Île d'Orléans

Coordinates: 46°55′06″N 70°58′35″W / 46.9183°N 70.9764°W / 46.9183; -70.9764
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the territory around New Orleans, see Île d'Orléans, Louisiana.

Island of Orleans
Native name:
Île d'Orléans
Saint Lawrence River
Area192.85 km2 (74.46 sq mi)[1]
Length34 km (21.1 mi)[2]
Width8 km (5 mi)[2]
Highest elevation150 m (490 ft)[2]
Administration
Canada
ProvinceQuebec
Regional countyL'Île-d'Orléans
Demographics
Population7,082 (2016)[1]
Pop. density37/km2 (96/sq mi)

Île d'Orléans (French pronunciation:

francophones in North America."[3]

It has about 7,000 inhabitants, spread over 6 villages.

The island is accessible from the mainland via the

Beauport. Route 368 is the sole provincial route on the island, which crosses the bridge and circles the perimeter of the island. At the village of Sainte-Pétronille toward the western end of the island, a viewpoint overlooks the impressive Chute Montmorency (Montmorency Falls
), as well as a panorama of the St. Lawrence River and Quebec City.


Geography

Detailed map of Île d'Orléans

The Island of Orleans is situated between the

Laurentian Plateau or Canadian Shield to the north and the Appalachian Mountains to the south. Its north-eastern point marks of the St Lawrence river middle estuary, where the fresh water begins to mix with salt water.[4][3]

The island is separated from the mainland by 2 channels; to the north-west is the Île d'Orléans Channel[5] and to the south-east is the Grands Voiliers Channel.[6]

Of irregular form with jagged coves and capes, the Island of Orleans is 34 kilometres (21 mi) long and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide at the widest point. It is 75 kilometres (47 mi) in circumference, with a total surface area of 190 square kilometres (73 sq mi). It has a hilly relief, small valleys, and gradual crests that reach a maximum height of about 150 metres (490 ft) at Sainte-Pétronille and Saint-Laurent in the south.[2][1]

The main streams of Île d'Orléans are:[7]

Administratively, the island is within Quebec's

L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality
. It is further subdivided in the municipalities of:

. The entire island is part of the

Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord federal electoral riding, and the Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré
provincial electoral riding.

Satellite image of Île d'Orléans in the Saint Lawrence River
Lots of land in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans

History

The island had long been inhabited by

grapes growing on the island. Officials later changed the name to Île d'Orléans in honour of the second son of King Francis I, who became Henri II, Duke of Orléans. The island was also known as Grande Île, Sainte-Marie, and Saint-Laurent for certain periods in the 17th and the 18th centuries.[2]

Early French settlers, mostly from

Sainte-Famille was founded, followed by another four parishes in 1679 and 1680. By 1685, there were 1205 mostly French inhabitants and 917 livestock.[8]

In 1744, colonists completed the 67 kilometres (42 mi) Chemin Royal (Royal Road), which encircles the entire island.[8] Jean Mauvide, a surgeon for the King of France, built the Manoir Mauvide-Genest in 1734 as his residence. In 1759, it was occupied by British General James Wolfe when his forces occupied the island shortly before the Battle of the Plains of Abraham during the Seven Years' War in which Britain was victorious.

In the 19th and early 20th century, several boatbuilding yards operated on the island, especially in Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. Together with the thriving fishing industry of that era, they gave the island a maritime character.[9]

In 1935 the Pont de l'Île was completed, and the bridge brought much more traffic. However, the island has maintained its pastoral image and historic character, with more than 600 buildings classified or recognized as heritage property. In 1990, the entire island was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[3][2][8][10]

Today, the island is a mix of suburban communities and farms and is a popular destination for day trippers and bicyclists.

Economy

Since the days of the first French settlers, agriculture has been the main economic activity. Potatoes, strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and maple syrup is produced. There is also

Sugar maple stands produce maple syrup
and other products.

While the old trades of fishing and boat building have been abandoned, the island's rich cultural heritage and pastoral scenery has led to a flourishing tourism industry. It attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year. Numerous

bed-and-breakfast inns, regional cuisine restaurants, roadside fruit stands, art galleries and craft shops also attract visitors:[3][2]

Also for years there has been a strong movement of the inhabitants of

city of Quebec
, who own second homes around the periphery of the island of Orleans.

Notable people

Félix Leclerc is buried in Saint-Pierre. There is the Espace Félix Leclerc, today a museum and performance hall, in his honor.

In art and culture

Several chansonniers have made reference to Île d'Orléans in their songs, in particular:

  • Yves Duteil refers to the island in his song La langue de chez nous (Our language).
  • Félix Leclerc will make a song of it : Le Tour de l'île (The Island Tour).
  • Jean-Pierre Ferland refers to the island in Chanson pour Félix (Song for Félix)
  • Sylvain Lelièvre refers to the island in his song Le fleuve (The river)
  • Monique Leyrac refers to the island in her song La fille de l'île (The Island Girl)
  • Tire le Coyote refers to the island in his song Calfeutrer les failles (Caulk faults)

Gallery

  • Panoramic view of the North shore, Saint-Laurent river, Île d'Orléans bridge
    Panoramic view of the North shore, Saint-Laurent river, Île d'Orléans bridge
  • Île d'Orléans Marina
    Île d'Orléans Marina
  • Museum La Chalouperie at "Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent" (English: Saint-Laurent Maritime Park)
    Museum La Chalouperie at "Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent" (English: Saint-Laurent Maritime Park)
  • View of the north shore of the St. Lawrence River
    View of the north shore of the St. Lawrence River
  • The frozen St. Lawrence River at the Île d'Orléans bridge
    The frozen St. Lawrence River at the Île d'Orléans bridge

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Census Profile, 2016 Census: L'Île-d'Orléans, Municipalité régionale de comté [Census division], Quebec". Statistics Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Île d'Orléans" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Welcome to Île d'Orléans". Île d'Orléans Tourism. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  4. ^ "A river, estuaries, a gulf, the great hydrographic divisions" (PDF). Atlas of the St. Lawrence (in French). Atlas environnemental du Saint-Laurent. 1991. Retrieved 11 April 2024. The width of the Lower Estuary varies from 24 km to Tadoussac 50 km to Pointe-des-Monts
  5. ^ "Chenal de l'Île d'Orléans". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  6. ^ "Chenal des Grands Voiliers". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  7. ^ Poirier, J. (1962). La toponymie de l'Ile d'Orléans. Cahiers de géographie du Québec, 6(12), 183–199S.
  8. ^ a b c "Discover the Island". Courtepointe et Cafe Association of B&Bs on the Island of Orleans. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
  9. ^ "Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
  10. ^ Île d'Orléans Seigneury. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 31 March 2012.

Further reading

Documentaries

  • L'île d'Orléans, reliquaire d'histoire, silent film directed by Albert Tessier, 1939, 12 min 35 s.
  • La Révolution du dansage, documentary by Michel Brault and André Gladu, Nanouk Films Ltée, 1976, 28 min.[1]
  • Les oiseaux blancs de l'île d'Orléans, documentary by Diane Létourneau, National Film Board of Canada, 1977, 29 min 44 s.
  • Le fromage à l'île d'Orléans, documentary by Léo Plamondon, National Film Board of Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1978, 26 min 47 s.

External links

  1. ^ "Ciné-Fȇte - La révolution du dansage". www.cinefete.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
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