Western sector tour

Before we begin, let’s take a minute to get the lay of the island and see how the station is organized. The island is divided into three sectors: the west, centre, and east. Beginning in 1832, all immigrants who arrived at the station, regardless of their health, were welcomed, housed, cared for and, if necessary, buried in the western sector. But over time, the island was reorganized to reflect new medical knowledge. At the end of the 19th century, the function of each sector, as we know it today, was clearly established. The western sector with its hotels was reserved for "healthy immigrants" and those who were ill were cared for in the hospitals located in the eastern sector. The centre sector is where the station employees lived as true villagers in a municipality called Saint-Luc-de-Grosse-Île.

Welcome to the western sector. This is where the story of the Grosse Île quarantine station began in 1832. The main facilities were located there, but no distinction had yet been made between sick and healthy immigrants. I’ll tell you more about this later in the tour.

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