A network of authentic heritage villages, located in remarkable landscapes

All Rights Reserved, 1998 / 2012, Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec

A distinguished shipyard

Once named Île de Bacchus (Bacchus Island) for its naturally growing grapevines in the sixteenth century, Saint-Laurent is a part of the historical area of Île d’Orléans.

The village was first baptized Saint Paul in 1679, as its neighbor was Saint Peter (Saint-Pierre). Don’t hesitate to ask the locals how the village name changed to Saint Laurent. Legend has it that a 1698 dispute with the residents of Saint-Pierre over relics turned sour. A wayside cross on the Priest’s road (Route des prêtres), a small country road between Saint-Laurent and Saint-Pierre), commemorates the tale.

Saint-Laurent spreads at the water’s edge around a maritime park, which includes a small yachting port, a quay, a historical flat-bottom boat workshop, and a picnic site. From here, admire the immense sea-liners and the small sailing boats as they float across the Saint Lawrence channel. Off in the horizon and close to Quebec City, lie the Appalachian Mountains. In the nineteenth century, Saint-Laurent enjoyed a thriving shipbuilding industry, with some twenty flat-bottom boat workshops and three shipyards.

Saint-Laurent comprises various harmonious architectural groupings of traditional Quebecois homes, as well as the 1860 church (open to the public), the presbytery, the convent—and also nearby—the processional chapel. At the village entrance, at the foot of a small waterfall, an old flour mill (Gosselin Mill) dating back to 1715 now serves as a restaurant. The private homes of Poitras (918, chemin Royal) and Gendreau (2387, chemin Royal) are registered as historical monuments. Neither is open to public tours.

Saint-Laurent is an important agricultural centre, featuring southernly sloped farming fields. Enjoy an outing for fruit and vegetable picking, or visit the produce markets of Quebec City’s Vieux Port and Sainte-Foy.

We extend our welcome to all visitors of l'Île-d'Orléans. Come see us and discover the beauty inherited from our history.

Mr. Yves Coulombe, Mayor

Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans