Tête-à-la-Baleine
What to KNOW
Tête-à-la-Baleine is one of 3 French-speaking communities on the Lower North Shore. Known as Whale Head by its few English-speaking residents, Tête-à-la-Baleine was named after a whale-shaped island in the nearby Toutes-Îles archipelago.
Jersey Islander Michael Kenty first bought the trading post at Tête-à-la-Baleine from the bankrupt Labrador Company in the early 1820s. Other settlers from the Jersey Islands, Quebec City and the south shore of the St. Lawrence River later joined him. In the 19th century, families lived on the islands year-round.
In 1895, they built a chapel on centrally located Providence Island. Gradually, many began spending winters on the mainland to be closer to sources of wood and game. Today, many residents still move from the mainland to the islands every summer.