Recognized as a National Historical Site by Parks Canada. Grosse-Île, shrouded in mystery and inaccessible for decades, was a transition point for four million immigrants between 1832 and 1937.

From the beginning, it was a human quarantine station to counter epidemics.

The Irish Memorial is a sad reminder of the end of Irish populations, victims of the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1849. In 1847, 40 to 50 people died every day because of typhus. That year, 76,000 Irish stopped over at Grosse-Île.

Between 1937 and 1957, the island served as an experimental military base where secret experiments linked to bacteriological warfare were carried out. From then up to 1980, the island reclaimed its original status as an animal quarantine station and international center of veterinary research, the first maximum-security laboratories and stables.

To get an overall view of your visit.

Grosse-Île site.