Did you know? 21 Interesting facts about Quebec Maritime

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I love attending travel conferences. It’s an educational and networking opportunity to get together with like-minded people and learn interesting facts about Quebec, Canada, the US or any destination. In the last 6 years I have attended conferences in Costa Brava, Ireland, Finger Lakes and Huntsville, Alabama. In 2018, I was so happy to find a travel conference locally focused on women in travel. I attended the WITS travel conference in Quebec City and found the experience fulfilling both personally and professionally. Finding other women who were both experience travel bloggers, writers or simply aficianados was a great way to affirm I was in a community filled with women that love to travel.

Following that particular conference, along with three other influential Canadian bloggers, we set out on a 7-day tour of Quebec Maritime and Saguenay – Lac St. Jean regions. It was the ideal opportunity to see more of rural Quebec. Once you are in Quebec City (the provincial capital) you are in the perfect place to launch your travel adventures which may include gastro-tourism, stunning national parks or beautiful gardens. That second trip to Quebec Maritime only made me want to return with my family to show them the natural beauty of Canada’s largest province.

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As I continue to work with Quebec Maritime, I love sharing interesting (and quirky facts) about my favourite Canadian destination. So I was pretty excited to be asked to be a panellist for a virtual tour during the 2021 WITS Summit. WITS is a virtual event taking place April 20-24, 2021 that brings together “women and gender diverse travel influencers and creators” with brands and those interested in working in the travel writing space. There are various tickets that you can purchase with added benefits but they also have a FREE pass which you can still sign up for!

In preparing for the Quebec Maritime virtual tour, I thought I would share these fun and interesting facts about the region.

Facts about Quebec Maritime

⬧ The tallest lighthouse in Canada is in Cap-des-Rosiers and is 34 metres (112 feet) high
⬧ The Percé UNESCO Global Geopark, the first in Québec and the third in Canada, showcases 23
geosites spanning 500 million years?

⬧ Legendary Percé Rock had three arches in Jacques Cartier’s time
⬧ Jacques Cartier called the Lower North Shore “land of many isles” because this area’s islands were
too numerous to name individually
⬧ Lake Pohénégamook is said to hide a monster named Ponik
⬧ In the Îles de la Madeleine, lingonberries are also known as sand cranberries
⬧ The Manicouagan impact crater is the fifth largest in the world and can be seen from space
⬧ You can stay in a variety of accommodations from a replica of Jacques Cartier ship to tiny houses, yurts, geodomes and treehouse.
⬧ The Île Verte Lighthouse, erected in 1809, is the oldest lighthouse on the St. Lawrence River (and another quirky accommodation option in the region)

⬧ Pied-de-Vent, a delicious cheese from the Îles de la Madeleine, literally means “foot of the wind”
(and is what Islanders call a ray of sun appearing through the clouds since they believe this indicates
the next day will be windy)
⬧ The International Appalachian Trail in Québec (IAT-QC), which is 650 km (400 mi.) long, is the first
long-distance hiking route to receive the Grande Randonnée designation in North America (GR®A1)
⬧ Part of the Côte-Nord region was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO on
September 18, 2007
⬧ Adult northern gannets have a wingspan of 1.8 metres (6 feet)

⬧ Twenty-two Acadian families settled on the Îles de la Madeleine between 1762 to 1765 to hunt sea
cows for their oil (which is how the Islands were first colonized)
⬧ Chic-Choc means “impenetrable barrier” in the Mi’gmaq language
⬧ The Mingan Archipelago is the best place in Québec to observe Atlantic puffins
⬧ The sinking of the Empress of Ireland, in 1914, off Sainte-Luce, was the deadliest maritime disaster
in Canadian history

⬧ The Manic-5 dam is 214 metres (702 feet) high, 1314 metres (4311 feet) wide and composed of
13 arches and 14 buttresses, making it the largest multiple-arch-and-buttress dam in the world
⬧ The cultural mosaic found in the maritime regions of Québec includes Indigenous peoples as well as
the descendants of the French, English, Scots, Irish and Acadians who settled here after the arrival of
Jacques Cartier in 1534
⬧ The sunsets in Bas-Saint-Laurent are renowned for being some of the most beautiful in the world

⬧ Grande-Entrée, in the Îles de la Madeleine, has been designated Québec’s Lobster Capital, since its
harbour is packed with over 100 lobster boats.

Want to learn more about Quebec Maritime?

• 10+ Quirky and Unique Accommodations in Quebec Maritime
• Quebec by the Sea – The Lighthouse Trail in Quebec Maritime – Detailed Itinerary
• 6 of the Best Road Trips in Quebec Maritime
• Family Travel in Quebec Maritime – Ferme 5 Etoiles Family Farm is a must-see
• A Comprehensive Guide to Whale Watching in Tadoussac, Quebec – Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
• International Garden Festival – Large Scale Garden Installations in the Jardin Metis/Reford Gardens
• Percé Rock in the Gaspésie Region of Quebec–#QuebecMaritime
• From Working Farms to Futuristic Pods in the woods: Your Guide to Where to stay in Quebec
• Video – FB Live of Jacob the Wolf at Ferme 5 Etoiles in Quebec Maritime
• Video – Lighthouse Trail in Quebec Maritime Part One and Part Two

 🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials