Fjord-du-Saguenay Park – A Hike Up to the Statue of Our Lady of Saguenay
Overlooking one of the most impressive natural features in Canada, the Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park (National Parks are the Provincial Parks of Quebec) is a sight to be seen. This park is a truly stunning way to spend a day!
Geography
This section of the park, containing the Statue of Our Lady of Saguenay, is located on the south side of the fjord. This is not a true fjord in a geographical sense since it contains freshwater rather then seawater but it looks like one with the steeps walls of rock delineating its sides. The body of water takes the freshwater from the St. Jean lake to St. Lawrence River, where it meshes with the brackish water to create a feeding ground for whales. This region is an excellent one to spot terrestrial mammals and aquatic species alike.
Park and Facilities
Apart from the parking lot you probably used to get here, this sector of the park is home to many facilities. This includes a visitors center/indoor picnick area with views of the bay.
You can also enjoy an outdoor picnick area and floating dock on the water.
Our Lady of Saguenay Hike
This 7.5 kilometre hike is a rather challenging one, climbing almost five hundred meters in height. It should take you between 2.5-3 hours so come prepared.
The hike starts just west of the visitors center and fallows the bay towards Cap Éternité (Eternity Cape) where the statue is located.
The pathway will soon shoot up, although there are stone steps and woods stairs for your convenience.
You will come across massive boulders on this section of the hike!
Eventually you will rise enough to see the bay that you started on rise up in front of you!
You may think you are close but this is a cruel trick. You have will soon reach the summit but you must come down again a few hundred meters. Here you will find the lady overlooking the Fjord.
Luckily the fog lifted a bit so I could see the Chanel below.
Story of the Statue
The statue of Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay was sculpted in honour of the Holy Virgin who is said to have performed a miracle to save a travelling salesman by the name Charles-Napoléon Robitaille who was on the river one winter, heading towards Lac Saint Jean to the West. He fell though the ice and loosing his struggle against the frigid waters prayed to here. Somehow he was able to strand back onto the ice further down.
The story of its construction is also an interesting one. The statue of Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay was shipped from the port of Québec City but the steamship could not approach the steep walls of the Cape to dock. Instead the statue was deposited at the L’Ance St. Jean, another nearby bay that is popular with whale watchers. From there it was put in the water and pulled over towards the cape where it was hoisted up to the cape in three pieces. This failed so it was subsequently transformed into 14 pieces and assembled at the top. The operation took nine days.
Conclusion
In essence this is a beautiful hike, weather it is sunny or not. I hope to come back on a sunny day where the fog doesn’t obscure my view of this beautiful natural area!
