Chenal des Grands Voiliers facts for kids

The Chenal des Grands Voiliers is a special water path in the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. Its name means "channel of tall sailships" in English. This channel flows between Île d'Orléans and the southern shore of Quebec.

Many towns are located along this channel. On the Île d'Orléans side, you'll find Sainte-Pétronille, Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, and Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. On the south shore, there's Lévis, Saint-Michel-de-Bellechasse, and Berthier-sur-Mer.

This channel is very important for big ships. Large ocean vessels use it to travel up the St. Lawrence River. They can even reach the Great Lakes from here. Historically, this channel was a key entry point into the heart of North America.

The channel is formed by Île d'Orléans, which is about 33.1 kilometers (20.6 miles) long. The island is bordered by the St. Lawrence River on one side and the south shore of Quebec on the other. In winter, special icebreaker ships work to keep the channel clear of ice. This allows ships to pass through all year round.

Where is the Chenal des Grands Voiliers?

The Chenal des Grands Voiliers starts at the southwestern tip of Île d'Orléans. This is in the town of Sainte-Pétronille. Across the water, on the south shore of Quebec, it begins near Gilmour Cove.

The entrance to the channel is about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) wide. As you travel along the channel, you might see huge power lines. These are Hydro-Québec lines that stretch right over the river.

The channel ends near a small island called Île Madame. This island is about 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) long. At low tide, you can see sandbanks around Île Madame. The end of the channel is quite wide, about 9.2 kilometers (5.7 miles) across.

How did the channel get its name?

This water passage used to be called the "Southern Channel." But in April 1984, its name was officially changed. The new name, "Chenal des Grands Voiliers," was chosen to celebrate a special event.

Tall sailing ships visited Quebec in 1984. This visit marked the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's first trip. Jacques Cartier was an explorer who sailed into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence a long time ago.

The name also remembers when tall ships came back to Quebec and Lévis in 2017. This was part of an event called the "Rendez-vous." The official name was recorded on April 5, 1984, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec.