Whether you’re driving the Bas-Saint-Laurent – Gaspésie Tour clockwise or counterclockwise, Parks Canada’s national historic sites offer unique experiences to begin or end your vacation in style. Here’s what’s new that you won’t want to miss in 2025!

Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site

River Sentinels: A new exhibition in the lightkeeper’s house

Are you fascinated by lighthouses and navigation? If so, you’ll want to plan a visit to the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site in Bas-Saint-Laurent to discover one of the most important navigational aid centres in Canadian history.

Presented in the lightkeeper’s house, the new River Sentinels exhibition will plunge you into the captivating world of the lightkeepers and St. Lawrence pilots at a time when a pilot station was based in Pointe-au-Père.

Through stories, artefacts, photos and personal accounts, you’ll discover the daily lives of these unsung heroes, who were responsible for keeping sailors and ships safe when the St. Lawrence was the main gateway to the country.

Via an interactive video display and a bathymetric table, you’ll gain a better understanding of the key role of the St. Lawrence pilots who, even today, temporarily join ships’ crews to help guide them on this waterway of many moods.

As you explore the exhibition, you’ll learn more about the history of the lighthouse station and the various methods of communication between land and sea that have been used over the decades. Designed for the whole family, this entertaining exhibition will introduce you to a little-known chapter of Canada’s maritime history.

I Hear the Heartbeat of Lichen: An artistic residency combining embroidery and poetry

A new creative project by author, embroiderer and cultural mediator Noémie Pomerleau-Cloutier, J’entends battre le cœur du lichen (I Hear the Heartbeat of Lichen) will take shape throughout the summer. Infused with poetry, the embroidery pieces in this exhibition feature lichen growing on the rocky shores of Bas-Saint-Laurent, crafted using plastic waste collected along the region’s coastline. Come and discover the work of this inspiring artist and engage in conversation with her on the second floor of the lightkeeper’s house.

10th celebration of Québec Lighthouse Day

Visit the second highest lighthouse in Québec on July 13, 2025, for the 10th celebration of Québec Lighthouse Day! To mark the occasion, the Pointe-au-Père lighthouse station will offer a multitude of special activities for the whole family.

The entry fee to the lighthouse station is $7 for adults and includes a tour of the lighthouse as well as admission to the new exhibition and all outbuildings. Admission is free for children (under 18).

The Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site will be open daily from June 7 to October 13, 2025. To plan your visit and see a detailed schedule of activities for the 10th celebration of Québec Lighthouse Day, visit the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site website.

Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site

Follow the guide… all the way back to 1759!

Have you always wanted to travel back in time? That’s exactly what the new guided tours of the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site allow you to do! This is your opportunity to step back in time to relive the last naval conflict between France and Great Britain for possession of the North American territory. Accompanied by a French soldier, Acadian woman, British soldier, sailor or privateer, you’ll go on a unique voyage aboard a French frigate to discover the ins and outs of this decisive confrontation.

Once the historical context has been briefly explained to you, your adventure will begin in the council room, where you’ll meet the officers in charge of this important relief expedition. Moving on to the steerage deck, you’ll discover the conditions under which soldiers and sailors lived during transatlantic crossings at that time. Your tour will then take you to the remarkably well-preserved wreck of the Machault, one of only three 18th-century French frigates recovered to date. Finally, you can discover the precious cargo of goods and munitions carried by the ship through an impressive collection of artefacts brought to the surface by Parks Canada’s underwater archaeologists.

These guided tours will be offered daily from July 1 to August 31, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Eastern Time) and cost $11 per adult and $5.75 per child. Reservations are recommended.

Celebrating 40 years of unique stories!

The Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Join the dynamic Parks Canada team in celebrating this anniversary on Family Day, July 26, 2025. In addition to special daytime activities, unique guided tours will be offered in the evening.

The Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site will be open from June 4 to October 17, 2025. Admission to the site is $4.50 per adult and free for children (under 18). To book your guided tour or for more details regarding activities and opening hours, visit the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site website.