Gaspesian Heritage WebMagazine

Introduction:

The Grand Cascapedia River tells a fascinating tale about the lives of the men and women who shared a time on one of the most famous Atlantic salmon fishing rivers in the world.

The Cascapedia River begins as two fast flowing streams high in the Shick Shock Mountains. The river born of these two branches flows over a series of falls and through narrow, rocky passages, and continues on through the broad valley of Cascapedia-St. Jules. It flows over a distance of 139 kilometres (87 miles) before emptying into the Bay of Chaleurs.

Princess Louise, who was the sixth child of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, and wife of the Marquess of Lorne, governor general of Canada from 1878 to 1883, first came to the Cascapedia in 1879 on a fishing excursion with her husband.

Unlike Ottawa, which was not to her liking, Princess Louise fell in love with the Cascapedia wilderness almost immediately. And she loved the sport of fly fishing.

The Atlantic salmon is one of the most fascinating fish in the world. For hundreds of years the Atlantic salmon has generated a rich cultural heritage, based on sport fishing and on the mystique of the fish itself. This silvery creature is a world traveler that spawns in fresh water but spends much of its life at sea. It can jump a 3-metre waterfall and has become a symbol of the environment and of healthy river systems.

“Such a beautiful country is not an accident. God must have created this wonderful wilderness, where all is happiness, all is peace.”
Fishing on the Grand Cascapedia by Edmund W. Davis, 1904.

A gun shot was fired on the morning of June 19, 1908. The sound must have disturbed the tranquil stillness of a morning on the Cascapedia River.

The fabled Grand Cascapedia River is known by most fishermen for its large Atlantic salmon that are sometimes called the Cascapedia Giants. This is a place where fishing stories are told and the dreams of catching an Atlantic salmon come to life when one finally gets to throw a fishing line across its waters. The history of the Cascapedia tells the tale of a destination that was chosen by ardent fishermen who were fortunate enough to secure the right to fish this magnificent stream.

The Kempffer Cultural and Interpretation Centre's permanent exhibition, through eight themes and more than 150 artefacts, retraces the history of New Carlisle, from the arrival of the loyalist pioneers up to and including World War II. During this diversified and original exhibition, visitors can take advantage of this little municipality's richness from the past and get a better sense of the local distinguishing features.

A New Beginning