Musée de la Gaspésie

On the shore of Gaspé Bay, in front of a granite monument and a tall cross, a museum tells the story of the peninsula that juts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Musée de la Gaspésie stands at 80 boulevard de Gaspé in the town of Gaspé, at the eastern end of Quebec’s Gaspésie region on the Gaspé Peninsula, and it is the main institution devoted to the region's history, geology, archaeology and identity. The museum grew from the work of local historians in the 20th century, and its Archives Centre manages a large archive and it publishes a historical magazine, Magazine Gaspésie, regarded as Quebec’s oldest historical publication.

The setting is rich in history. In 1534, the French navigator Jacques Cartier landed on the shore at Gaspé, raised a wooden cross bearing the fleur-de-lis and claimed the land for the King of France, an event in which he also met a group of Mi’gmaq and Iroquoian fishermen who were there for the summer. The memory is marked in front of the museum by the Jacques Cartier Monument, a large granite structure raised in the 1930s, and by a replica of the cross. The Mi’gmaq, who have lived on the peninsula for thousands of years, are presented in the museum as the first people of the land.

Inside, the permanent exhibitions follow the long story of the peninsula. One gallery covers hundreds of millions of years of geological history, from the ancient seas to the fossils and rock formations of the coast, which are among the most important in North America. Another traces the human story, from the Mi’gmaq and the first European fishermen, through Acadian and Loyalist settlement, to the era of the cod fishery, when schooners and small boats worked the coast. An immersive maritime display shows boats, equipment and photographs of the fishermen's life, with a cod-fishing boat as a regional emblem. Temporary exhibitions deal with particular themes in more depth.

A gift shop sells local crafts, books and products, and the museum's archives are open for research by arrangement. Visitors will find the museum open year-round, though hours vary by season, and the Société des musées du Québec card gives free access. Check the website for the current programme.

Gaspé is also the gateway to Forillon National Park, a short drive east, and the two make a good pairing. Families, history readers and travellers on a Gaspésie road trip will find the museum a useful introduction.