Cap à l’Aigle may be described as a farm-village resort. It has a pleasant little strip of shale and gravel beach. It has a waterfall, where, although the volume of water passing over it is small, the view is very picturesque. Beach life is not prominent in any of the Murray Bay resorts, unless it is at St. Irénée. This is because of the wonderful attraction the surrounding country has for walks, drives, and other outdoor recreations. A few houses cluster at the top of the road leading up from the wharf at Cap à l’Aigle, and farm houses extend along the tops of the cliffs in the direction of St. Fidèle and St. Simeon.
There are numerous pleasant walks along the breezy heights, and the road to Murray Bay River and village is an enjoyable one. Cap à l’Aigle has a quiet, restful, and simple life that suits it for those who desire to spend the summer not too near to a town; and in addition, it has the advantage of being within reasonable distance of the busy summer centre at Murray Bay.
On the south shore of the St. Lawrence, almost opposite Cap à l’Aigle, lies bright and picturesque Kamouraska, with its white houses lining the river, and its five verdant islands reposing within convenient reach for the enjoyment of boating, bathing and fishing. There are summer cottages here pleasantly placed along the banks, and a number of stopping-places for visitors are found on the quiet streets. Driving, walking, and tennis are the recreations, with the usual social life found in country vacation centres. The village is very prettily laid out; and the enjoyable stretches of beach, with the abundant tree-growth of the neighborhood, make this a favorite spot. Kamouraska is near the Intercolonial Railway station of St. Paschal, from which place it is reached by a carriage drive of about six miles.
MURRAY BAY
1. Bungalow 2. Cape Fortin 3. Lower Fraser Falls 4. Bungalow
Rivière du Loup, some twenty-three miles down the St. Lawrence from Kamouraska, is a growing city of considerable importance. It took its name from the seals, once very numerous by the mouth of the river. It has a pleasant situation on high land, and on that account it has cool air. The long main street stretches continuously to Fraserville, and follows the channel of the river for some distance. It is a natural tourist centre; and the hotel accommodation is good. The hotels at the Fraserville end are particularly suited to those making a stay in the neighborhood; for some are large and roomy, with nice gardens and a fine view of the river from the quiet porches and balconies on the St. Lawrence side. There are pleasant drives to Notre Dame du Portage village, Cacouna, etc.; and enjoyable trips may be made over the lines of the Intercolonial and Temiscouata Railways, as well as on the river in various directions. Lake Temiscouata, or ‘Winding Water,’ the Touladi River and Lake, the Madawaska, or ‘Never-Frozen’ River and the Acadian village of Edmundston are all reached by going over the line of the Temiscouata Railway. These places are all in the heart of a good fishing and hunting country.
At ‘The Point’ on the river, numerous cottages have been built for the enjoyment of cool river breezes, and here, too, good summer hotels are found where gay companies spend happy days in boating and other amusements. The wharf with its promenade 2,500 feet long is a favorite spot at all times, and from this point the steamers of the Trans St. Laurent Company leave for Tadousac and the Saguenay, almost immediately opposite on the north shore some twenty-five miles across.
The celebrated Falls of the Rivière du Loup are still beautiful, although mills, etc., have made sad inroads on their beauty. They are seen to best advantage by crossing the Intercolonial Railway bridge and walking through the fields to a point down stream where a high bank commands a full view of the river bed and the fall above.