South St. Lawrence - Life Surrounding the Waters

	Laverniere Church in the Îles de la Madeleine.1

Split from the rest of the province by the St. Lawrence River, Quebec's southern arm extends itself over Vermont, Maine and New Brunswick before finally ending in the river's gulf, which has the distinction of being the largest estuary in the world. The fertile river valley is the province's most populated area, and as the St. Lawrence acted as one of the main entry points for exploration of the interior of North America, the area's communities and landscapes factor heavily in Canada's history. For many years prior to European settlement, however, the First Nations tribe known as the Mohawk people (Kanienkeh) lived off the land, their traditional territory spliced by what is now an international border between Canada and the United States. Several communities still exist along the St. Lawrence, populated by descendants of Kateri, a Catholic Mohawk who fought with the British against the Americans and who was later beatified.

Near the very bottom of Quebec, Gatineau is separated from Ontario and the country's capital city of Ottawa by the narrow Ottawa River, but is well-connected by several bridges and a population of commuters who make the daily trip from province to province. The Ottawa River meets the St. Lawrence at Montreal, which is only a ferry trip across the Rivière des Prairies from the island city of Laval. Mostly located on the Île Jésus, parts of Laval are also located on the Îles Laval and several more smaller islands. Moving upriver north of the valley lies the Laurentians, where the legendary mont Tremblant and surrounding mountains provide a myriad of opportunities for outdoor adventure. The newly-formed city of Saguenay, created from the merging of Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie, and Laterrière, is surrounded by the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, which is responsible for the maintenance and health of the world's largest estuary and eastern Canada's longest fjord. Summertime brings vacationers to the Îles de la Madeleine, an archipelago of eight tiny islands connected by miles of beaches and isolated in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Inhabited since 1755, residents are descendants of Acadians expelled from the maritime provinces, and many proudly fly the Acadian flag still.

In the information below, WorldWeb.com Travel Guide offers tips and detailed specifics on places to see and things to do in the South St. Lawrence area of Quebec, including Gatineau, Laval, the Laurentians, the Saguenay Region and the Îles de la Madeleine.

Useful links for a number of different types of accommodations in the region:
•Gatineau Accommodations
•Laval Accommodations
•The Laurentians Accommodations
•Saguenay Region Accommodations
•Îles de la Madeleine Accommodations

	Gatineau's Canadian Museum of Civilization.2

GATINEAU
The largest city of the Outaouais Region of Quebec and the fifth largest of the province, Gatineau took its present shape in 2002 when it and the four other cities of Hull, Aylmer, Buckingham, and Masson-Angers joined to maximize their economic and municipal services. A number of government offices are located in what is now the district of Hull, often referred to as le vieux secteur, due to its position directly across the river from Ottawa, and it is the most historic of the conglomerate at more that 200 years old.

Gatineau's population of 200,000 means it enjoys all the benefits of a larger city without actually being one. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is one of Gatineau's most important attractions, and protects the nation's premiere collection of artifacts ranging from prehistory to the times of Canada's Aboriginal Peoples, before European settlers arrived. The collection's contents cover the exploration and prospecting of Canada's unforgiving land, through to the technological advances of the 20th century and into the recent past.

The huge Casino du Lac Leamy, located between Lac Leamy and Lac de la Carriere, serves those who wish to try their luck, and its thousand-seat theatre regularly showcases the region's music talent. For a more spiritual experience, the Notre-Dame de Lourdes Grotto, dating to 1887 and inspired by the original Notre-Dame de Lourdes in France, is sheltered by artful stone arches and hemmed in by thick shrubs and shady trees. The result is fragrant and tactile, the perfect spot for a few moments of personal reflection. The open-air Cumberland Heritage Village Museum encapsulates life in the area during the 1930s, and features a tiny schoolhouse, a church, a sawmill that is still in use, and the oldest surviving Imperial Gas Station in Canada.

	Part of MacKenzie King's Estate in Gatineau.3

One of Canada's historic icons and perhaps its most charismatic leader, Mackenzie King fashioned a retreat for himself in what is now Gatineau Park. The Estate has cottages and flower beds to explore, including a hidden rock garden, an indication of King's sentimentality. His touches are everywhere, making the experience seem like a personal introduction to the former prime minister. A short drive across one of the many bridges to Carp, just outside Ottawa, finds Canada's Cold War Museum, affectionately nicknamed "Diefenbunker" after the prime minister of the day, John Diefenbaker. Secretly built between 1959 and 1961 to safely house Canada's politicians, high-ranking members of the military and other government officials in the event of a nuclear disaster, this extensive four-storey structure is effectively hidden in a hillside. The facilities are kitted-out with living quarters, a CBC radio studio, a Bank of Canada vault and an Emergency Government Situation Centre. It is a truly unique time capsule depicting the deep-seated fear of a nuclear attack North Americans lived with during the 1950s and 60s.

Every summer the skies of Gatineau are streaked with colour as the popular Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place, and various earthly entertainers attract attention back to the ground. Tour the region aboard the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train, which has the oldest steam-powered engine in the nation. The railway leads through the picturesque Outaouais valley, through to the village of Wakefield and back again.

	The Shores of the Parc de la riviere des Mille-Iles.4

LAVAL
Birthplace of Mario Lemieux, Alexandre Daigle, Martin St. Louis and Jose Theodore, all successful professional hockey players, Laval is also home to several more high-achieving athletes, including kayaker Carrie Lightbound and swimmer Yannick Lupien. Aside from an obvious competitive nature, Laval's citizens also possess an appreciation for the outdoors and its unrefined amenities. Its island home, the Île Jésus, remains relatively uncrowded, sandwiched between Montreal to the east and mainland Quebec to the west.

Laval is easily approached by either the A-15 (Papineau) Highway, or the A-19 (Laurentian) Highway. Offering a wide scope of activities and attractions, Laval's west coast waters and coast line are protected by the Parc de la riviere des Mille-Iles, which encompasses the 250 islands of the Hochelaga archipelago, its marshes, forested areas, lagoons and, of course, the St. Lawrence River. The area of Le Vieux-Sainte-Rose surrounds the park, inviting a stroll along its attractive alleys to enjoy the thoughtful architecture of the historic buildings. The atmospheric Le Vieux-Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, parts of which date to 1740, is jammed with artisan shops, cafes and galleries. Follow the Flower Trail in the district of Le Vieux-Sainte-Dorothée, which leads to fragrant kiosks of plants and flowers and a large square perfect for sitting with a cappucino and people-watching. L'eglise Sainte-Rose-de-Lima stands nearby, designed and built in the middle of the 19th century and a major city landmark today. It is distinguishable by its two bell towers, and its facade is described as neo-classical. The interior is Corinthian in style, characterized by slender twin columns, a coffered ceiling and defined nave, a choir and semi-dome apse.

The city's Cosmodome is its most modern and informative attraction, the first science centre in Canada to devote its attention entirely to space. Inside is the Space Science Centre, which features moon rocks, a space suit, a replica of the solar system and a multimedia theatre. Visitors have the chance to feel completely weightless, to try to move about when there is very little gravity and planet-spot with high-powered telescopes. A pride of the city, the Cosmodome is an interactive experience for the whole family.

	Mont Tremblant is Canada's Winter Wonderland.5

THE LAURENTIANS
The Laurentian mountains are busy year-round with outdoor enthusiasts taking advantage of its many natural gifts. Mont-Tremblant is one of the world's most well-known ski resorts, spoiled with a total of 94 different runs serviced by 13 super-fast chairlifts. The easily accessible village has several high-class amenities including shops, restaurants, cultural venues and galleries. Operating year-round, the resort is situated on Lac Tremblant, and summertime sees the lake busy with people enjoying the recreational opportunities provided by the water and sunbathers savouring bright and sunny days. Hard-won handicaps are often challenged at the resort's expertly maintained golf course, where mountain scenery distracts from the difficulty of the game.

A popular retreat for busy urban-dwellers, the Laurentians are dotted with several tranquil lakes and untouched scenery, occupied throughout by mountain villages and private homes. Gray Rocks offers ski, golf and horseback riding excursions, and also boasts a lakeside setting, and Mont Habitant also teems with activity throughout the year. Accommodation and activity packages are available.

	Sugar Shacks Produce Syrup.6

Finally, Le Massif receives several metres of snow annually, and its pristine conditions have caused it to be named the Eastern National Ski Training Centre for elite athletes.

For a singularly Canadian experience, visit a sugar shack to discover the secrets of the country's famous maple syrup. Some have been family-owned for centuries, passed down through successive generations to keep the craft and traditions alive. At just the right time, the trees whisper to those who have been taught how to listen, and maple producers head into their sugar bushes to tap their trees. The sap rises and oozes out, filling buckets with a clear, sweet liquid that is the base for everyone's favourite pancake topping. Sugar shacks are a Quebec tradition, and shelves are laden with maple-treated foods such as baked beans, cured ham, omelets, crepes and, of course, syrup.

The village of Mont Tremblant has an international airport that receives flights from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Boston, North Bay and several more major cities.

SAGUENAY
Mostly recognised first for its natural assets, the region of Saguenay hosts more than a dozen museums, including the Musée amerindien in Mashteuiatsh, dedicated to preserving the delicate history of the Ilnu, and the Moulin des Pionniers in La Dore, which is a still-operational mill that illustrates lumber processing techniques of a century ago. The Musée de l'Ermitage Saint-Antoine in Lac-Bouchette keeps Quebec's religious treasures safely displayed for the public, and the Chauvin Trading Post in Tadoussac is the location of Canada's first trading post, built in 1600 by Pierre Chauvin de Tonnetuit.

	Chicoutimi-Saguenay River.7

Along with historic and cultural destinations, unusual stops of interest abound, including a Musée du fromage cheddar in Saint-Prime and the Parc Thématique L'Odyssée des Batisseurs, which pays homage to the world's ultimate resource – water.

The Saguenay River is so wide at some points it reaches the scale of a lake, and Lac-Saint-Jean is so large in its own right that it has been termed akin to an inland sea. The range of activities the region offers is nearly endless, with whale-watching, bird-watching, water sports, fishing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and more attracting vacationers in from crowded, overheated cities. In St-Felicien, the Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien's animals thrive in their natural habitat, and the Site de la Nouvelle-France in Saint-Félix-d'Otis recreates life in the 17th century, with depictions of Upper and Lower Québec City, a Huron village and a Montagnais camp. The region's most outstanding attraction is natural, though, and is protected by the St. Lawrence-Saguenay Marine Park. The Saguenay Fjord is a truly awesome sight, carved out by the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers over millions of years, and stretches for 100 km (62 mi), reaching its greatest depth of 300 m (984 ft) at the Laurentian Channel. Cliffs alongside reach as high as 450 m (1,476 ft). Where the two rivers meet, whales tend to converge, especially a well-known group of belugas who return year after year to the delight of their adopted family of humans.

	Fishing Boats Await Their Captains.8

ÎLES DE LA MADELEINE
Although geographically closer to Prince Edward Island than Quebec, the Îles de la Madeleine are nonetheless a pride of the province. The archipelago of a dozen islands is mostly connected by sand dunes, which are ever-changing according to the whims of the winds and tides. White beaches surround the largest islands, blessed with a temperate climate that can warm the waters to nearly 20°C (68°F) by the end of the summer, and the winter lacks the bite of the mainland's. The island people are known as Madinelot, and many are descendants of Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia by the British, their families scattered all over the continent.

Many of the Edwardian homes on the island were built with wood salvaged from the more than 400 shipwrecks that mark the islands' history. Quite often these were foreign ships blown off path by ever-present winds, whose accidental arrival sometimes resulted in the hapless sailors settling on the islands. Until the early 20th century, the Îles de la Madeleine remained largely isolated from the rest of the outside world. Locally-caught lobster, scallops, snow crab, shellfish, cod, sole, mackeral, herring, perch, shark and smelt support the local economy, and island products are combined into singular cuisine enjoyed by the large number of tourists who visit for the scenery, the unique wildlife, the walking paths, and, of course, the beach. Traditional lighthouses line the shores, and homes double as art galleries and museums.

On the southern Île du Havre-Aubert the historic site of Le Grave is a picturesque village preserved from the 19th century, and is where the Aquarium des Îles and the Musée de la Mer are located. The Big Hill of the Île d'Entrée, the only island not connected to the others by a path of sand, offers views over the archipelago, and the Île de Cap-aux-Meules' port is the starting point for many off-island excursions, such as kayaking, seal watching, kite boarding and shark fishing. The Île du Havre-aux-Maisons' gallery of Verrerie La Méduse recreates the world in glass, located in the same spot where a church has stood since 1823, and La Maison D'Eva-Anne is a typical island home. Île de Pointe-aux-Loups is the tiniest of the archipelago, its landscape bare from heavy lumbering over the last century, and the Île de l'Est boasts the most popular beach for families, outfitted with many amenities and staffed with a watchful lifeguard for most of the season. A large part of the Grosse- Île is taken up by the East Point Wildlife Reserve, and the nearby unoccupied islands of Île Brion and Rocher aux Oiseaux are refuges of unspoiled beauty and unparalleled habitats for a myriad of different species of birds.

Throughout the year, life is celebrated with several events, most of which follow a timeline demanded by island weather and its wildlife. At the end of February to the beginning of March Harp seals make their way to the ice packs surrounding the islands to give birth, and the month of June sees the bountiful sea recognized with several seafood festivals. The Acadian Festival in August ensures the continuation of the culture's oral history and traditions, and local talent is showcased with art exhibitions and contests. Families have been visiting for years during this month for the ever-popular Sand Castle Contest, where intricate buildings, villages and sculptures are molded from the slippery sand carved from the sea.

To reach the islands by car, ferry services leave from Souris on Prince Edward Island regularly from April to January. To arrive by air, several flights depart from Montreal, Quebec City, Mont-Joli and Gaspé daily to land at the Îles de la Madeleine's airport on the Île du Havre-aux-Maisons.