Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site

Join us for a guided tour! Relive the history of the Battle of the Restigouche as you tour the site accompanied by an interpreter guide in period costume. Learn about the journey and fate of the five merchant ships accompanied by the Machault frigate that were sent by France in a last-ditch effort to support its colony after the surrender of Québec in 1759. The following year, after the capture of Québec, France dispatched this relief flotilla to save its American colony. On July 8 of that year, a final naval confrontation between the French and British took place in Chaleur Bay, in Gaspésie, and forever sealed the fate of New France.

Today, an interpretation centre built on the shores of the battle site displays the remains of the Machault, an 18th-century French frigate recovered by underwater archaeologists. The exhibition also features many artefacts in a setting that recreates life aboard the ship. Because they can be precisely dated and are exceptionally well preserved, these artefacts are now a standard reference for the Seven Years’ War period in New France.

During your visit, you can also discover a birchbark canoe made by Mi’gmaq artisans and find answers to these questions and more: How long does it take to make a canoe? What did the Mi’gmaq carry in their canoes? How many people could board a single canoe?

Enjoy your visit!

Take Route 132. The site is 3 km (2 mi.) west of the Pointe-à-la-Croix intersection.

Affiliations

• Parks Canada network
• Tourisme Gaspésie