Île d’Orléans, Island of Enchantment: Sainte-Famille

Île d’Orléans is but a small island on the Saint-Lawrence River about five kilometers east of downtown Québec City, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and the tourist mob, but its historical and cultural significance cannot be discounted. In fact, diminutive as it is in the whole province of Québec, it is considered the “Birthplace of New France” and the “Cradle of French civilization in North America.”

Île d’Orléans was one of the first parts of the province that was settled by the French. In the 17^th century, more than 300 families came here from north-west France, mostly from the Normandy and Pitou regions, to establish permanent homes in what was then New France. Some have stayed there for centuries, while others have spread out to the mainland. A large percentage of French Canadians can actually trace their ancestry back to the early residents of this island.

But it is even older than that. The island has long been inhabited by Indigenous tribes. In fact, the Huron peoples called it Minigo, meaning “enchanted island.” When French explorer Jacques Cartier first set foot on this land in 1535, he named it Île de Bascuz (Island of Bacchus), after the Greek god of wine, because of the abundance of wild grape vines growing all over the island. When he returned a year later, he renamed it Île d’Orléans in honour of Henri II, Duke of Orléans and the second son of Francis I, the then-King of France.

The first settlers were attracted by the island’s fertile soil and since the early days of colonization, agriculture has been the main livelihood of its people. Known as “The Garden of Québec,” it remains a largely rural place and its current inhabitants have preserved its pastoral heritage, even after the island became more accessible with the completion of the Pont de l’Île in 1935 that connected it to the mainland in Beauport.

And despite the increase in traffic and the influx of visitors, the island has maintained its historical character and traditional way of life. More than 600 of its houses and buildings were classified as heritage property and in 1990, the entire island was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, thus protecting it from commercial development.

Today, Île d’Orléans is a popular destination for day-trippers from Québec City, as well as avid cyclists and hiking enthusiasts. It has also carved its place as the epicentre of Québec’s agri-tourism movement and a culinary haven. Just 15 minutes from Québec City by car, and about 8 kilometers wide and 35 kilometers long, it can easily be explored from a few hours to a full day, depending on the number of stops you choose to make.

A 60-kilometer road called Chemin Royale circles the whole island and three main roads, Rue d’Orléans, Route Prévost, and Route des Prêtre, connect it from north to south near the western tip. You may have heard that Chemin Royale was featured in a 1975 song entitled, “Le Tour de l’Île” composed by Francophone musician and Île d’Orléans-native, Félix Leclerc.

If you travel along the perimeter of the island along this route, you will be treated to its spectacular landscape, from jagged coves and capes to hilly reliefs and small valleys, as well as the stretch of greenery with fields of berries and luscious vineyards, not to mention the gorgeous scenery stretching along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. No wonder, Sir Felix was inspired by the beauty and had set it to music.

Though I have never heard his song which, for sure, was written in French, I think I could relate with his wistful sentiments. When my family and I drove around the island, we simply fell under its spell – so simple and rustic, yet full of warmth and charm.

From the bridge, we traveled counterclockwise via Chemin Royale. Following this road will give you the opportunity to see all six villages that comprise the island – Sainte-Pétronille, Saint-Laurent, Saint-Jean, Saint-François, Sainte-Famille, and Saint-Pierre.

Sainte-Famille

Founded in 1661, Sainte-Famille is the island’s oldest parish. We were greeted by the stunning views of the Beaupré shoreline, as well as expansive apple orchards. But this apple village offers more than apple-picking. It has the densest concentration of stone houses in the characteristic Québeçois style dating back from the French regime, each filled with the story of the earliest settlers of the island.

The oldest one, Maison Drouin, is a beautifully-preserved home from the 1730s. It has never been modernized and is now open for visitors. Inside, you can explore each room, still furnished and decorated as it was 300 years ago, which would give you the sense that you are looking around the house of someone who has just stepped out to go shopping at the market and will be back soon to cook you dinner. I like visiting old houses, that is why, I was a bit disappointed to find out it is already closed.

If you like history, Maison de nos Aïeux is the place to go. It is a genealogy centre that provides the history of the 300 founding families of this island and how they lived over the years. It offers genealogy tools, a scale model, exhibits, and films.

The adjacent Parc des Ancêtres is a riverside green space with picnic tables, and sharing the same parking lot is Pub Le Mitan, a local Belgian-inspired micro-brewery with a deck that overlooks the river. It would have been a perfect spot for a beer break after soaking in history. But we skipped these parts as well.

Beside the centre is the Church of the Holy Family with a procession chapel that dates back to 1743. It is unique to the village because it is the only one with three working steeples, niches in its walls with the statues of the Holy Family, and its wealth of art work.

We passed by so many interesting places in this village, but due to the late hours, everything was already closed. But I made a mental note to come back here and check out some places.

Les Fromages de l'Îsle d'Orléans, is an award-winning maker of artisanal historic cheeses from the colonial period of New France. Their most famous cheese is called Paillasson, a pan-grilled cheese still done according to the original recipe and is said to be the first cheese ever produced in North America. At the shop, you will be greeted by staff dressed in period costumes as you peruse their products ranging from cheeses to pâtés, rillettes, and terrines; from butters, jellies, jams, spreads, and syrups to home-made ketchup, mustard, vinegars, and salad dressings; and from maple products and honey to unique gift items. My kind of place! They also offer homemade spruce beer and light snacks which you can enjoy at their outdoor covered terrace.

Relais des Pins is a sugar-shack and restaurant that is open year-round. Even in the summer, they provide tours that share the maple production process with visitors and they will even let you try taffy-on-snow! There is also a restaurant with a maple-inspired menu and live folk music during your meal where one can sample traditional pea soup, pork rinds, bread and homemade ketchup, baked beans, meat pies, maple ham, and of course, pancakes with maple syrup.

Domaine de la Souce à Marguerite is a magnificent 150-acre estate with vineyards, orchards, winery, and old-fashioned boutique. They offer winery tours, tasting, apple-picking, and shopping. With 12 different kinds of wines, plus aperitifs, fruit liqueurs, ice cider, and icewine, how could you go wrong?

Cidrerie Verger Joe Giguère is an orchard and cidrerie that started as a hobby and grew into an orchard of 3,000 apple trees from which award-winning apple ciders are produced. Visits there also include cider tasting as well as apple-picking.

Ferme Laval Gagnon is a family-owned farm that cultivates apples, strawberries, raspberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, as well as gladioli, and more recently, cherries (and I am guessing that my sour cherries came from there). They have a kiosk that sells their produce and at the farm, you can pick your own vegetables and fruits. In the summer, they hold activities for families and school children such as farm tours, tractor rides, group corn roasts, petting zoos, a temporary playground with inflatable toys, and games like potato sack races. In fact, we saw the inflatables from afar as we drove past the farm.

We reluctantly left the village of Sainte-Famille to see the last one on the island, Saint-Pierre. At this point, we were most certain that we would be limited to sightseeing, as the sun was already setting and the island’s business establishments have already shut down.