park is home to a variety of wildlife, including moose, black bear, lynx, red fox, ermine, and other forest critters. Birds are bountiful, too, with 26 raptor species plus an obvious swarmof seabirds such as kittiwakes, gulls, guillemots, and cormorants. Whales can be observed from the cliffs of Forillon, especially from June to the end of September. Special care has been taken by Parcs Canada to preserve and interpret the region’s human history. Grand-Grave was a fishing port settled in the early 19th century by Anglo-Norman immigrants from the Island of Jersey. Buildings of greatest ethnological interest were restored including Magasin Hyman, a painstakingly reconstructed 1845 general store. A short walk
Surprisingly enough, the stellar attraction of our sojourn along the north shore was a garden. Very much in defiance of Gaspé’s severe climate, Jardins de Métis near Grand-Métis, stands out as one of Canada’s top display gardens. It is a horticultural wonderland, created by Elsie Reford, an heiress to the Canadian Pacific Railroad fortune, who upon inheriting a family estate in 1926 dedicated herself to developing these world-class gardens. The gardens are still managed by the Reford clan and the family’s fabulous mansion houses a museum and a stylish restaurant. It is difficult to maintain any kind of a pace along Route 132 as one rustic fishing village fades to another and one
Phare de Cap-Gaspé (lighthouse) at the tip of Cap Gaspé, in Forillon National Park.
along a seaside path leads to Maison Blanchette, a picturesque farmstead of the period, staffed by costumed interpreters who carry out their chores, often interacting with visitors. Taking advantage of our early morning start, we continued past Maison Blanchett on Les Graves Trail to undertake a 9.4- mile / 15.2-kilometer (round-trip) hike, past countless coves and pebble beaches, to the tip of the Forillon Peninsula. It was a splendid walk rewarded by mind-boggling views at the cusp of the cliff—a setting dramatically enhanced by a stately old lighthouse. For sure, we slept very soundly after our strenuous but
lighthouse to yet another … then suddenly a supernatural setting appeared as we topped a rise approaching Cap-Chat to encounter several dozen large, whirling wind turbines—sited at one of eastern Canada’s largest wind farms. Arriving at the eastern tip of the peninsula, we eased into Forillon National Park to claim our campsite at Petit-Gaspe Campground, our home for the next two nights. Filled with energy after a quiet sleep, we set out early the next morning to explore the park. It is the pride of the peninsula, featuring 92 square miles / 238 square kilometers of forests, mountains, and cliff-lined shores, all crisscrossed by hiking trails. The
10 COAST TO COAST SPRING 2016
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