Sault-au-Cochon, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Sault-au-Cochon is an unorganized territory in the Capitale-Nationale
region of Quebec, Canada, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality
. It is an unpopulated and undeveloped stretch of shoreline along the Saint Lawrence River
that encompasses the promontory from Cape Tourmente to Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
.
The Charlevoix Railway
passes through the territory right along the Saint Lawrence River. The territory is named after a former rail stop on this line located about halfway between Cape Tourmente and Baie-Saint-Paul
, or about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north-east of Quebec City
(47°12′01"N 70°38′25"W). The stop is situated the mouth of a small stream that rushes down the steep slope of the promontory. In 1676 it was reported that the stream used to be called Gouffre ("Chasm") River but had been given the name Sault au Cochon since. This name comes from the presence of Porpoise and Beluga whale in the Saint Lawrence River that were formerly called cochons de mer ("sea pigs") in French. The name "Saut au Cochon" was used by Jean Deshayes on his map of 1695, and it was thereafter also applied to the surrounding interior lands that were not part of the seigneurial domain of the Quebec Seminary.
The territory has been used for logging and it was home to a sawmill in the 1930s. A small section of old-growth forest remains, some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-east of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (47°07′51"N 70°43′07"W). It covers 62 hectares and is characterized by Yellow birch and Sugar maple, some of which are up to 320 years old and have a diameter of 90 centimetres (35.4 in).
On September 9, 1949, a Quebec Airways DC-3
, on route from L'Ancienne-Lorette to Baie-Comeau, exploded and crashed at Sault-au-Cochon, killing 23 persons (19 passengers and 4 crew members). It was the result of a homemade bomb made by Genereux Ruest, a watchmaker in Quebec who had placed it on board with the help of his sister Marguerite Ruest Pitre. The plot was hatched by Albert Guay, a jeweler in Quebec who wanted to get rid of his wife Rita Morel, one of the passengers, and cash-in an insurance policy worth ten thousand dollars. All three were found guilty and hanged in the early 1950s.
Capitale-Nationale
Capitale-Nationale is one of 17 administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Quebec City, Quebec's centre of government, is located in this region. It has a land area of 18,638.7 km2...
region of Quebec, Canada, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality
La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec
300px|rightLa Côte-de-Beaupré is a regional county municipality in northeastern Quebec, Canada. Regional County municipality seat is Château-Richer, Quebec. The municipality has a land area of 4,864.67 km² and a 2006 census population of 23,015 inhabitants. Its largest community is the...
. It is an unpopulated and undeveloped stretch of shoreline along 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...
that encompasses the promontory from Cape Tourmente to Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec
Petite-Rivière-Saint-François is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River. It is considered the gateway to the Charlevoix region.It is home to Le Massif ski resort.-History:...
.
The Charlevoix Railway
Charlevoix Railway
The Charlevoix Railway is a short-line railway that operates in the Charlevoix region of Quebec Canada. From 1994 to 2009 it was a subsidiary of the Quebec Railway Corporation, a short line operator. Since April 2009 it has been owned by...
passes through the territory right along the Saint Lawrence River. The territory is named after a former rail stop on this line located about halfway between Cape Tourmente and Baie-Saint-Paul
Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
Baie-Saint-Paul is a city in the Province of Quebec, Canada, on the northern shore of the Saint Lawrence River. Baie-Saint-Paul is the seat of Charlevoix Regional County Municipality. The city is situated at the mouth of the Gouffre River...
, or about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north-east of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
(47°12′01"N 70°38′25"W). The stop is situated the mouth of a small stream that rushes down the steep slope of the promontory. In 1676 it was reported that the stream used to be called Gouffre ("Chasm") River but had been given the name Sault au Cochon since. This name comes from the presence of Porpoise and Beluga whale in the Saint Lawrence River that were formerly called cochons de mer ("sea pigs") in French. The name "Saut au Cochon" was used by Jean Deshayes on his map of 1695, and it was thereafter also applied to the surrounding interior lands that were not part of the seigneurial domain of the Quebec Seminary.
The territory has been used for logging and it was home to a sawmill in the 1930s. A small section of old-growth forest remains, some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-east of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (47°07′51"N 70°43′07"W). It covers 62 hectares and is characterized by Yellow birch and Sugar maple, some of which are up to 320 years old and have a diameter of 90 centimetres (35.4 in).
On September 9, 1949, a Quebec Airways DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, on route from L'Ancienne-Lorette to Baie-Comeau, exploded and crashed at Sault-au-Cochon, killing 23 persons (19 passengers and 4 crew members). It was the result of a homemade bomb made by Genereux Ruest, a watchmaker in Quebec who had placed it on board with the help of his sister Marguerite Ruest Pitre. The plot was hatched by Albert Guay, a jeweler in Quebec who wanted to get rid of his wife Rita Morel, one of the passengers, and cash-in an insurance policy worth ten thousand dollars. All three were found guilty and hanged in the early 1950s.
Demographics
Population:- Population in 2006: 0
- Population in 2001: 0
- Population in 1996: 0
- Population in 1991: 0