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Gaspé, Birthplace of Canada

Gaspé, Berceau du Canada

Located on the waterfront across from Place Jacques-Cartier, this cluster of about a half-dozen buildings operates as a sort of miniature living-history museum depicting the village of Gaspé as it was around 1900, complete with interpreters in period costume. Tuck in to a nice meal at the tavern, explore the fish warehouse and old general store, tour the Horatio Leboutillier House (the genuine article, built c. 1850), or take off on one of the walking tours of modern-day downtown Gaspé that begin and end here. At the centre of it all is a granite replica of Jacques Cartier's cross, dedicated in 1934 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his landing.

Address: 179, montée Wakeham
Hours: Wed 9:30AM-6PM, all other days 10:30AM-6PM, late Jun through mid-Sept
Website: tourisme-gaspesie.com (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Gaspé, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Place Jacques-Cartier
The Gaspé Peninsula's only indoor shopping mall anchors the west end of the downtown retail district. Small in size but unique in design, the three-storey Place Jacques-Cartier is built into the slope of the low hill that separates downtown from the shore of the bay. Here you'll find 15 shops, restaurants, and other businesses including a Provigo supermarket, another Uniprix, Rossy and Dollarama discount stores, SAQ provincial liquor outlet, and a McDonald's.
Mon-Wed 9:30AM-5:30PM, Thu-Fri 9AM-9PM, Sat 9:30AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PM
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Librairie Alpha
You'll find books of all kinds, on all subjects, and for all age levels on the shelves at this über-friendly independent bookstore in downtown Gaspé — but, being a proud member of the Quebec Bookstore Association (Association des librairies du Québec), those in search of works by local authors speaking from local perspectives can be assured they'll find more than their share of options here. Librairie Alpha also has a good selection of board games. Website in French only.
Mon-Wed 9AM-5:30PM, Thu-Fri 9AM-9PM, Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PM
Eat
Bistro le Brise-Bise
One of the most distinctive, upscale, and trendy dining options on the Gaspé Peninsula, and a great option for folks who don't like seafood — all for prices that won't break the bank. The eclectic menu draws from Asian (a trio of Thai-style soups), classically Gaspesian (a locally-sourced grilled sausage and sauerkraut platter, plus crowd-pleasing shrimp poutine), and — above all — Italian (about a half-dozen pasta dishes and several specialty pizzas) influences. Bilingual waitstaff and English-language menus are a big help to those who have yet to master the local language, and live music performances are frequent.
Sun-Wed 11AM-1AM, Thu-Sat 11AM-3AM$20-50
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Kon-Joint
You can't miss this place: it's a spacious shop nestled into the ground floor of the tallest building on rue de la Reine, a handsome mansard-roofed brick beauty right in the centre of the downtown action. The sign on the door advertises lingerie, and you will indeed find high-quality selections for regular and plus sizes, but that's not all: Kon-Joint also sells women's clothing and accessories of all descriptions. Fashions for all four seasons of the year are available, but the specialty seems to be cute, breezy summer wear of the type that's perfect for a day of outdoor people-watching in the warm months. Website in French only.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5:30PM