"1,001 water crossings": new issue of Magazine Gaspésie
Gaspé, Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - The Musée de la Gaspésie is pleased to present its latest issue of Magazine Gaspésie: 1,001 water crossings. Surrounded by the sea, the peninsula is full of rivers and bays. This summer issue thus tackles the multiple ways of crossing waterways over time. It transports you to a bygone era, when you had to use a boat to cross from one bank to the other. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of ferries and discover the true epic around railway, covered and even ice bridges. Their history is retraced while several memories are also evoked. Let yourself be transported back in time with the number 1,001 water crossings currently on newsstands and online.
From shore to shore
In Gaspésie, all trips require crossing a watercourse. Whether it is the Cascapedia or the York, the majority of rivers had their own ferry system until the beginning of the 20th century. In general, a barge or a ferry carries passengers or goods while motor boats can pull a barge. The ferries also make it possible to be in contact with the Côte-Nord, like the service offered by Captain Jourdain, and with New Brunswick, a service operated by three generations of Allard captains. In winter, the water freezes and this is the birth of ice bridges. See how the one that connects Île Bonaventure to Percé was shaped, thanks to the words of Marie Le Franc dating from 1938. Then, the bridges span the rivers, first the railway ones, then the covered ones. Over the same river, think of the Petite Vallée, the Matapédia or the Dartmouth, the bridges follow one another, victims of collapse, fires or other technical problems. Some rivers will see up to four bridges overhanging them in less than 100 years!
“I fell in love with all these little ferries! To imagine boatmen navigating by hand or motor with, on board their barge, animals or cars, is almost surreal these days. commented Marie-Josée Lemaire-Caplette, editor-in-chief.
Do not miss the chronicles! Pay a last poetic tribute to Jules Bélanger, retrace the career of Lucina Deroy over nearly a century, discover the family history behind Ferme Bourdages, which has occupied its land for 200 years, and play a tune with the fiddlers and luthiers!
Get the printed or digital version of 1001 water crossings at newsstands, online at magazinegaspesie.ca or by phone at 418 368-1534, ext. 104. You can also subscribe to any of the versions.
Image: Cover of Gaspésie Magazine “1,001 water crossings”; photo: Michel Goudreau collection.
Information :
Marie-Josee Lemaire-Caplette
Editor-in-chief of Magazine Gaspésie
C: magazine@museedelagaspesie.ca │ T: 418 368-1534, ext. 106
Source: Gaspésie Magazine