Discover the history ofone of the darkest episodes in Canadian history with this Grosse Island Day Trip.
Cruise & Visit to Grosse Island
At the time indicated, we'll meet at the Berthier-sur-Mer Marina. There, we'll board a boat and sail on the St-Lawrence river towards Grosse-île.
Once we arrive at our destination, we'll disembark and you'll meet your Parc Canada certified tour guide. Did you know that Grosse Island was a former quarantine station? This is where immigrants arriving from Ireland were taken to be disinfected before being allowed to enter the mainland.
However, the story is darker than it seems. On this island on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, more than 7000 immigrants died due to poor sanitary conditions.
As you stroll through its streets you can get an idea of what life was like for those who lived here in the past. You can visit the church, the lighthouse, the cemetery and even the lazaretto, one of the most gloomy places on the island. Here you can learn first-hand about the disinfection process carried out by the toilets.
After having discovered the dark history of Grosse Island, we'll sail back to the meeting point, to end the day trip.