Portrait

History

1534 (July 4-12) Jacques Cartier's ships were anchored in the cove now called Port-Daniel. He named the cove Conche Saint-Martin. Conche, from the Latin concha, conch, cockle, shell, means a bay with a narrow entrance. Later, Emmanuel Jumeau called it Port Daniel on his 1685 map and popular usage retained this name, as attested by the seigneury granted to René Deneau in 1696, "at the place called PortDaniel." The Micmac, for their part, called the location Epsegeneg-the place where one can get warm. Behind the baymouth bar (a harbour protected by rocky banks and providing a haven for ships), where they pitched their camp, was a place well protected from the wind.

The name of Port-Daniel also refers to the Dieppe merchant Charles Daniel (?-1661), a brother of the Jesuit Antoine Daniel, who made several trips to New France as a ship captain. He was Champlain's contemporary and a member of the Company of One Hundred Associates. In 1629, he won fame for taking an establishment belonging to the English, Fort Rosemar on Cape Breton Island.

The territory comprising today's reserve was named Parc Port-Daniel when it was created in 1948 with a view to improving protection for the salmon of Rivière Port-Daniel. Five years later, it became a wildlife reserve. In 1974, it was given the status of hunting and fishing reserve, only to become once again a wildlife reserve in 1984. It is named after the municipality, whose origin goes back to 1845.

Attractions

The Site of the Lac de l'Île Cabin

A must-see for visitors to the reserve! At night it will bring back childhood memories of gentle lapping waters that used to waft you away to slumberland. Don't wait. Reserve a stay and your vacation will be a real treat as you fish directly from your front porch. No need to walk any distance. Just cast off directly from your cabin where the rowboat is moored.

Rivière Port-Daniel

In a bucolic atmosphere, Rivière Port-Daniel shows hikers and anglers its waterfalls, gorges, and enchanting pools. Come autumn, the river turns into spawning grounds for Atlantic salmon.