The river, an ally on the Côte-du-Sud

As its name indicates, the Côte-du-Sud is a region located along the St. Lawrence River. In many ways, that’s an advantage.

The St. Lawrence River and the Ouelle River, winding through the Côte-du-Sud, a region that has been inhabited since 1672, photo Pierre Lahoud

The development of the coastal regions took place along the river. It was the main route for new arrivals and trade. The seigneuries that stretched from Bellechasse to Kamouraska formed the Côte-du-Sud region east of Quebec City.

The river, with its tides and sometimes cold, sometimes warm water, creates a microclimate in places. The settlers were quick to understand this. They took advantage of the perfect conditions and settled near the shore at the bottom of bays, protected ideally by a small mountain providing shelter from the north wind. They fished for food.

Over time, the settlers achieved enviable results by cultivating the land and planting fruit trees. The soil in this region is rich and clayey given that it once formed the bed of the Champlain Sea, which has since disappeared. But don’t think that life was easy!