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

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-Pétronille

Situated on the south-western tip of the island facing Québec City, Sainte-Pétronille is known to the locals as the “tip of the island.” Founded in 1648, it was the first village to be settled. In 1651, the Jesuits established a mission here for the Hurons who were displaced by the Iroquois attacks. And in 1759, the community was chosen by British general James Wolfe as the site of his headquarters before launching a successful attack on Québec City.

After the battle, well-to-do English colonists came here and built their Regency-style villas with landscaped gardens. These summer homes were known for their red roofs which made for better visibility from the river, especially when travelling in heavy rain or snow.

And since the topography of this area is not well-suited for agriculture but best known for its splendid views of Montmorency Falls, Beauport Bay, and Cap Diamant, by the mid-19^th century, it was developed into a resort village for tourists and day-trippers from Québec City. In 1868, a three-hole golf course was built here, North America’s very first.

Sainte-Pétronille is best known for a number of attractions – a vineyard, a family farm, a chocolaterie, a couple of notable English-style homes, and restaurants.

Not far from the bridge is Vignoble Sainte-Pétronille, a vineyard that is said to be one of the best wine producers in all of Québec. They grow ten grape varieties, 85% of which are made into white wine (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Acadie, Vidal, Frontenac Blanc, and Vandal-Cliché, which is a hybrid bred by a Laval University biologist), and the remaining 15% for reds (Marquette, Petit Pearl, and St. Croix).

For a small fee, you can tour the vineyard and look at the grapevines up close, then head to the tasting bar for some wine sampling and shopping. In the summer, a food truck called Panache Mobile managed by the nearby Panache Restaurant is stationed there to provide delicious lunches that you can savour on the patio or their picnic area while admiring the view of Montmorency Falls and the Saint Lawrence River. They also hold V.I.P. tasting sessions, where guests can explore their wine varieties with the guidance of wine connoisseurs.

Since we had limited time and I am the only wine drinker in the family, we skipped it. My husband is fructose-intolerant and our son is too young to appreciate wine. It would just be a tease for me if we went to the vineyard without doing the tasting. In any case, I have done a few wine tastings before, so I said we could just come back later in the day if we still had time to buy some bottles.

We proceeded to Polyculture Plante, a family-run farm and ranch. Here you can go strawberry, apple, or pumpkin-picking, whichever is in season. But all year round, they have a big kiosk (more like a small covered market) open along the road that sells their fresh harvests, as well as homemade food items such as pies, pastries, bread, jams, jellies, marmalade, 100% pure apple juice, apple ciders, and maple products. They also carry Québec-made products such as rillettes, terrines, patés, chocolate-covered berries, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and many more.

We spent quite some time there. My husband got excited about the prospect of finding something he could eat since these products are mostly made with natural ingredients without preservatives. He got some fresh bread from the bakery section and found blueberry jam and chocolate-covered cranberries that he could have. We also bought a jar of blackcurrant jam for his dad (he loved blackcurrants and they are hard to find), cranberry jam for me (to go with roast turkey and duck confit), a variety of wild game rillettes, terrines and patés (duck, wapiti, bison, caribou), and fresh fruits to take back to our hotel.

I saw some fresh cherries in the produce section, but they were unlike the ones I am familiar with (the Okanagan and Rainier ones usually sold in our supermarkets). They were bright pinkish red and smaller. I wanted to ask a store clerk about it but none of them spoke English, so I got a small basket to try. I later learned that there are generally two types of cherries – the table cherries that are sweet and eaten raw, and the sour ones that are too tart to eat but are great for cooking and making pies. The latter are rare and in season only in the months of June and July. The ones I got were from the second group. I couldn’t eat them but once back at the hotel, I cooked them over the stove with some sugar, as a side dish to our pasta, sausage, and roast dinner.

Behind the kiosk were wooden picnic benches and tables where you can sit and eat while enjoying the great expanse of the farm with the falls and the river views. Sometimes I wonder if I should try this kind of life – shun city life for a time and stay in a farm and enjoy the rustic lifestyle!

Our next stop was the Chocolaterie de l'Île d'Orléans, a chocolate shop housed in an ancestral home that is over 200 years old. They have been making chocolates since 1988 using raw ingredients imported from Belgium and France supplied by the Barry Callebaut Group. My husband loves chocolates, and since he could only have the pure, unadulterated kind, this was certainly a place for him.

The shop’s policy focuses on quality. It says, “No chemical preservatives are or will ever be used in our products. No compromise will be made in the quality of our chocolate. All the required percentages of cacao are respected. Never will we offer "composite" chocolate (for example, chocolate-flavoured confections). We refuse to produce substandard grade chocolate, for we believe that quality is essential out of respect for our clients whose passion is real chocolate.”

Inside, we perused their glass counters filled with delights – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, truffles, pralines, chocolate bars, chocolate cigars, chocolate lollipops, chocolate cups (for liqueur shots), chocolate spreads, and chocolates moulded in various animal shapes. They also sell mini-bars if you want a taste of all their chocolate blends, as well as gift boxes in different boxes. In another section are frozen treats –homemade  ice cream and sorbet with over 20 flavours – made from 35% cream, milk, and purée of nothing but natural fruits in the true European tradition. They have soft-serve ice cream as well, and you have the option to dip it in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, maple, or caramel.

The shop has a small restaurant area and patio seating outside for those wanting some light snacks. They specialize in European cuisine (homemade soups, salads, quiches, bruschetta, pizza, croissants, sausages, crème brulée, chocolatines). They serve very good coffee, and of course hot chocolate.

We bought a few chocolate bars for ourselves and to share with my husband’s family in Montréal and some chocolate-covered berries for whom else, but my husband. My son and I couldn’t resist saying “no” to ice cream on a hot, humid day, so we each took a scoop on a sugar cone – chocolate for him, and a raspberry sorbet for me.

Right in front of the chocolaterie is a small street with quite a bit of pedestrian traffic, so we decided to check it out.  The sign identified it as Rue Horatio-Walker. Apparently, this street is popular with art fans. Horatio Walker, an early 19^th-century painter known for his landscapes of this island, lived on this street during the summer months (winters were spent at his studio home in New York) until his death in 1938.

His old home (No. 11) and workshop (No. 13) are still standing but are now private residences. Nevertheless, it was good walking there because on one side, you get to admire the quaint cottages with beautiful gardens, and on the other, the rocky seashore with interpretation panels that give information on maritime life in that area.

From that vantage point, we could clearly see Montmorency Falls from across the bridge. Since the tide was low, we walked on the seashore itself and took pictures until we finished our ice cream. On the way back to the car, my husband saw a “for sale” sign in front of one of the cottages and he teased me about moving here and living an island life. I just chuckled but didn’t tell him that I actually had that thought when we were at the farm.

There were a couple of inns in the village that are very popular. One is the Gîte au Toit Rouge (Red Roof Cottage), one of those red-roof buildings the island is famous for and could be seen from the end of Rue Horatio-Walker. It used to be a convalescent home for nuns but is now a charming B&B. The other one is La Goéliche, a Victorian mansion-turned-inn that is known for its rooms furnished with old wood furniture and decorated with antique pieces, spectacular river views, and a gourmet French restaurant. Unfortunately, we never got to see them since we were not staying overnight nor eating at that time of the day.

There were two other places we didn’t get to see.  One is the La Maison Gourdeau de Beaulieu, the island’s first home built in 1648 by the first seigneur (landholder responsible for distributing lots to tenant farmers) of Sainte-Petronille, Jacques Gourdeau de Beaulieu. Remodeled over the years, this house incorporates Breton and Québec architectural styles with its thick walls and dormer windows that are in contrast with the sloping, bell-shaped roof designed to protect buildings from large amounts of snow. This house is not available to the public.

The second one is the Sainte-Pétronille Church on Chemin de l’Église near the municipal office, which we only saw from the outside. Originally named Sainte-Pétronille de Beaulieu parish in 1870 after Saint Petronilla, a Roman martyr of the first century, and Jacques Gourdeau de Beaulieu, it was shortened to just Sainte-Pétronille since the residents have gotten used to it. It was said that this church was built because the French Catholics that time felt threatened by the influx of English settlers who earlier built an Anglican chapel.

We drove on and passed by Galerie Boutique Pétronille, housed in another red-roofed stone cottage. It is the permanent location for the contemporary works of artist Louise Lasnier – paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothes, gifts, and souvenirs, but we did not stop since we were more interested to explore the landscape of the other villages.