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Buck Park, Magdalen Islands or ‘Parc Buck, Iles de la Madeleine’ starts off with a stop at the kiosque to learn more about the park, why it was created, some of the plant and animal life found there and the description of the park.At almost every turn, there is a park bench where one can stop and relax, listen to the birds, crickets or frogs and contemplate moving on to the next bench. The tranquility of the park makes moving on difficult.

Picturesque signs let visitors know exactly where they are in the park and what they can expect to see on each of the paths. The signs also give the number of kilometers (meters) of each path.The marsh path can go around some marshes…,and through other marshes…,

Before entering the woodland paths.
Trees can reach 70 feet in height in the park and have a trunk with the diameter of three feet or more. Not a bad feat for a wind swept salt island. My largest camera is sitting on the branch to give some scale to the tree but it is too small to be seen well.
More signs are found at the beginning and ending of all the paths so that the visitor can sit and think about where he/she might like to go next.Throughout the park there are charming steps and boardwalks to ease the path of the visitors and to protect the wildlife.One of the most exciting parts of Buck Park is the woodland walk to Lake Quinn or ‘Le Lac’ as it is called. Squirrels scatter across the path, playing and searching for grain and seed that the plants have dropped. They have a healthy curiosity about the visitors to their home.Lake Quinn is the embodiment of pure tranquility. The manganese mine of the 1940′s….

This hill along with all the others of the Magdalen Islands have, for centuries, been places of solitude and gentle, peaceful walks for the settlers of the islands. During the fishing seasons, people would go to the tops and watch the boats bobbing on the seas of the Saint Lawrence. Women would go to the tops to pick the delicious wild strawberries that grow plentifully upon the sides of the hills. They still do watch the boats and pick the berries, whenever they aren’t threatened with prosecution.

Because House Harbour is the center island of the Magdalen Islands, it is possible to see each individual island that makes up the Archipelago of the Iles de la Madeleine. The only exceptions are the Ecological Reserve of Brion Island and the Sanctuary of the Bird Rocks. The Bird Rocks are probably too distant and Brion Island is neatly tucked in behind Grosse Isle Island.

The cross has almost 80 incandescent lightbulbs around the outside. At night it looks like a constellation in the shape of a cross because it is so high up.The first landing area on the way to the top of the hill. Entry Island in the distance.Goldenrod, Laurentian Aster and Butter & Eggs brightens up and otherwise dull opening in the trees.The back roads of House Harbour.A rope to the top is almost a necessity for many people climbing the hill.House Harbour with groomed pasture land.Entry Island and the Alright Lighthouse.
If anyone is interested, the yellow house in the foreground is for sale. It is called “La Maison des Falaises”. It is a relatively new B&B, 3 stories with a full ensemble suite on the top floor. It is beautiful inside, though in my opinion, it needs landscaping, to soften the hard lines outside.

Vacancier

They have, “Discover the Quebec Province as Seen From the Saint-Lawrence River: One Week Cruise From Montreal”. The cruise run has been in place for years but this year is special….

On June 10th, the “Cruise of yester years” is added to the agenda. In addition to the regular voyage, will touch land at Pointe-au-Pic in the Charlevoix region, near the casino and the famous Richelieu Manor. Passengers will be able to enjoy a full day in the area, discovering new adventures by various organized tours. The 1960′s anchor for Jeunesses d’Aujoud’hui, Joel Denis will be on board to entertain the guests during the evenings, along with the ships regular entertainers. And of course there is the famous lobster meals that the Vacancier is well know for….

On the September 9th cruise, the gourmet cruise, the Vacancier will take their guests to a new destination will on their route from the islands. It will stop at the Saguenay and the Charlevoix regions as well as spending three days on the islands. Then the ship will sail the famous Fjord and stop at the La Baie, allowing for a magnificent exploration of the area. Chefs Jean-Paul Grappe (Vacancier), Marcel Bouchard (La Baie) and Jean-Michel Breton (Richelieu Manor) will serve up scrumptious gourmet meals.  Guided tours will be available in both regions.

Groupe C.T.M.A. cruises have always been a highlight to the islands, but these two new stops will mean that the ship will be faster on the water, less time voyaging and more time adventure and learning. These are two cruises that are meant to be traveled by anyone for an affliction for cruising….

Brion Island

Brion is an island 16 kilometers north of Grosse Ile Harbour on the Magdalen Islands. It is roughly 15 km long and up to one and a half km wide. It was first discovered by the Micmac natives as a place to hunt seal and walrus. Then Jacques Cartier came along in 1534 and named the island in honour of his sponsor to the new world. The Europeans came and then the Americans, all with the intent of exploiting the natural reserves. Eventually people moved onto the island and for about 100 years Brion thrived as a commercial fishing center.

S.A.R.A.P.

Eventually because of the isolation, the people moved off the island and the federal government automated the lighthouse so that no one lived there. A division of the oil and gas company Texaco, S.A.R.A.P. bought the island and made some test holes. The found salt at first and then natural gas, methane. They continued until they found oil but since it was only an exploration for the future reserves of Canada, they capped the holes and left.

Quebec’s 20th Ecological Reserve

In 1987, Quebec expropriated Brion Island and created an ecological reserve. The far eastern section which is now an island by its own rights, has been designated for untouched by humans. The center of the island is for studying purposes only and the western section remains federal land because the lighthouse and wharf (not serviceable) exist there and are under federal jurisdiction.

A Total Adventure Campground

This past is what brings Brion Island to being a total adventure campground. There is no one there. The only way to get there is by sea, with a fishing boat or an excursion zodiac and that is an adventure on its own.

Once on Brion, it becomes a playground of nature. It is long walks through plains and prairies, beach and wooded paths. It is time to read and relax in warm sun and sweet flowers. It is time to imagine, reflect and enjoy the simple things in life. It is a time to learn how to live.

Learn!

Learn about the life of Brion. Learn about the islands. Learn about surviving the rat race of tomorrow from the contentment of yesterday and coming away happy! Learn about the native plants the people used to feed and heal themselves. Learn about the seal, marine birds and small mammals and how they came to the island.

Come to the island for a day, two or even three days and nights. Experience first hand how shipwrecked surv

ivors lived and learned to love the harshness of the islands in general. Gather strawberries for a wonderful desert after a long day of playing in the warm waters off the soft sand beach. Slow down and smell the roses!

A Tour of Brion Island

This ebook was wrote especially for those people wanting adventure. Inside theses pages is the past, the present and a touch of the future. It is a tour as though a guide were giving it, by walking over the paths and showing the sights, listening to the sounds, tasting the nature and feeling the freedom.

Each path is well described and its history is given, from the walk over the north capes to the Dingwell homestead and the Saddle, to the blueberry moors on the south shores, to the Magical Forest and it’s elves and gnomes hidden quietly behind each tree truck.

Printed out, it makes a light reading learning objective, a supplement to the guided tours given by the zodiac and boat tours. It is full of colorful pictures of each of the sights found on Brion as you would approach them on a walk-about tour. Plants are shown and described, giving the reader the opportunity to taste and forage as the settlers had done.

A list of shipwrecks is given and how they came to affect the people of Brion and of all the islands. The graves and memorials of Brion are discussed in detail. And finally, but not only are the existing man made structures  that aided the people in their fight to thrive in this lonely existence.

Below is page five from the book, the Table of Contents. It gives an idea of just how extensive the Tour of Brion Island is. This book is by no mean a complete tale of the story of Brion. The history of the island alone would take volumes. No, this book is only present day Brion Island and one day perhaps, the Story of Brion will come to light.

For more information on how to receive this book email

grosseisle@gmail.com

It is sold through PayPal, money order and personal cheque – $7.95CDN

note : (all cheques must pass through banking system before book is sent)

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Chateau Madelinot

Prior to the Canadian Seal Hunts, on the Iles de la Madeleine, locals and tourists alike enjoy the annual seal watch. As soon as the Gulf of Saint Lawrence fills with huge drifts of ice and the harp seal begin to pup, there is a desire amongst the people to see these wonderfully soft white pups in their natural habitats.

This year unfortunately there will be no official seal watch. The hosts of the seal watch tours has canceled its attraction the second year in a row, due to the lack of solid ice in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Seal watch companies have been taking reservations all winter for the event. Many bring their clients to the islands by charter plane from Halifax, get flown out to the ice flows by helicopter and spend time with the fuzzy little fellas.

Islanders also take the helicopters out to see the seal pups and enjoy the day taking pictures. Seal watching is big business when the ice arrives.

All is not lost though. You see, some of the seal actually arrive on the islands, where they have their pups on the beaches. This allows mostly locals to enjoy the Joys of Winter in quiet solitude. For the most part, these young animals are not subject to being prey to whales, polar bear and other predators. Those who would generally hunt seal tend to leave them alone as the seal become a break in the monotony of winter life.

Visitors still come but not so much. While they are here they enjoy the winter carnivals and ice sculptures made by the artists of the islands. In just about every night spot, music blasts out to encourage entrance. Restaurants serve their finest cuisine and most of the islands museums and eco-museums are open for visitations.

So you see, the islands are not only known for the infamous Canadian Seal Hunts of its day. Islanders are a gentle folk, enjoying all that nature has to offer. Every individual island has a lot to see and even more to do. They protect their environment to the best of their abilities and their environment protects them. Winter is a win-win situation for Islanders and visitors alike.