Une Ancienne Route de Portage - Gatineau, Québec
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member elyob
N 45° 25.395 W 075° 42.823
18T E 444163 N 5030217
Centre-ville, Hull secteur, Gatineau
Waymark Code: WMQCJ6
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 02/05/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 12

Les berges de la rivière des Outaouais ont beacoup changé avec le temps, mais il reste des traces du passé. Sous les arbes, on trouve des roches qui faisaient partie d'une ancienne route de portage. Près de là, les canoteurs des siècles passés, en entendant le bruit des flots de la chute des Chaudières, descendaient de leur embarcation et se préparaient à faire du portage. Depuis Montréal jusqu'aux Grands Lacs, les personnes qui empruntaient cette rivière, y compris les Autochtones et plus tard les explorateurs, les marchands de fourrures, les missionnaires et les colons, devaient affronter 36 portages, celui des Chaudières étant particulièrement ardu. Il y avait deux points de descente près d'ici: l'un, à proximité de la chute, et l'autre, plus en aval, servait durant les inondations printanières.

Le voyageur intrépide
De forte construction, les marchands de fourrures (ou 'voyageurs') parcouraient 40 kilomètres par jour en canot. Ils transportaient, sur des sentiers souvent rocailleux et accidentés, de lourds articles de traite et des peaux de castor qu'ils attachaient à une courroie de cuir, appuyée sur leur front. La plupart étaient de jeunes 'engagés', embauchés pour la saison, à Montréal ou à Trois-Rivières.

La chute des Chaudières était considerée comme sacrée par les Premières Nations qui parcouraient la rivière. La chute (que l'on peut voir en amont, depuis le pont des Chaudières) a changé radicalement par rapport à cette image. Depuis un siècle, sa force est contenue par des barrages hydroélectriques.

Une pause bien méritée
Les groupes de canoteurs pouvaient pagayer jusqu'à 18 heures par jour, s'arretant brièvement toutes les heures pour fumer. Ils ne mesuraient pas leur labeur en heures ou en milles, mais en 'pipes', soit l'équivalent de six kilomètres en eau calme. Les voyageurs coupaient souvent leur pipe à long tuyau afin de pouvoir la mettre dans leur poche.
Ancient Portage Route
The Ottawa River shoreline has changed dramatically over time, yet traces of the past remain. Among the trees below are rocky remnants of an ancient portage route. Near this site, canoeists of centuries past -- hearing the roar of the Chaudières Falls and feeling the gathering force of the current -- landed and prepared to "portage" (from the French 'porter', "to carry"). From Montréal to the Great Lakes, travellers on the river -- including Aboriginal peoples and, later, explorers, fur traders, missionaries and settlers -- faced 36 portages (the Chaudières being one of the most arduous). There were two take-out points near here: one closer to the falls, used at low water; and another, further downstream, used during spring flooding.

Thousands of years ago, Aboriginal peoples invented the birchbark canoe.
Some vessels could carry great loads, others accommodated a single hunter or fisherman: all were light enough to portage. In the 17th century, the Europeans adopted the canoe virtually unchanged, and it is still appreciated today by recreational paddlers and wilderness canoeists alike.

The Hardy Voyageur
Strong and hardy, fur traders (or "voyageurs") typically paddled 40 kilometres a day. Suspending their loads by a leather strap around the forehead, they carried heavy packs of trade goods and beaver furs along trails that could be rocky and uneven. Most of the voyageurs were young 'engagés', hired for the season from Montréal and Trois-Rivières.

The Chaudières Falls were once sacred to First Nations peoples who travelled the river. The falls today (visible from the Chaudières Bridge upstream) look dramatically different from their appearance in this image. For the past century, the falls have been harnessed by a series of hydroelectric dams.

A Welcome Break
Paddling up to 18 hours a day, teams of voyageurs paused briefly every hour to smoke. Thus, they measured their labour not in hours or miles, but in "pipes" (equal to some six kilometres on smooth water). The long-stemmed clay pipes were often broken to fit in a paddler's pocket.


There are many information plaques along the walking route known as Confederation Boulevard.

Group that erected the marker: Commission de la capitale nationale

Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Pont du Portage
Gatineau, QC Canada


URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
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