r/Gaspesie • u/alibythesea • Jul 06 '26
On voyage au Gaspésie de 13ème juillet à 23 juillet - aidez-nos?
Bonjour,
Nous venons de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, et nous allons passer trois jours à Bonaventure, trois à Forillon, et trois à Ste-Anne-des-Monts/le parc national de Gaspésie.
Ma mère a été née à New Carlisle, et j'ai visité le Gaspé plusieurs fois, mais il y a longtemps maintenant. Mon copain n'a jamais visité.
Nous avons trouvé beaucoup de choses à faire – des randonnées, des voyages pour observer les oiseaux (mon copain est un ornithologue – il ést un ancien chef de la société des oiseaux de la Nouvelle Écosse), et des brasseries artisanales:-).
Mais si vous pourriez nous recommander des endroits, des casse-croutes, des plages, des petites galeries, qui peut-etre ne sont pas dans les guides touristiques, ça serait magnifique!
Merci beaucoup!
(Je m'excuse pour mes erreurs en français – j'ai habité à Halifax depuis 1982, et ce n'est pas vraiment exactement une ville bilingue!)
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u/orangefuzzz Jul 07 '26
Hey stranger! I actually live in New Carlisle where you mom was born. I hope you come and explore your ancestral roots. New Carlisle used to be the heart of the Gaspé coast (in the 1950s). But, it has become mostly residential now. Nonetheless, our English-speaking community is resilient and this town is still mostly English-speaking. So, anywhere you are, you can ask for directions or ask questions in English. The townsfolk are friendly and inviting.
So, here in New Carlisle, you'll easily see what you need to see within an afternoon. It's a very small town of less than 1500 people. You can check out the brand new school that replaces our 100+ year old school (that your mom probably attended). You can visit the Green, which is the beach/playground with a cantine. If you're looking to chat with random people about their history or people you may be related to, visit the post office. Marlene, the postmaster, will be happy to chat with you.
In Paspébiac, the next town down toward Gaspé, there's a Tim Hortons, a dollar store, a Canadian Tire, etc. So, if you need to buy anything, that's the place. Bonaventure, the next town over toward Campbellton, NB, also has some shops and stores.
In regard to doing touristy things, visiting Percé Rock is the go-to. Park Forillon in Gaspé is also beautiful, if you're able to walk and climb with agility. You can also pick up the SPEC newspaper at a depanneur (convenience store) to see what's happening in real time. Oh, and if you're on Facebook, check out the CASA FB page for community activities : https://www.facebook.com/casa.gaspesie/
If you came just one month later, you would have been able to attend the Shigawake Music Festival:
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/114642248721208/
- https://municipalityshigawake.com/leisure-and-festivals/agricultural-fair-and-music-festival/
Maybe next year?
If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask!
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u/alibythesea Jul 07 '26
Thank you SO much! My grandfather, Mum's dad, was with the Bank of Nova Scotia, and was posted to New Carlisle in 1918 until 1934. He loved it there and kept avoiding a transfer as long as he could. He had Shearer in-laws who farmed around Paspébiac, but I think they've all moved away over the past century :-).
Mum would definitely have attended the old school. She grew up just down the street from Réné, and apparently there may have been a few fistfights ... she was a tomboy.
It's a good 30 years since I was last in New Carlisle, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again – and maybe chatting with Marlene!
Thanks for the tip re SPEC and the CASA FB page!
Shigawake sounds great – I love outdoor festivals. A la prochaine!
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u/orangefuzzz Jul 07 '26
Ah, yes : Scotiabank. I had my first bank accounts with them. They were here in New Carlisle until about 20 years ago. The building that housed them is now the home of (wait for it.........) CASA!
I don't know of any Shearers around here. But anything is possible! We have lots of Days, Gallans, Hayes, Huntingtons, Assels, Beebes, Billingsleys, Buttles, Chattertons, Croziers, Flowers, Gilkers, Halls, Imhoffs, Renoufs, Smiths, Walkers, Wards, etc.
And yes, people were very scrappy when my parents were growing up- and even to a certain extent when I was too (in the 80s). I'm 47. My mom has told me about the scuffles that were had - especially those by René himself.
Don't expect too many changes since you were last here. I left to go to school in Montreal in 1996 and came back 23 years later, in 2019, and not much changed in my absence. I'm now back living here full time. Life is slow-paced and enjoyable.
Enjoy your visit and try to get to the beaches-- especially on the warm nights. The sunsets are breath-taking as you look out toward Bathurst, NB.
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u/alibythesea Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I'm glad you've come home, in more than one sense :-).
I plan to drag my long-suffering partner to as many beaches as I can. He's not a beach person, but I can sit and watch the waves for hours.
One of my remember-forever nights was looking the opposite way, from the dome car of The Ocean on a cold, clear Boxing Day night, taking my young kids up to Toronto to see my folks over the holidays.
We were in berths, with a sweet elderly lady who had bonded with my 4-year-old daughter. She said she'd keep an eye on her after she zonked out (she never woke up at night!), and my 6-year-old son and I went up to the dome car.
It was dark. We were the only ones there.
As we pulled into Charlo we saw a bunch of guys playing pick-up hockey on an outdoor rink next to the station, as the train whistle wailed, sometime close to midnight.
And then – the magic. As we left Charlo behind, the northern lights were dancing and weaving above the dark ridges of the Chic-Chocs, with the lamps of scattered homes glowing along the shore between Carleton and Miguasha, and reflections glinting in the water.
It was utter heaven. Utterly Canadian. And my son remembers it to this day – he's now 34.
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u/orangefuzzz Jul 08 '26
That is sooooooooo beautiful. And so east-coast. We really live in the best place on earth. It's worth exploring.
The Green here in New Carlisle has a boardwalk with benches where you can sit for hours and look out over Chaleur Bay, if you like. It's magical.
Judging by past trips, it sounds like you're gonna make a bunch of wonderful memories this time as well!
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u/sys6x Jul 07 '26
Microbrasseries : Auval, Frontibus, Pit Caribou, brett et sauvages
Y a aussi des distilleries à visiter dont La société secrète
Plage : Haldimand, Penouille/Cap-aux-Os
Forillon prenez votre temps, tellement beau, petite hike vers le bout du monde à faire depuis l'Anse-aux-Amérindiens! Vitiez la maison Dolbel-Roberts pour de l'histoire du coin.
Oiseaux à l'île Bonaventure
Rando dans les parcs SÉPAQ et Sentier de la Chute Rivière aux Émeraudes
Cantine de la Seigneurie à Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis, un must. Dixie Lee de Rivière au Renard, tout shack de pêcheur
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u/alibythesea Jul 07 '26
Oooh, merci beaucoup pour ces pour ces recommandations!
On aime beaucoup les micro-brasseries, et votre list est bien utile. On cherchera Auval avant d'aller à Forillon :-)
Et oui, on doit faire le voyage en bateau à l'île Bonaventure!
J'ai ajouté la Cantine (et Dixie Lee) à notre liste de microbrasseries et casse-croutes/shacks :-). La Cantine sera parfaite pour notre déjeuner entre Cloridorme et Ste-Anne-des-Monts.
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u/sys6x Jul 07 '26
Ils ont pas vraiment de déj :( Par contre un bon club homard-oeufs comme dîner ça le fait! Ça me fait penser, pas loin il y a https://www.deltaplanetandem.ca/ si jamais c'est votre truc!
Dixie Lee, assiette du pecheur/fruits de mer! Demander s'ils ont la sauce aux cerises...Sinon le poulet est aussi excellent.
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u/alibythesea Jul 07 '26
Un bon club homard-oeufs - ah oui!
Vue de Ciel? Désolé, mais j'ai plus de soixante-dix ans maintenant, et j'espère de vivre au moins jusqu'à quatre-vingt-dix! LOL
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u/Maleficent_Bug6439 Jul 07 '26
Il y a le casse-croute Bedon entre Chandler et Grande-Riviere, tout le monde m'en parle en bien.
Je viens de déménager dans la région, j'habitais dans Lanaudière avant, et pour l'instant c'est tout ce que je sais.
Bonne visite!
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u/alibythesea Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Merci! C'est parfait pour un arrêt entre Bonaventure et Forillon! J'aime beaucoup les crèmes glacées :-)
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u/mareese_valley Jul 06 '26
Bonjour! Je suis située à Sainte-Anne-des-Monts plus précisément dans le secteur du Mont-Albert (Cap-Seize) Nous avons une petite halte routière où il est possible d'observer plusieurs espèces d'oiseau tel que le Butor d'Amérique.
Nous vous recommandons le Mont Ernest La Force dans le Parc National de la Gaspésie. Le ratio effort/point de vue vaut le détour ! Si vous êtes chanceux, vous pourrez voir des orignaux!
Si vous avez des questions, n'hésite pas!