Berthier-sur-Mer


Berthier-sur-Mer is a municipality/town in the Montmagny Regional County Municipality within the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, east of Quebec City on Route 132.
WWW berthiersurmer.ca

History

Berthier-sur-Mer was named after Alexandre Berthier, a captain in the Carignan-Salières Regiment, who was given title to this area in 1672. A year later, Berthier acquired another concession in the Lanaudière region, and his seignories became known as Berthier-en-bas and Berthier-en-Haut.
In 1722, the Parish of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption-de-Bellechasse was created, but the place was called Berthier-en-bas in common use. In 1845, the Parish Municipality of Berthier en bas was formed, dissolved in 1847, and reestablished in 1855.
On August 29, 1971, the parish municipality was renamed to Berthier-sur-Mer, following the local practice of referring to the St. Lawrence River as a sea at this point due to its increasing width, tides, and salinity. On February 7, 2004, it changed statutes and became a regular municipality.

Geology

A strip of rather interesting underlying sedimentary bedrock maintains a relatively straight shoreline through which a natural harbour, quite round in shape, has been eroded. The bedrock is set at about a 60 to 80° angle and is composed of hundreds of very thin layers of red shale interspersed every meter or so with layers of what appears to be limestone. It is quite dramatic in places where it hasn't been worn down by human activities.

Notable people