The history of Tadoussac

At the confluence of the Saguenay Fjord and the St. Lawrence Estuary, the territory of Tadoussac is considered among the oldest sites where different peoples met and commodities were exchanged in North American. Recovered artifacts testify to the way of life among the area’s First Nations people more than 8,000 years ago. Jacques Cartier landed in Tadoussac in 1535, to be followed by other European explorers in search of riches, such as Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit, and Samuel de Champlain. In the year 1600, a major fur-trading post was established. As the fur-trading era wound down, Tadoussac turned to forestry and fishing.

In the 1900’s, with the birth of modern tourism, Tadoussac became a summer resort destination for the wealthy. Today, the village is a vacation spot known internationally for its natural beauty, whale-watching, and history. The curious name is derived from “tatouskak,” a word meaning “bosom” in the Innu language, which references the rounded hills behind the village.