Carleton-sur-Mer and Mont Saint-Joseph

Carleton-sur-Mer, formerly known as Tracadièche in the Micmac language meaning "place where herons gather," boasts an exceptional setting between sea and mountain, with a milder climate than most of Quebec and a barachois—a sand-heated lagoon—that has attracted vacationing visitors for over a century, doubling the local population during the summer season. Mont Saint-Joseph, which rises 555 meters above the town and Chaleur Bay, was a sacred site for the Micmac, the territory's first inhabitants, long before the arrival of a statue of the Sacred Heart in 1868 and the construction of the first chapel in 1935 transformed it into a major Catholic pilgrimage destination, now known as the Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Saint-Joseph Oratory. The viewpoint carved into the cliff face at the summit, accessible by car or via more than 30 kilometers of hiking trails and 35 kilometers of mountain biking trails, offers a breathtaking view of the bay, the neighboring wind farm with its 73 turbines, and on clear days, the nearby New Brunswick coastline, while the digital show Le Mystique du Sommet, presented within the oratory itself, traces the religious and cultural history of this remarkable site.