Île d'Orléans

Satellite image of Île d'Orléans in the Saint Lawrence River

The Island of Orleans is situated between the Laurentian Plateau or Canadian Shield to the north and the Appalachian Mountains to the south. Its north-eastern point marks the boundary between the St. Lawrence River and its estuary (the largest in the world), where fresh water begins to mix with salt water.[3]

The island is separated from the mainland by 2 channels; to the north-west is the Île d'Orléans Channel[4] and to the south-east is the Grands Voiliers Channel.[5]

Of irregular form with jagged coves and capes, the Island of Orleans is 34 kilometres (21 mi) long and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide at the widest point. It is 75 kilometres (47 mi) in circumference, with a total surface area of 190 square kilometres (73 sq mi). It has a hilly relief, small valleys, and gradual crests that reach a maximum height of about 150 metres (490 ft) at Sainte-Pétronille and Saint-Laurent in the south.[2][1]

Plots of land in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans

The main streams of Île d'Orléans are (clockwise):

• Chenal de l'Île d'Orléans (North-West side of the island)
• Rivière du Moulin (Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans)
• Rivière Pot au Beurre (île d'Orléans)
• Ruisseau du Moulin (île d'Orléans)
• Rivière de la Savane (île d'Orléans)
• Dauphine River
• Lafleur River
• Maheu River
• Rivière du Moulin (Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île d'Orléans)
• Chenal des Grands Voiliers (South-East side of the island)

The island had long been inhabited by Indigenous peoples. The Huron called it Minigo (meaning "Enchantress", because of its charm).[3] The French explorer Jacques Cartier first set foot on the island in 1535 near the present-day village of Saint-François. He called it Île de Bascuz (from Bacchus) because of the abundance of wild grapes growing on the island. Officials later changed the name to Île d'Orléans in honour of the second son of King Francis I, Henri II, the Duke of Orléans. The island was also known as Grande Île, Sainte-Marie, and Saint-Laurent for certain periods in the 17th and 18th centuries.[2]

Early French settlers, immigrating mostly from the Normandy and Poitou regions in France, were attracted to the island because of its fertile soil. They colonized it according to the seigneurial system of New France, which is still evident in its layout, featuring residences close together, with outlying long, narrow fields and a common.[3] In 1661, the first parish of Sainte-Famille was founded, followed by another four parishes in 1679/1680. By 1685, there were 1205 mostly French inhabitants and 917 livestock.[6]

In 1744, colonists completed the 67 kilometres (42 mi) Chemin Royal (Royal Road), which encircles the entire island.[6] Jean Mauvide, a surgeon for the King of France, built the Manoir Mauvide-Genest in 1734 as his residence. In 1759 it was occupied by British General Wolfe when his forces occupied the island shortly before the Battle of the Plains of Abraham during the Seven Years' War. Great Britain was victorious.

In the 19th and early 20th century, several boat-building yards operated on the island, especially in Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. Together with the thriving fishing industry of that era, it gave the Island of Orleans a maritime character.[7]

The Island of Orleans retained its traditional rural way of life until 1935, when construction was completed on the Pont de l'Île bridge, allowing much more traffic. The crossing connects to the Chemin Royal, which was set to music in 1975 by francophone singer Félix Leclerc, in his song "Le Tour de L'île." In spite of this, the island has maintained its pastoral image and historic character, with more than 600 buildings classified or recognized as heritage property. In 1990, the entire island was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[3][2][6][8]

Today the island is a mix of suburban communities and farms. It is a popular destination for daytrippers and bicyclists.

• 
  Map of Beaupré and Île d'Orléans, drawn up by Jean Bourdon in 1641
• 
  Map of the government of Quebec raised in the year 1709 - Isle d Orleans.jpg Map of the government of Quebec raised in the year 1709 by Gédéon de Catalogne - detail
• 
  The dean of the two churches of Saint-Pierre (1717)
• 
  Manoir Mauvide-Genest
• 
  Maison Drouin in Sainte-Famille
• 
  Door of the Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans lordship

Since the days of the first French settlers, agriculture has been the main economic activity such as (potatoes, strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries, vegetables, vines, berries, maple products…), a notable viticulture - some small areas produce local wines whites and reds, the production of cider and aging. A cheese is produced there, the Isle d'Orléans doormat... The island, known as the "Garden of Quebec",[3] is still an essentially rural place famous locally for its produce, especially strawberries, apples, potatoes and wineries. Sugar maple stands produce maple syrup and other products.

While the old trades of fishing and boat building have been abandoned, the island's rich cultural heritage and pastoral scenery has led to a flourishing tourism industry. It attracts more than 600,000 visitors each year. Numerous bed-and-breakfast inns, regional cuisine restaurants, roadside fruit stands, art galleries and craft shops also attract visitors:[3][2]

• Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'Orléans the church of the Sainte-Famille from 1743 and the interpretation centers Maison de nos Aïeux and Maison Drouin;
• Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans the observation tower, the beach and the chocolate factory on Île d'Orléans;
• Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans the café "La Boulange", the Catholic church, the promenade on the shore of the St. Lawrence and the Mauvide-Genest Manor (National Historic Site of the Canada);
• Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans the "La Chalouperie" museum at the maritime park and the Île d'Orléans marina;
• Sainte-Pétronille the island's chocolate factory and the painter's house Horatio Walker;
• Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans the Félix Leclerc space and the Bellevue with the giant sculpture of Félix Leclerc.

Also for years there has been a strong movement of the inhabitants of city of Quebec, who own second homes around the periphery of the island of Orleans.

Félix Leclerc is buried in Saint-Pierre. There is the Espace Félix Leclerc, today a museum and performance hall, in his honor.

Several chansonniers have made reference to Île d'Orléans in their songs, in particular:

• Yves Duteil refers to the island in his song La langue de chez nous (Our language).
• Félix Leclerc will make a song of it : Le Tour de l'île (The Island Tour).
• Jean-Pierre Ferland refers to the island in Chanson pour Félix (Song for Félix)
• Sylvain Lelièvre refers to the island in his song Le fleuve (The river)
• Monique Leyrac refers to the island in her song La fille de l'île (The Island Girl)
• Tire le Coyote refers to the island in his song Calfeutrer les failles (Caulk faults)

• 
  Panoramic view of the North shore, Saint-Laurent river, Île d'Orléans bridge
• 
  Île d'Orléans Marina
• 
  Museum La Chalouperie at "Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent" (English: Saint-Laurent Maritime Park)
• 
  View of the north shore of the St. Lawrence River
• 
  The frozen St. Lawrence River at the Île d'Orléans bridge

• Geography of Quebec
• List of islands of Quebec

• Linda Arsenault et Sonia Landry (dir.), Les producteurs toqués de l'île d'Orléans. Farmers in Chef Hats, Éditions L. A. Communication, Québec, 2007 ISBN 9782980972102
• Louis-Édouard Bois, L'île d'Orléans: notes sur son étendue, ses premiers établissements, sa population, les mœurs de ses habitants, ses productions, A. Coté & Cie., 1895, 148 p.
• Hélène Bourque, Donald Dion et Brigitte Ostiguy, L’île d’Orléans, un enchantement, Éditions du Chien Rouge, Québec, 1999, 48 p. ISBN 9782922627008
• André Gaulin, et Norbert Latulippe, L’île d’Orléans, microcosme du Québec, Association québécoise des professeurs de français, Québec, 1984, 137 p.
• Collectif, « Dossier île d’Orléans : Le goût de l’île », Continuité, n° 73, été 1997, p. 17-51.
• Martin Fournier, Jean Mauvide : de chirurgien à seigneur de l’île d’Orléans au XVIIIth, Éditions du Septentrion, Québec, 2004, 187 p. ISBN 9782894483800
• David Karel, « Le chantre de l’île d’Orléans » dans Horatio Walker, Musée du Québec/Fides, Québec/Montréal, 1986, p. 5-117.
• Félix Leclerc, Le Fou de l’île, Bibliothèque québécoise, Québec, 1988 (1st éd. Denoël, 1958), 182 p. ISBN 2894060149
• Jean Poirier, La Toponymie historique et actuelle de l'Île d'Orléans, Fondation Minigo, 1985, 137 p. (d'après une thèse de 1961)
• Pierre Georges Roy, L'Île D'Orléans, L. A. Proulx, 1928, 505 p.
• Louis-Philippe Turcotte, Histoire de l'île d'Orléans, Atelier typographique du Canadien, 1867, 164 p.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Île d'Orléans.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Île d'Orléans.

• Official Tourist Website of Île d'Orléans