Rimouski had much to offer us, not the least of which was the town name’s origin. The name was probably derived from a Micmac Indian word meaning “land of the moose”. We thought it sounded Russian, but we were wrong.
Rimouski is a city of almost 50,000 people and is located along the Saint Lawrence River. There were several museums in town, including a lighthouse with an accompanying museum. There are a lot of lighthouses up here, many in disuse as technology has passed them by. This one was particularly well preserved.
Near the lighthouse was The Onondaga, a submarine turned museum. It served in the Royal Canadian Navy for over 30 years. It was decommissioned in 2000 when it was saved from being scrapped and turned into a museum. The museum tour includes a visit inside the sub.
Inside the sub. It is a little crowded.
What could go wrong here?
The most important part of the sub.
This odd building housed the most interesting museum in the area. In the early 1900s if you wanted to travel to or from Europe you had to do so by ship. In May 1914 the Empress of Ireland was on its way to Europe from Quebec City. As it made its way down the Saint Lawrence River it collided with another ship due to dense fog in the area. The wreck occurred near Rimouski. The River is actually quite wide at this point and you can’t see land on the other side, making the rescue difficult. Of the 1,477 people onboard 1,012 perished when the ship sank. This museum is a tribute to those who lost their lives that day.
A bit of artwork out front.
A few newspapers published at the time of the Empress of Ireland’s sinking.
In addition to the museums, the geology was unique.
More and different geology.
We love modern homes and there were quite a few in this area. Here is an example.
We enjoyed the bicycle trail that ran along the Saint Lawrence.
Seriously, what’s not to like?
Until next time.
Fifth Wheel Follies! 