Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site and the Onondaga Submarine
To reach the end of land in this region of the Bas-Saint-Laurent, on the outskirts of the city of Rimouski, Quebec, is an authentic experience. There is, of course the lighthouse, jewel of Quebec’s maritime heritage, which can be visited, but also every corner of a shored submarine can be visited. The site also houses the Museum of the Empress of Ireland, a liner which sank in 1914 in this area of the river, but we didn’t visit it. So we will focus on the first two listed attractions.
To climb the 128 steps of the lighthouse erected in 1909 is really worth it. It must be said that it was very easy for me, hauled by my dad in a baby carrier. Once at the top of the second-tallest lighthouse in Canada, I understood why my parents and my grandmother had given themselves so much pain to reach the top in a daredevil stairway! The view is breathtaking! No need to say more, the tour is well worth the visit, especially since all Parks Canada sites are free for children 17 and under.
Now, my family’s favourite thing was really the submarine. We had no expectation of going there because we first wanted to visit the lighthouse, then we decided to visit the submarine rather than the museum. Thanks to the audio guide freely provided with the visit, we moved from station to station in a chronological and well-organized manner, to my mother’s delight. As we travelled, we were told how the submarine worked and told about the daily life of the 70 men who lived there from 1967 to 2000, by recounting crew members’ anecdotes.
It was one of my first family outings, I was barely 7 weeks old, which set the bar high for my future getaways!
Good to Know
When to visit
How long to expect
How to dress
Facts
Cost
Message From My Parents
This site is truly a jewel of the Bas-Saint-Laurent. Both being native to the area, we were surprised not to have been there before, because everything was so interesting. We visited with my grandmother and family friends who had a 5-year-old, and everyone was really excited about the tour. If you have children who are too young to walk for an hour, you can carry the baby in a baby carrier, because the submarine and the lighthouse are, of course, not accessible with a stroller. The offer is very large (museum, submarine, a lighthouse, show, and outdoor amusement park), so you can easily spend a whole day. This site is worth your money which can’t be said of many other sites across Canada.
