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The St. Lawrence was known to many people long before it was said to have been
"discovered" by French explorer Jacques Cartier. Canada's Aboriginal
peoples were the first humans to travel its waters, but other
peoples had visited the North American continent before French explorer Jacques
Cartier sailed along the banks of the St. Lawrence
River and Gulf. Many immigrants settled near the St. Lawrence, earning their
livelihood by working on or near the river. The St. Lawrence River is a storybook
of human history and treasure trove of fun
facts.
The St. Lawrence River and Gulf have a lot of secrets hidden in the depths of
their turbulent waters, where hundreds of ships lay in watery graves, some containing
lost treasure. Along the shore, you can see little-known territory where stand
old, abandoned lighthouses. Despite the number of shipwrecks at the bottom of
the St. Lawrence, sailors have not turned their backs on her. Instead, they simply
built wharves and ships better adapted to her fickle nature.
Shipwrecks and treasure
Terrible accident near Rimouski: over 1000 dead
In the foggy night of May 29, 1914, the Empress of Ireland, a luxurious
ocean liner headed to England, was rammed by a Norwegian vessel. In
less than 20 minutes, the Empress sank beneath the icy waters of the
St. Lawrence River, carrying 1012 passengers and crew to a watery
end. Over 400 people survived this maritime disaster, whose loss of
life was second only to that of the Titanic, which went down only
two years earlier. Did you know that a member of the Empress's crew
had also survived the sinking of the Titanic?
In Rimouski on that cold May night, people immediately sprung into
action to help the survivors and recover the bodies of the dead. The
city of Rimouski soon ran out of coffins! In July, another 250 bodies
were recovered from the wreck, along with its precious cargo of silver
ingots.
Is the wreck of the Empress of Ireland cursed?
Ever since this ocean liner sank in 1914, dozens of divers explored
the ruins and brought back a number of artefacts. Some say the wreck
is haunted and very mysterious. To date, six experienced divers have
died while searching through the bowels of this legendary ship.
Did you know that exploring this wreck is a dangerous enterprise?
While it is most certainly not cursed, accessing the interior of the
ship is rather difficult. An old navy ship was sunk a few kilometres
from the Empress of Ireland, near Pointe-au-Père, in order
to give divers in the area a safer ship to explore. Before the navy
ship was scuttled, expert divers arranged the interior of the vessel
to ensure the safety of future diving expeditions. This new wreck
soon became very popular with less experienced divers.
To learn more about this maritime disaster:
http://www.museedelamer.qc.ca
Foiled attack on Quebec City: the enemy sunk
its own ships!
For centuries, Île aux Œufs, an island located along the
North Shore, has been known as a navigational hazard that is best
avoided like the plague. But British Admiral Walker, who arrived from
Boston to attack Quebec City in the summer of 1711, did not know the
peril this island presented for his fleet! In the night of August
23, 10 of his warships sunk after striking the dangerous reefs and
shoals surrounding the island. Over 900 sailors died in this naval
tragedy, which marked a brutal end to this attempt by the British
to capture New France. But this would not stop them from trying again
later!
The St. Lawrence is littered with shipwrecks
It is believed at least 1000 ships sank in the waters of the St. Lawrence
over the past few hundred years. Many experts and historians disagree
with this estimate, thinking it is too low. They place the number
of wrecks anywhere from 2000 to 10 000!
Accidentally uncovering a shipwreck
An experienced diver from Baie-Comeau accidentally discovered a shipwreck
in a little cove near his cottage. Even though he had explored this
area dozens of times before, he had never noticed the wreck because
it was buried under the sand. Apparently, a storm caused the sand
to shift, uncovering it. This discovery was an early Christmas present
for this diver, who found the wreck on December 24, 1994. Definitely
better than getting coal in your stocking!
To learn more about how archeologists explore shipwrecks:
http://www.mcc.gouv.qc.ca/pamu/champs/archeo/epaphips/wreck01.htm
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