We drove inland through Gaspesie Park to Gaspe this morning. The name comes from the Mi’gmaq word “Gespeg” which means ‘lands end’.

On the way into town we checked out the O’Dwyer Distillery and had a ‘degustation’ of their products.

Just down the hill from our hotel, along the Gulf of St Lawrence is the Birthplace of Canada memorial.

The Mi’kmaq people occupied this land centuries before the first Europeans arrived.

The Mi’kmaq were skilled hunter-gatherers and noted for their fishing skills. Their distinctive birch bark canoes were capable of crossing open water.

In 1534 Jacques Cartier arrived in Gaspé Bay and erected a cross, claiming the land for King Francis I of France. This marked the beginning of the French presence in North America.

We will spend the next few days exploring in Forillon National Park, found on the long peninsula to the north of Ville Gaspe.