Kamouraska, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Kamouraska is a municipality
on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River
in the Bas-Saint-Laurent
region of Quebec
, Canada
. It is part of the Regional County Municipality of Kamouraska
. It has been named one of the top 20 most beautiful villages in the province of Quebec, and the municipality is a member of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec
Association.
The area was first settled in the late 17th century. There is a long tradition of eel
fishing here and an interpretive centre on eel fishing is located in the village.
Kamouraska has been the home of some important people in Quebec and Canadian history: the author of the French lyrics to "O Canada," Basile-Adophe Routhier, was a judge of the Superior Court and lived there from 1864-1891 and the second verse of the Anthem reflects his love for Kamouraska ("Sous l'œil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant, Le Canadien grandit en espérant").
Anti-Catholic preacher Charles Chiniquy
was born in Kamouraska in 1809.
The Member of the Quebec Legislative Assembly for Kamouraska, René Chaloult (1901-1978), was the single most important lobbyist for Quebec having its own flag, the fleur-de-lis, which was recognized by the government of Maurice Duplessis in 1948.
Kamouraska was also the location of the 1839 murder of Louis-Pascal-Achille Taché. The event inspired Anne Hébert
's 1970 novel Kamouraska, which was made into a film
in 1973 by Claude Jutra.
Kamouraska was also the hometown of Marie-Louise Meilleur
, who went on to become the oldest person in the world in 1997-1998; she lived to 117 years of age.
There are salt marsh
es along the river and there is an ecological reserve near the village. The marsh provides habitat used by birds for nesting and during migration. Cliffs along the river provide nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcon
s, cormorants and great blue herons. Seal
s can also be seen in the river here. At certain times of year, the mosquito
es found in the marshes can be particularly aggressive.
The village can be reached via Autoroute 20
. Route 132
travels through the village.
The name "Kamouraska" comes from an Algonquin
word meaning "where rushes grow at the water's edge".
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
in the Bas-Saint-Laurent
Bas-Saint-Laurent
The Bas-Saint-Laurent region is located along the south shore of the lower Saint Lawrence River in Quebec.It has a population of 200,653 and a land area of 22,232.11 km² .-Subdivisions:...
region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is part of the Regional County Municipality of Kamouraska
Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Kamouraska is a regional county municipality in eastern Quebec, Canada. Regional County municipality seat is Saint-Pascal. The other main town is La Pocatière, Quebec....
. It has been named one of the top 20 most beautiful villages in the province of Quebec, and the municipality is a member of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec
Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec
The Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec is an association created in 1997 by Jean-Marie Girardville and inspired from similar associations in France, Belgium, and Italy. Its objective is to promote the preservation and the enhancement of the architectural and historical heritage of villages in...
Association.
The area was first settled in the late 17th century. There is a long tradition of eel
American eel
The American eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a catadromous fish found on the eastern coast of North America. It has a snake-like body with a small sharp pointed head. It is brown on top and a tan-yellow color on the bottom. It has sharp pointed teeth but no pelvic fins...
fishing here and an interpretive centre on eel fishing is located in the village.
Kamouraska has been the home of some important people in Quebec and Canadian history: the author of the French lyrics to "O Canada," Basile-Adophe Routhier, was a judge of the Superior Court and lived there from 1864-1891 and the second verse of the Anthem reflects his love for Kamouraska ("Sous l'œil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant, Le Canadien grandit en espérant").
Anti-Catholic preacher Charles Chiniquy
Charles Chiniquy
Charles P. Chiniquy was a Canadian Catholic priest who left the Catholic Church and became a Presbyterian pastor. He is known for his writings and sermons against the Roman Catholic Church. In the period between 1885 and 1899 he was the focus of a great deal of discussion in the United States of...
was born in Kamouraska in 1809.
The Member of the Quebec Legislative Assembly for Kamouraska, René Chaloult (1901-1978), was the single most important lobbyist for Quebec having its own flag, the fleur-de-lis, which was recognized by the government of Maurice Duplessis in 1948.
Kamouraska was also the location of the 1839 murder of Louis-Pascal-Achille Taché. The event inspired Anne Hébert
Anne Hébert
Anne Hébert, CC, OQ , was a Canadian author and poet. She is a descendant of famed French-Canadian historian Francois-Xavier Garneau, "and has carried on the family literary tradition spectacularly."...
's 1970 novel Kamouraska, which was made into a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in 1973 by Claude Jutra.
Kamouraska was also the hometown of Marie-Louise Meilleur
Marie-Louise Meilleur
Marie-Louise Fébronie Meilleur was a French Canadian supercentenarian who, upon the death of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, became the oldest recognized living person. Meilleur is still the oldest validated Canadian ever.-Biography:...
, who went on to become the oldest person in the world in 1997-1998; she lived to 117 years of age.
There are salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es along the river and there is an ecological reserve near the village. The marsh provides habitat used by birds for nesting and during migration. Cliffs along the river provide nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s, cormorants and great blue herons. Seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s can also be seen in the river here. At certain times of year, the mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es found in the marshes can be particularly aggressive.
The village can be reached via Autoroute 20
Quebec Autoroute 20
Autoroute 20 is a major Quebec Autoroute, following the Saint Lawrence River through one of the more densely-populated parts of Canada, and is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. At , it is the longest Autoroute in Quebec...
. Route 132
Quebec route 132
Route 132 is the longest highway in Quebec. It follows the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River from the border with the state of New York in the hamlet of Dundee , west of Montreal to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and circles the Gaspé Peninsula...
travels through the village.
The name "Kamouraska" comes from an Algonquin
Algonquin language
Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
word meaning "where rushes grow at the water's edge".
Municipal council
- Mayor: Claude Langlais
- Councillors: Robert Caughie, Guy Dionne, Rémi Dionne, Bernard Labrie, Gilles A. Michaud, Hervé Voyer