History and Heritage

A History and Identity Shaped by the Sea

In Gaspésie, history is part of the landscape.

You can feel it in the salty sea air and find it on the wharves, where life once revolved around the sea. Lighthouses, ports and fishing warehouses (known locally as chafauds) still bear witness to the strong connection between the people of this region and the sea.

Gaspésie has always been a gathering place. The Mi’gmaq, French, Acadians, British and Jersey Islanders have all left their mark on the region: in the architecture, such as in Anglican churches, as well as in place names, stories and accents.

An open territory shaped by the ebb and flow of tides and cultures, Gaspésie carries a living memory that continues to mark the landscape and the people who call it home.

Long before the arrival of the Europeans, the Mi’gmaq people already lived on these lands where they have been present for at least 2500 years. Known as the “people of the sea,” they subsisted on hunting and fishing. Their traditional knowledge lives on, passed down through the generations in local First Nations communities and at the Micmac Interpretation Site of Gespeg. Elements of these traditions coexist with the vestiges of later periods, under the French and British regimes (including the period when the fishing industry was dominated by companies from Jersey Island).

Home to 700 km of coastline and 14 lighthouses, Gaspésie bears witness to a maritime history. Museums, interpretation centres, archaeological sites and heritage homes invite visitors to discover fragments of the past. Some are open year-round while others welcome visitors only during the high season.

Among the region’s main attractions are the Musée de la Gaspésie in Gaspé, which houses exhibitions focused on the sea and local culture; Parc national de Miguasha, where you can see a fossil cliff included on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with fish and plant fossils; and the Reford Gardens, where Elsie Reford’s legacy is preserved at one of Canada’s most outstanding horticultural sites.

All these sites and others offer ways to better understand what makes Gaspésie so unique.

Enjoy the Historical Heritage of Gaspésie

Many sites invite you to dive into the region’s authentic history.

In Bonaventure, the Musée Acadien du Québec traces the journey of the Acadians who settled in Gaspésie. The museum’s permanent exhibition, heritage buildings, art gallery and cultural workshops offer a vivid immersion in the rich history of this people.

In Paspébiac, a national historic site plunges visitors into the world of 19th-century cod fishing and includes a tour of the immense Le Boutillier warehouse. In L’Anse-à-Beaufils, the Magasin Général Historique Authentique evokes life in an authentic general store in the 1920s. In L’Anse-au-Griffon, Manoir Le Boutillier brings to life the daily routine of an influential merchant through a carefully preserved bourgeois house. All these sites offer guided tours led by interpreters in period costume.

Another way to explore local heritage is to follow the Lighthouse Tour, a scenic drive that will take you to the 14 sentinels of the sea found in Gaspésie. Thanks to the work of dedicated individuals, many of these lighthouses have been given new life and now share the region’s maritime history in their own unique way.