You know you’re from Gaspésie when…

1. The sea is your compass.

Whether it’s to the north, south or any other direction, the sea is always your first point of reference. And it’s often THE thing you look forward to coming back to when you return to the region.

2. You say hi to everyone, even when you’re in the city.

On the street or in a shop, everyone says hello to each other in Gaspésie. That’s the way you’ve always done it, so it’s sometimes hard to adapt to the anonymity of big cities.

3. You’re used to driving several hours to go shopping.

A quick trip to Rimouski to get your braces adjusted? No problem, that also means you can go shopping. And do errands for 2 or 3 other people at the same time.

4. You’re proud to be from your village, not the one next door. But as soon as you leave the region, people from the neighbouring village suddendly become your best friends.

Parochial wars don’t go beyond the region’s geographical boundaries. There’s nothing more familiar than a paspéya accent when you’re lost in the big city!

5. You’ve already been asked if you can see Percé Rock from your home.

You love Percé Rock, but you also know that very few people can actually see it from their home in Gaspésie. Just as you can’t necessarily see Château Frontenac or the Olympic Stadium from home, even if you live in Québec City or Montréal.

6. You’re used to seeing moose carcasses in the back of pickup trucks in the fall.

Arriving at the grocery shop to see a moose head proudly mounted on the hood of a pickup truck is not at all unusual in Gaspésie, whether you agree with it or not. Tuning into Dans mon shack on Radio-Gaspésie might just be your guilty pleasure.

7. You’ve already been asked you where your accent comes from?

8. You used to party at the Don-Lynn.

But maybe your favourite hangout was the 1534 in Gaspé, Le Bateau in Carleton or Le Bistro in Chandler. The fact remains that the bars we went to when we were young – and there was no shortage of them back in the day! – are truly amongst our fondest memories.

Gaspesian Day has no borders: wherever you are, take the opportunity to celebrate the event in your own way. Because being a Gaspesian can’t be explained, it has to be experienced.