Carved from a block of gray granite extracted from the Auguste Dumas quarry, the Cross of Gaspé is a historical monument. This monolithic granite cross was commissioned and installed by the Canadian government in 1934 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of French explorers in Canada. An original Cross of Gaspé was erected by Jacques Cartier during his first trip to the Gulf of St. Lawrence on July 24, 1534, to mark the possession of the territory on behalf of the King of France, Francis I. When this cross was made, it was tough to extract and transport this heavy rock. A plaque was unveiled on the 75th anniversary of the erection of the granite cross in 2009 to commemorate the artisans’ efforts. The location of this cross has changed thrice since its unveiling but has sat in the same spot since 2012.

Photo: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0