Road Tripping Through Millennia in the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec
I’m in awe as I peer closely at the fossil-rich cliff of Miguasha National Park. I’ve come face-to-face with the Devonian Period, known as the ‘Age of Fishes’. It’s here that, 380 million years ago, the first fish began the journey from water to land, giving rise to four-legged, air-breathing terrestrial vertebrates. The park, located in south-eastern Quebec on the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, is regarded as the world’s most comprehensive example of this period, with the best-preserved fossil specimens.
Canada, viewed through the European-settlement lens, is considered a new country but this gives short shrift to a paleontological history dating back millions of years. A two-hour drive northeast from Miguasha along the Gaspé Peninsula lies Percé Rock, a monstrous limestone formation studded with numerous animal and plant fossils from both terrestrial and marine habitats, dating back to the Devonian period, too.
In 1607, Samuel Champlain coined the name Percé Rock (pierced rock), in reference to the 15-metre-high arch that looks as though a needle had cut through the mammoth rock. But indigenous peoples were well aware of this quirk of nature — they had inhabited the area for thousands of years.
Percé Rock is visible from almost everywhere in the small namesake town, but the view from the balcony of our room is nothing short of spectacular — ancient history right out our window. I contemplate how many have gazed at this ever-changing marvel of nature over millennia. Its current estimated weight of five million tons is diminishing at a crumbling rate of 300 tons per year, an ongoing phenomenon that has continually changed the rock since its beginning.
Tektonik, a multimedia presentation at a nearby local museum, takes us on an engaging virtual journey through 500 million years of this geological history. More challenging, at least for me, is the glass platform suspended on the side of a cliff 200 metres above the ground. Putting my fears to the test, I step trepidatiously onto the glass, my bravery rewarded with the breathtaking views of Percé Rock and the surrounding area.
Having survived my sojourn onto the glass lookout, I’m ready for our next exploit: the town of Rimouski. But first, a surprise awaits us in the small town of Sainte-Flavie, a short distance from our destination; an otherworldly display of more than 100 wooden and stone statues of people placed along the St. Lawrence coastline. Some are as tall as an adult; all have crudely carved faces and no arms. Looking like bizarre zombies, they creepily appear and disappear with the tides. They are part of a large-scale art project called Le Grand Rassemblement (the Grand Gathering) by Quebec artist Marcel Gagnon.
Arriving in Rimouski, a small town in the Bas-Saint-Laurent area, we’re immediately captivated by the 4.3-kilometre promenade running through the heart of the town, along the St. Lawrence River. We soon join the walkers, cyclists and rollerbladers. It’s while savouring the stunning river views that we spot the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse. Situated on a point of land that juts into the St. Lawrence River estuary, it’s visible from the town.
Our legs tiring, we head back to our car to drive the eleven kilometres along the coastline to the lighthouse, a National Historic Site and symbol of the region since 1909. At 33 metres, it’s the second tallest in Canada.
We skip climbing the 128 steps to the top, instead heading into the Rimouski Maritime Museum. Here, we’re plunged into the current exhibition on the sinking of the Empress of Ireland in 1914 when it collided with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad in thick fog, only eight kilometres from Pointe-au-Père. Of the 1477 people on board, 1014 died, making this peacetime maritime disaster the deadliest in Canadian history.
How is it that we’ve never heard of it? The Titanic has inspired books, movies and museums, while the sinking of the Empress of Ireland is almost unknown. Further, we hadn’t realized that due to its unpredictable currents, strong tides and narrow channels, the St. Lawrence River is one of the most formidable for mariners, and there’s a high risk of collisions and grounding. Safety regulations must be carefully followed, and all ships transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway must use a licensed pilot.
For those who aren’t claustrophobic, a self-guided tour aboard the decommissioned 1967 Onondaga submarine is also available. The tour is interesting but even the short time aboard convinces us we’d never want to spend time underwater in such cramped quarters.
Our final stop in Rimouski is a horticultural wonder — Jardins (Gardens) de Metis National, a Historic Site of Canada. It’s also known as Redford Gardens in honour of Elsie Redford, who designed and created the gardens over three decades, from 1926 to 1958. It was Redford’s grit and determination that turned a fishing lodge into this world-class garden, cultivating more than 3000 species and varieties of plants. The highlight for us is the very rare Himalayan blue poppy.
Wandering along the winding paths between flowers and landscaped artworks, we lose track of time as we disconnect from the barrage of the digital world — a perfect time to end our journey in Quebec and head back to Ontario.
Even though we know how vast Canada is, it truly sinks in when we travel here. We covered only a small part of a large province and every day was one of constant discovery. We travelled 400 million years back in time and then forward again to the present day, all while being treated to the never-ending gallery of nature’s works of art along the majestic St. Lawrence River. Canada’s diversity, complexity and outright beauty are a treasure.
Comments