Baie-Saint-Paul is one of the first places in Quebec to have been colonized. It is estimated that the first occupants arrived around 1650. We see the name Baie de l'Ilet appear on Descellier's maps from 1550. In 1632, it was Samuel de Champlain who named it Baie du Gouffre because of a whirlpool he observed at the confluence of the river and river. Then, Pierre Boucher, in 1665, writing his report to the King of France which listed the damage caused by the great earthquake of 1663, was the first to speak of the "say" Bay of Saint-Paul.
From the 17th century, the French settled there for the exploitation of the forest and later for agriculture. In 1668, the first settlers, Simard and Tremblay, settled there. Intendant Jean Talon implanted the royal tarmac there because of its luxuriant forest of gigantic red pines.
The parish registers open in 1681, but the canonical erection dates from September 21, 1715; the municipal parish was created on July 1, 1845, then passed from the status of municipality, to that of village and then to the status of city in 1961. The three municipalities of the territory were the subject of a grouping during the year 1996 Consult the document presenting the mayors of Baie-Saint-Paul from 1845 to the present day as well as old photos of the city by clicking here.
Baie-Saint-Paul conceals a contrasting landscape of sea and mountains, a veritable natural barrier that has long kept it isolated from the rest of Quebec. Thus, the beauty of its natural and cultural heritage has been preserved, which has attracted many painters, giving it its reputation as an "artists' paradise".
For more details on its history and its population, we invite you to consult the Center d'archives régional de Charlevoix
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