The Grondines Headlands
Hunting, Fishing and Protecting the Land
With tidelands that seem to sprawl endlessly at low tide, when the river recedes into the channel, the Grondines headlands stretch from Anse chez Therrien all the way to Le Bas-de-Saint-Anne-de-la-Pérade.
Flock of snow geese enjoying the feeding banks at Grondines, 2021.
In 1860, James Macpherson Le Moine [1], author of Ornithologie du Canada, wrote that Grondines was one of the best waterfowl hunting grounds on the St. Lawrence.
There is almost no account prior to this period, but there is every reason to believe that the first inhabitants of Grondines, and no doubt the native population that preceded them, appreciated the game-filled marshes created by the daily tides.
Émile Sauvageau (left), Pierre Trottier (center) and his father Donat (right), proudly pose with a bustard, 1958.
Today still, on a chilly autumn morning, it is not uncommon to hear echoes coming from the river, reminding us that this tradition is still very much alive.
The river is a great location for waterfowl hunting, but it is also a great place for fishing. Summer or winter, in a rowboat, from the edge of a wharf or tucked inside a small cabin on the ice… The river has been an abundant source of food, pride and, let’s be honest, extravagant fishing tales!
Ice fishing near the mill, Grondines, circa 1950.
A Protected Land
For hunting and fishing activities to continue, nature must be respected and protected. This is the mission of the Regroupement des propriétaires du marais de Grondines, which has set up a conservation and wildlife management project for the marshy part of their land. This 100-hectare protected area stretches 1.5 km along the river. Part of the marshland is also protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Aerial view of the Grondines points, circa 2000.
These strips of land, which extend for kilometres into the river, are home to an abundant and fragile flora. Two native and threatened species of Quebec flora, Victorin’s water hemlock and Victorin’s gentian, are preserved here.