving snowmobilers most options that just riding around the coast of the peninsula. Note that the trail between Relais de la Cache and Murdochville is now open again. For snowmobilers to be able to ride through the interior, services such as those offered by Relais de la Cache (gas, hot meals, etc.) are essential. Call ahead to find out when they are open.

The community of Gesgapegiag, which has a population of 664, offers a wide range of other services as well. Year-round accommodations are available, and you can also visit the Micmac Handicraft Co-op to discover local handicrafts as well as the interpretation centre located next to the Kateri Tekakwitha Church, one of the community’s oldest landmarks. From late spring to early fall, the Gesgapegiag Lobster Hut is a great place to enjoy fresh seafood.

Offering both essential services and cultural discoveries, the Gesgapegiag community is a great place to discover.

Watch the episode 3000 Kilometres of Tightly Woven Trails to learn more about Percy Carli-Jerome and the Relais de la Cache as well as Bernard Jerome and the multicultural centre.

For more discoveries and to better understand what drives the people who make this region thrive, watch all the episodes of Behind the Scenes in Gaspésie, a web series presenting inspiring portraits of local people available on our YouTube channel.