Île d'Orléans (; ) is an island located in the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrenc ...

about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage of

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

s can trace ancestry to early residents of the island. The island has been described as the "microcosm of traditional Quebec and as the birthplace of

francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

s in North America." It has about 7,000 inhabitants, spread over six villages. The island is accessible from the mainland via the Île d'Orléans Bridge from Beauport. Route 368 is the sole provincial route on the island, which crosses the bridge and circles the perimeter of the island. At the village of Sainte-Pétronille toward the western end of the island, a viewpoint overlooks the impressive ''Chute Montmorency'' ( Montmorency Falls), as well as a panorama of the St. Lawrence River and Quebec City.

Geography

The Island of Orleans is situated between the Laurentian Plateau or

Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield ( ), also called the Laurentian Shield or the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), th ...

to the north and the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

to the south. Its north-eastern point marks of the St Lawrence river middle estuary, where the fresh water begins to mix with salt water. The island is separated from the mainland by two channels; to the north-west is the Île d'Orléans Channel and to the south-east is the Grands Voiliers Channel. Of irregular form with jagged coves and capes, the Island of Orleans is long and wide at the widest point. It is in circumference, with a total surface area of . It has a hilly relief, small valleys, and gradual crests that reach a maximum height of about at Sainte-Pétronille and Saint-Laurent in the south. The main streams of Île d'Orléans are:Poirier, J. (1962)
La toponymie de l'Ile d'Orléans
''Cahiers de géographie du Québec'', 6(12), 183–199S. *

Chenal des Grands Voiliers The Chenal des Grands Voiliers (, ''channel of tall sailships'') is a channel of the St. Lawrence River, between Île d'Orléans and the south shore of Quebec, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. On the southeast shore of Île d'Orléans, this ...

(SE side of the island) * Chenal de l'Île d'Orléans (NW side of the island) * Rivière Dauphine (Saint-Jean) * Rivière Lafleur (Saint-Jean) * Rivière Maheu (Saint-Laurent) * Ruisseau du Moulin (Saint-François) * Rivière du Moulin (Saint-Laurent) * Rivière du Moulin (Saint-Pierre) * Rivière Pot au Beurre (Sainte-Famille) * Rivière de la Savane Administratively, the island is within Quebec's

Capitale-Nationale Capitale-Nationale (; ) is one of the 17 administrative regions of Quebec. It is anchored by the provincial capital, Quebec City, and is largely coextensive with that city's metropolitan area. It has a land area of 18,684.78 km2. It reported ...

region, and constitutes the

L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality L'Île-d'Orléans () is a regional county municipality in central Quebec, Canada, in the Capitale-Nationale region. Its seat is Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. The population in the 2016 census was 7,082 people. The RCM consists solely of ...

. It is further subdivided in the municipalities of: *

Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (, ; Sainte-Famille prior to September 12, 2017) is a municipality in the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, part of the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale. It is situated ...

Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (, ) is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. The village is situated on the north-eastern tip of Orléans Island, and ...

Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (, ) is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality, on the southeastern side of Île d'Orléans. Prior to April 5, 2003, it ...

Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (, ) is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. It is situated on the south side of Île d'Orléans, Orléans Island. Prior ...

* Sainte-Pétronille *

Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (, ) is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. It is situated on the west side of Île d'Orléans, Orléans Island, and acce ...

The entire island is part of the Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord federal electoral riding, and the Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré provincial electoral riding.

History

The island had long been inhabited by

Indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

. The Hurons called it ''Minigo'' (meaning "Enchantress") because of its charm. The French explorer

Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier (; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French maritime explorer from Brittany. Jacques Cartier was the first Europeans, European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, wh ...

first set foot on the island in 1535 near the present-day village of Saint-François. And called it ''Île de Bascuz'' (from

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

) because of the abundance of wild

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

growing on the island. Officials later changed the name to Île d'Orléans in honour of the second son of King Francis I, who became Henri II, Duke of Orléans. The island was also known as ''Grande Île'', ''Sainte-Marie'', and ''Saint-Laurent'' for certain periods in the 17th and the 18th centuries. Early French settlers, mostly from

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

and other provinces in northwestern France, were attracted to the island because of its fertile soil. They colonized it according to the

seigneurial system of New France The manorial system of New France, known as the seigneurial system (, ), was the semi-feudal system of land tenure used in the North American French colonial empire. Economic historians have attributed the wealth gap between Quebec and other pa ...

, which is still evident in its layout by featuring residences close together with outlying long and narrow fields and a common. In 1661, the first parish of Sainte-Famille was founded, followed by another four parishes in 1679 and 1680. By 1685, there were 1205 mostly French inhabitants and 917 livestock. In 1744, colonists completed the ''Chemin Royal'' (Royal Road), which encircles the entire island. Jean Mauvide, a

surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...

for the King of France, built the ''Manoir Mauvide-Genest'' in 1734 as his residence. In 1759, it was occupied by British General

James Wolfe Major-general James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of ...

when his forces occupied the island shortly before the

Battle of the Plains of Abraham The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (), was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War to describe the North American theatre). The battle, which took place on 13 Sept ...

during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

in which Britain was victorious. In the 19th and early 20th century, several boatbuilding yards operated on the island, especially in

. Together with the thriving fishing industry of that era, they gave the island a maritime character. In 1935 the Pont de l'Île was completed, and the bridge brought much more traffic. However, the island has maintained its pastoral image and historic character, with more than 600 buildings classified or recognized as heritage property. In 1990, the entire island was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...

. Today, the island is a mix of suburban communities and farms and is a popular destination for day trippers and bicyclists. File:Beaupre Jean Bourdon 1641.PNG, Map of Beaupré and Île d'Orléans, drawn in 1641 by Jean Bourdon File:Carte du gouvernement de Québec levée en l'année 1709 - Isle d Orleans.jpg, Map of the government of Quebec drawn in 1709 by Gédéon de Catalogne File:Église St-Pierre (Île d'Orléans).jpg, Saint-Pierre church (1717) File:Manoir Quebec.jpg, Manoir Mauvide-Genest File:Sainte-Famille - Maison Drouin.jpg, Maison Drouin in Sainte-Famille File:Die Seigneurie Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, zwei Türme.jpg, Mock-up door of make-believe l'Île-d'Orléans seigneurie

Economy

Since the days of the first French settlers, agriculture has been the main economic activity. Potatoes, strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and maple syrup is produced. There is also

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

and cheese production. The island, known as the "Garden of Quebec", is still an essentially rural place famous locally for its produce, especially strawberries, apples, potatoes and wineries. Sugar maple stands produce

maple syrup Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...

and other products. While the old trades of fishing and boat building have been abandoned, the island's rich cultural heritage and pastoral scenery has led to a flourishing tourism industry. It attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year. Numerous bed-and-breakfast inns, regional cuisine restaurants, roadside fruit stands, art galleries and craft shops also attract visitors: *

the church of the Sainte-Famille from 1743 and the interpretation centers Maison de nos Aïeux and Maison Drouin; *

the observation tower, the beach and the chocolate factory on Île d'Orléans; *

the café "La Boulange", the Catholic church, the promenade on the shore of the St. Lawrence and the Mauvide-Genest Manor (National Historic Site of the Canada); *

the "La Chalouperie" museum at the maritime park and the Île d'Orléans marina; * Sainte-Pétronille the island's chocolate factory and the painter's house Horatio Walker; *

the Félix Leclerc space and the Bellevue with the giant sculpture of Félix Leclerc. Also for years there has been a strong movement of the inhabitants of

city of Quebec Quebec City is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a population of 839,311. It is the twelfth -lar ...

, who own second homes around the periphery of the island of Orleans.

Notable people

Félix Leclerc is buried in Saint-Pierre. There is the Espace Félix Leclerc, today a museum and performance hall, in his honour.

In art and culture

Several chansonniers have made reference to Île d'Orléans in their songs, in particular: * Yves Duteil refers to the island in his song ''La langue de chez nous'' (Our language). * Félix Leclerc will make a song of it : ''Le Tour de l'île'' (The Island Tour). * Jean-Pierre Ferland refers to the island in ''Chanson pour Félix'' (Song for Félix) * Sylvain Lelièvre refers to the island in his song ''Le fleuve'' (The river) *

Monique Leyrac Monique Leyrac, (26 February 1928 – 15 December 2019) was a Canadian singer and actress who popularized many songs by French-Canadian composers. Early life Leyrac was born Monique Tremblay in Montreal, Quebec.Alexis Luko, Rachelle Taylor an ...

refers to the island in her song ''La fille de l'île'' (The Island Girl) * Tire le Coyote refers to the island in his song ''Calfeutrer les failles'' (Caulk faults)

Gallery

File:Pont Ile d'Orléans fleuve st Laurent.jpg, Panoramic view of the North shore, Saint-Laurent river, Île d'Orléans bridge File:Parc nautique (Île d'Orléans).jpg, Île d'Orléans Marina File:Chalouperie (Île d'Orléans).jpg, Museum ''La Chalouperie'' at "Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent" (English: Saint-Laurent Maritime Park) File:IleOrleans.JPG, View of the north shore of the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...

File:Saint-Laurent-Québec.JPG, The frozen

at the Île d'Orléans bridge

References

External links

* *
Official Tourist Website of Île d'Orléans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orleans, Ile D' Landforms of Capitale-Nationale Islands of the Saint Lawrence River River islands of Quebec Heritage sites in Quebec (Cultural Heritage Act) National Historic Sites in Quebec