GoGo SlowGo Adventures: Village of Kamouraska + Ile d'Orleans Family Heritage + Quebec City

Village of Kamouraska

Travelling the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, on our way to Quebec City, we pass the historic coastal village of 'Kamouraska'. The village was officially designated as one of the 'Most Beautiful Villages In Quebec', so we think we should stop in.

Cool colours on this home

Windvane on house above

Welcoming back yard

Scenic highway 132 west

Back on the road, we continue along the scenic highway 132 west rather than the busy TCH. This highway is also called the 'Route des Navigateurs' named in honour of three centuries of maritime history, river navigation and the seafaring culture tied to the St. Lawrence River.

Navigators route

Quebec City roads

As we get closer to Quebec City, the scenic highway becomes too congested and constant stop and go so we hop on the TCH to get us into downtown Quebec City. We are staying at the RV Overnight camping spot right in downtown Quebec City. Looks like a stellar location to be at for the next three nights.

Old Quebec City out our RV window

Ile d'Orleans Bridge

After dropping the RV, we immediately head off to 'Ile d'Orleans', in search of the French connection to my Metis heritage. Claude Salois (Sal-wah) arrived in Quebec in the summer of 1665. He was a soldier part of the regiment sent by King Louis X1V, to defend the colony. When the military service wrapped up, soldiers were offered land grants and financial incentives to stay and populate 'New France' at that time. Claude chose to stay, took up a trade as a knife maker and established his homestead on Ile d'Orleans in 1666. The same year he married his wife, Anne Mabille. Claude and Anne established their homestead in the parish of Saint-Jean, where they raised their children.

Cemetery Saint-Laurent

Though Claude Salois is buried at the Notre-Dame Basilica right in downtown Quebec (we will find him later), we visit the cemetery where Claude's wife, Anne Mabille, along with several other early ancestors, were buried in the town of Saint Laurent. Anne was laid to rest July 31st, 1702, joining others who predeceased her, but because original physical grave markers were wooden crosses, they have withered away over the centuries. In the cemetery there are short cement pillars that apparently mark family plots. I choose a set of them and adopt them as my family's plot. I am feeling surrounded by family energy of those who walked here many years ago.

Adopted family plot markers

Old Grave Stones

When the French-Canadian Salois family migrated west from Quebec into the Red River and Saskatchewan county, they became deeply woven into the Metis Nation. Some eventually moved further west living alongside the Metis buffalo hunting brigades. On November 14th, 1881, at Lac Ste Anne, Alberta, Laurent Salois married Angele Dumont and this is where my Cree/Metis ancestory begins. Angele's mother, Nancy Gladu, was a Cree-Metis woman.

The rest is the generational history of the bloodline passing. I vividly remember my grandma, Emma Solway (anglicized evolution of the French name Salois).

Across island drive - all agriculture

Next we drive to 'Ancestors Park' located on the other side of the island in Sainte-Famille and find the bronze and stone monument dedicated to the original families who settled Ile d'Orleans.

'Tribute to Our Ancestors' monument

It's positioned to look out towards the St. Lawrence River with figures of a pioneer family alongside tools of their survival, emphasizing their roles as clearers of the land, builders and farmers. Their feet represent roots symbolizing the deep foundation laid and their hands represent tree branches for modern descendants branching out across North America. Very powerful meaning.

Salois engraving

We find the Salois name on the engraved plates that act as a giant family tree for the island.

House of Ancestors

There is a building on site called 'House of Ancestors' (Maison de nos Aieux) that apparently could have helped find the actual plot of land Claude and Anne would have occupied, but it is only opened on weekends this time of year. It's all good, just coming here to Ile d'Orlean and experiencing what we have has made me very happy.

Sainte-Famille Church

Drouin House

We make a quick drive farther down the island to see the 'Drouin House', which is apparently a typical house the families lived in. It's a nice size home, which was much needed as Claude and Anne were reported to have had 13 children, 9 daughters and 4 sons. Three daughters died young but the other 10 went on to marry. There was even a set of twin girls born in 1678.

Typical house of the mid 1600's

Buffet de L'Antiquaire

Enough history, we are getting hungry. Back to the trailer and we walk into old Quebec for my birthday supper at 'Buffet de L'Antiquaire. 50 years in business serving up French comfort foods with high reviews. Chris has a Tourtiere (meat pie) with beans and I have Boulettes Francaise (French meatballs in white sauce). It was so good.