Central 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 central sector. This is where the employees of the station lived, in the village of Saint-Luc-de-Grosse-Île. The population ranged from 70 to 300 inhabitants depending on the season, the decade and the needs of the quarantine station. The population gradually decreased from 1923 onwards, until the station was closed in 1937 when the Canadian army took possession of it. However, some residents continued to live there until the 1960s.

Until 1860 to1870, the village was mainly occupied seasonally during the quarantine period, when the river could still be navigated. From then on, families of employees were allowed to live there year-round, and a real village life started on the island. Residents lived side by side and worked hard together, and shared a variety of leisure activities and lots of family time. They occasionally met in the crop fields, in the vegetable gardens, at "Grey Rock" or on the sidewalks. They chatted before and after mass at the church square and caught up on news at the bakery. They organized winter parties and summer picnics at one another's homes. There was no shortage of things to discuss: they talked about the immigrant ship that had just arrived, river conditions, the delicious bread and pastries that were always available at the bakery after Sunday mass.

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