Grosse-Île

Photo Credit: percyhanna

Grosse Île in an island located in the St. Lawrence River that was once a quarantine station for the Port of Québec between 1832 and 1937. Grosse Île was the primary entry point for immigrants migrating to Canada.

Today, Grosse Île is a National Historic Site of Canada and along with the Irish Memorial Site of Canada commemorates the tragic events experienced by Irish immigrants during the typhoid epidemic in 1847. The story of Grosse Île is both joyous and tragic as many found new lives in Canada while others lost their lives at Grosse Île.

Visitors to Grosse Île can explore the island by walking along the trails and visit the Irish Memorial and cemetery where several immigrants are now buried. Also available at the site are the disinfection building which now hosts a multimedia exhibition about the history of the island as well as a tourist trolley that allows you do visit many of the other historic buildings located on the island.

As Grosse Île is located in the St. Lawrence River, private ferry companies provide transport to the island for a fee from mid-May to mid-October. Ferries depart from the south shore of Québec (Berthier-sur-Mer), from Québec, from Lévis, from Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, and from Île d'Orléans.

For information about the departures, please contact one of the following companies:

Le Coudrier
Leaves from Québec and Île d'Orléans
http://www.croisierescoudrier.qc.ca
418-692-0107
Toll-free: 1-888-600-5554

Les croisières Lachance
Leaves from Berthier-Sur-Mer
http://www.croisiereslachance.ca
418-259-2140
Toll-free: 1-888-476-7734