Tadoussac, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Tadoussac is a village in Quebec
, Canada
, at the confluence
of the Saint Lawrence
and Saguenay
rivers. It was France
's first trading post
on the mainland of New France
and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Quebec, and the oldest surviving French settlement in the Americas.
The indigenous Montagnais
called the place Totouskak (plural for totouswk or totochak) meaning "udder
s", probably in reference to the two round and sandy hills located on the west side of the village. However, according to other interpretations, it could also mean "place of lobsters", "place where the ice is broken" (from the Montagnais shashuko), or "among the rocks" (from the Mi'kmaq Gtatosag; even though the site was located in Montagnais territory, it was known to and frequented by the Mi'kmaq in the second half of the 16th century). Alternate spellings of Tadoussac over the centuries included Tadousac (17th and 18th centuries), Tadoussak, and Thadoyzeau (1550).
, at its confluence with the Saguenay River
. The cold, fresh water from the Saguenay and the warmer, salty water of the St. Lawrence, meet to create a rich marine environment. The rivers support an abundance of krill
, making the area very attractive to whales.
Tadoussac is the north-east terminus of the Baie-Ste-Catherine
/Tadoussac ferry
, which offers free and frequent service across the Saguenay River. The ferry is part of Quebec Route 138
and the main link to Sept-Îles
. The village is thus considered the gateway to the Manicouagan region
.
Jacques Cartier
came to the site in 1535 during his second voyage, and found there Montagnais
hunting seal. Later that same century, it was visited by Basques
, whaling
on the river.
Tadoussac was founded in 1600 by François Gravé Du Pont
, a merchant, and Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit, a captain of the French Royal Navy, when they acquired a fur trade
monopoly
from Henry IV
. Gravé and Chauvin built the settlement on the shore at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River to profit from its location, but only five of the 16 men with them survived the first winter. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain
visited the place. In 1615, the Mission of L'Exaltation-de-la-Sainte-Croix-de-Tadoussac, named in memory of a cross planted by Jean de Quen
, was founded by the Récollets
who sang the first Mass two years later.
Tadoussac remained the only seaport on the river for 30 years. By the 17th and 18th century, it was the center of fur trade between the French and First Nations peoples. Competition over the fur trade increased among the nations. Historians believe the St. Lawrence Iroqouians
, who inhabited the St. Lawrence river valley further west, were defeated and pushed out by the Mohawk
by the early 17th century. Colonists from the Tadoussac area were involved in whaling
from 1632 until at least the end of the century.
In the 19th century, with industrialization reaching other parts of Canada, tourists discovered the appeal of the rural village and wealthy Québécois built a number of villas. A Victorian hotel was built in 1864; it later was lost to a fire. In the 1940s, it was replaced by the large Hotel Tadoussac.
In 1855, the geographic township of Tadoussac was established and in 1899, it was incorporated as a village municipality. In 1937, the Parish Municipality of Tadoussac was formed, but dissolved in 1949 because it had less than 500 inhabitants.
The modern village of Tadoussac lies close to the site of the original settlement at the mouth of the Saguenay River
. It is known as a tourist destination, mostly because of its facilities for whale watching
and because of the rugged beauty of the Saguenay fjord
.
The entire area is either rural or still in a wilderness state, with several federal and provincial natural parks and preserves competing for prestigious spots. Tadoussac encompasses the first marine national park of Canada. The nearest urban agglomeration is Saguenay
about 100 km (62.1 mi) west.
A film based on the 1981 novel The Hotel New Hampshire
was shot at the Hotel Tadoussac.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 362 (total dwellings: 461)
Mother tongue:
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...
, at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Saint Lawrence
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...
and Saguenay
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
rivers. It was France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's first trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
on the mainland of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Quebec, and the oldest surviving French settlement in the Americas.
The indigenous Montagnais
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
called the place Totouskak (plural for totouswk or totochak) meaning "udder
Udder
An udder is an organ formed of the mammary glands of female quadruped mammals, especially ruminants such as cattle, goats, sheep and deer. The udder is a single mass hanging beneath the animal, consisting of pairs of mammary glands...
s", probably in reference to the two round and sandy hills located on the west side of the village. However, according to other interpretations, it could also mean "place of lobsters", "place where the ice is broken" (from the Montagnais shashuko), or "among the rocks" (from the Mi'kmaq Gtatosag; even though the site was located in Montagnais territory, it was known to and frequented by the Mi'kmaq in the second half of the 16th century). Alternate spellings of Tadoussac over the centuries included Tadousac (17th and 18th centuries), Tadoussak, and Thadoyzeau (1550).
Geography
Tadoussac is located on the north-west shore of the Saint Lawrence RiverSaint 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...
, at its confluence with the Saguenay River
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
. The cold, fresh water from the Saguenay and the warmer, salty water of the St. Lawrence, meet to create a rich marine environment. The rivers support an abundance of krill
Krill
Krill is the common name given to the order Euphausiacea of shrimp-like marine crustaceans. Also known as euphausiids, these small invertebrates are found in all oceans of the world...
, making the area very attractive to whales.
Tadoussac is the north-east terminus of the Baie-Ste-Catherine
Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Quebec
Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Quebec is a town in Quebec, Canada. The municipal's territory extends along the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence Rivers, whereas the town itself is on the small St. Catherine Bay, which is located at the confluence of these two rivers...
/Tadoussac ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, which offers free and frequent service across the Saguenay River. The ferry is part of Quebec Route 138
Quebec route 138
Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal...
and the main link to Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles, Quebec
For the islands in north of Brittany, see JentilezSept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec, Canada. It is the northernmost town in Quebec with any significant population...
. The village is thus considered the gateway to the Manicouagan region
Manicouagan Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Manicouagan is a Regional County Municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River with its seat in Baie-Comeau...
.
History
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
came to the site in 1535 during his second voyage, and found there Montagnais
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
hunting seal. Later that same century, it was visited by Basques
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
, whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
on the river.
Tadoussac was founded in 1600 by François Gravé Du Pont
François Gravé Du Pont
François Gravé , said Du Pont , was a French navigator , an early fur trader and explorer in the New World.Gravé Du Pont is known to have traded furs in the New France, since maybe 1580, surely before 1599, reaching Trois-Rivières in...
, a merchant, and Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit, a captain of the French Royal Navy, when they acquired a fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
from Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. Gravé and Chauvin built the settlement on the shore at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River to profit from its location, but only five of the 16 men with them survived the first winter. In 1603, Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
visited the place. In 1615, the Mission of L'Exaltation-de-la-Sainte-Croix-de-Tadoussac, named in memory of a cross planted by Jean de Quen
Jean de Quen
Jean de Quen was a French Jesuit missionary, priest and historian who discovered Lac Saint-Jean. As head of the missions of the Jesuits of New France, he founded the missions to the Saguenay....
, was founded by the Récollets
Recollets
The Récollets were a French branch of the Roman Catholic order, the Franciscans , which developed out of a reform movement that began in the 15th century in Spain and established itself in France in Tulle in 1585, at Nevers in 1592, at Limoges in 1596 and in Paris in 1603...
who sang the first Mass two years later.
Tadoussac remained the only seaport on the river for 30 years. By the 17th and 18th century, it was the center of fur trade between the French and First Nations peoples. Competition over the fur trade increased among the nations. Historians believe the St. Lawrence Iroqouians
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, who inhabited the St. Lawrence river valley further west, were defeated and pushed out by the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
by the early 17th century. Colonists from the Tadoussac area were involved in whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
from 1632 until at least the end of the century.
In the 19th century, with industrialization reaching other parts of Canada, tourists discovered the appeal of the rural village and wealthy Québécois built a number of villas. A Victorian hotel was built in 1864; it later was lost to a fire. In the 1940s, it was replaced by the large Hotel Tadoussac.
In 1855, the geographic township of Tadoussac was established and in 1899, it was incorporated as a village municipality. In 1937, the Parish Municipality of Tadoussac was formed, but dissolved in 1949 because it had less than 500 inhabitants.
Present day
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
. It is known as a tourist destination, mostly because of its facilities for whale watching
Whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
and because of the rugged beauty of the Saguenay fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
.
The entire area is either rural or still in a wilderness state, with several federal and provincial natural parks and preserves competing for prestigious spots. Tadoussac encompasses the first marine national park of Canada. The nearest urban agglomeration is Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
about 100 km (62.1 mi) west.
A film based on the 1981 novel The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1981 coming of age novel by John Irving and his fifth published novel.-Plot summary:This novel is the story of the Berrys, a quirky New Hampshire family composed of a married couple, Win and Mary, and their five children...
was shot at the Hotel Tadoussac.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 850 (2001 to 2006 population change: -2.3 %)
- Population in 2001: 870
- Population in 1996: 913
- Population in 1991: 832
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 362 (total dwellings: 461)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 1.8 %
- French as first language: 92.3 %
- English and French as first language: 1.8 %
- Other as first language: 4.1 %
Tourism and attractions
- Old chapel (the oldest wooden church in Canada and USA) http://www.patrimoine-religieux.qc.ca/mission/missione.htm
- Trading post of Pierre Chauvin
- CIMM (Centre d'interprétation des mammifères marins), Center of Marine Mammal Interpretation
- Whale watchingWhale watchingWhale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
excursions in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park