Once we disembarked from the ship, we hopped onto a tour bus with 38 fellow travelers. It was interesting to note that some of the shore excursions in this port opted for Yellow School buses as their mode of transportation.
Our journey began early in the morning, and we were given the customary briefing on the history of the area. To make the most of the picturesque views of Lake Saint-Jean, named after Jesuit Missionary’s, we chose to sit on the right side of the bus.
Chicoutimi, Canada
15-minute ride
Saguenay, QC, Canada
In no time, we reached Chicoutimi, a charming town known for its unmistakable French ambiance and old-world charm. As we entered the town, we couldn’t help but notice the Club de Golf Le Ricochet on the right side of the bus. And before we knew it, we had arrived at the little White House that famously survived the devastating flood of 1996, all in a matter of minutes.
The Little White House Historical Park and Museum
15-minute on/off exterior visit
251 Rue Bosse, Chicoutimi, QC G7J 0K3, Canada
During our tour, the guide shared with us a photo of the catastrophic flood that struck the area. We were amazed to learn that this very structure survived the raging torrents of water that gushed over from the dam behind it. The region had experienced a steady downpour of rain for two weeks, which reached its peak with an incredible 11-inch rainfall on July 19th and 20th, 1996. Truly miraculous!
When we first arrived at the site, we were only allowed to take photos through the bus windows since we were not permitted to disembark. However, after a few minutes, the driver managed to maneuver the bus to a better location that offered a more suitable vantage point. Eventually, we were able to stop at three different spots to capture the view from multiple angles.
Beside the Little White House stood the Sacred Heart Church, creating a breathtakingly picturesque and photogenic setting. The scene looked like it was straight out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.
The Chicoutimi Pulp Mill
15-minute exterior visit
300 Rue Dubuc, Chicoutimi, QC G7J 4M1, Canada
Just beyond the small hill and behind the Little White House, we caught sight of the former Chicoutimi Pulp Mill, which was established in 1896. This renowned mill was responsible for exporting high-quality pulp and paper to various parts of the world. The Canadian National Railway and the Chicoutimi River terminus were used for transporting the products.
A significant portion of the exported pulp went to the City of London, and by 1910, the mill had grown to become the largest in North America. By 1920, it had earned the distinction of being the biggest mill in the entire world. Unfortunately, as the 1930s approached, the mill’s fortunes began to decline, and eventually, it had to shut down.
The Price House
Drive-by
110 Rue Price O, Chicoutimi, QC G7J 1G8, Canada
After leaving the mill, we passed by the Price House, which was formerly known as the William Price general store.
William Price, the owner of the Bassin sawmill in the area, used to pay his workers with tokens that were only redeemable at his own general supply store. Presently, this very store functions as the Saguenay Youth Hostel.
Lake Saint-Jean
Drive-by || sit on the right side.
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, QC, Canada
Our next destination was the Val-Jalbert Historical Village, which was undoubtedly the highlight of our tour. En route, we drove past the massive Lake Saint-Jean, also known as Piekuakamu in the native Innu language. The lake is a staggering 15 miles wide and 27 miles long.
During our journey, we discovered that the region we were passing through was commonly referred to as the “Blueberry Capital.” This nickname came about after the great fire of 1870 destroyed much of the region, leading to the proliferation of blueberries in the area.
Val-Jalbert Historical Village
2-hour visit
95 Rue Saint-George, Chambord, Quebec G0W 1G0, Canada
Val-Jalbert is a fascinating model working village, established in 1901 as a residential town for the employees of the Ouiatchouan Pulp Company. After the mill’s unfortunate closure in 1927, the village was left abandoned and quickly became a ghost town. However, Val-Jalbert was later restored and opened for tourism in 1963. This 452-acre wooded domain, classified on the register of Historic Monuments, features numerous restored buildings alongside the abandoned houses of the workers.
Trolley Tour
30-minute trolley ride
After taking a quick restroom break at the Val-Jalbert visitors center, we hopped onto the historical village trolley that took our group on a personalized tour, providing us with a great understanding of the town’s layout. The ride was slow, but informative and entertaining, featuring factual and comedic audio narration.
If you can hold on for another 30 minutes, it’s recommended to visit the Mill & Interpretative Center Museum to use the restrooms as they are 10 times nicer and less crowded.
Post Office
The Trolley stopped in front of the Convent School, Post Office, and the mill owner’s house before passing through the residential neighborhood streets of Rue Ste-Anne, Avenue Dubuc, and Rue Labrecque. The ride’s final stop was at the Mill & Interpretative Center Museum.
Mill and Interpretative Center Museum
15-minute visit
Upon entering the museum, we spent some time exploring the interpretative center before our cafeteria-style lunch was served at the enclosed Bistro Du Loulin.
After lunch, you will have some free time to explore the exhibits more thoroughly if you’d like. Nevertheless, we opted to spend our free time exploring the village on foot.
Bistro Du Loulin
30-minute lunch
Our lunch included a delectable Beef, Pork, and Potato pie, paired with tasty Broccoli and Cauliflower soup, and a small Caesar Salad. If you prefer, you can opt for the Chicken with Scalloped Potatoes and mixed vegetables instead. For dessert, we savored a delicious Cup-Cake with Raspberry icing and/or Coffee.
Free Time
1-hour, 45-minutes free time
Following our scrumptious lunch, we had some free time to do as we pleased. We decided to utilize this opportunity to explore the village on foot.
Ouiatchouan Waterfall Platform
1-minute walk
We exited through the rear mill doors and climbed a small set of stairs that led to the platform belvedere. This offered a fantastic vantage point for observing the power and beauty of the falls from the bottom portion. The falls measure a towering 236 feet in height, which is an astonishing 65 feet higher than Niagara Falls.
Cable Car
5-minute cable car ride
After spending some time admiring the falls, we made our way back and hopped onto the cable car to enjoy the much-anticipated mountaintop view.
Once we reached the top, we set off towards the boardwalk trail that led to the Maligne Waterfall overlook.
Maligne Falls (or Second Falls) Overlook
5-minute walk
As we stepped out of the cable car, we were informed that it typically takes about 15 minutes to traverse the boardwalk and stairs to reach the Second Falls Overlook. However, we made it there in a quick five minutes. I guess we must have been walking quite fast! From the overlook, we enjoyed yet another breathtaking view of the Second Falls, which was visible in the far-off distance.
The 764 Steps
25-minute traverse
We decided to walk back down the 764 steps from the Second Falls, instead of taking the cable car, and we made it to the bottom in good time. In retrospect, we probably should have opted for the cable car to have more time to explore the village.
Despite our decision, we did get the chance to capture many more stunning photos of the magnificent view and even stumbled upon a set of rapids situated just above the top of the falls.
House 18
8-minute walk
Once we reached the bottom, we visited House #18, which offered an insider’s glimpse into the living conditions of the village.
Forman’s house
8-minute walk
As we made our way back towards the visitor center, we took a small detour on St-Joseph Street. This allowed us to get up-close views of the Forman’s house and other supplementary housing.
Next, we made our way to Avenue Dubuc before retracing our steps and gradually working our way back to the main through-fare. This was all in an effort to make our way back to the visitor center once again.
Vacation Rentals
8-minute walk
The Historical Village offers vacation rentals in its converted historic houses, originally built for mill workers and their families. These houses have been renovated with modern amenities while retaining their original charm.
Staying in these rentals offers a unique opportunity to experience the village’s culture and history, including a self-guided tour after hours and participation in nighttime activities such as light shows, storytelling, and guided tours.
Convent School
3-minute walk
Our next stop was the Convent-School, but we were unable to go inside as we only had ten minutes until our bus was scheduled to depart.
Visitors Center
8-minute walk
Upon arriving back at the Visitors Center, we briefly took a moment to observe the surrounding graveyard before making our way to the awaiting coach.
Return to Cruise Pier
As our shore excursion drew to a close, we departed from the Val-Jalbert Historical Village, having thoroughly enjoyed our day exploring this historical site on the final weekday of its 2022 season.
Cruise Port: Saguenay QC Canada
Shore Excursion: Saguenay and Val-Jalbert
Cruise Line/Ship: Holland America Nieuw Statendam
Tour Operator: Tours AML
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