Logo
Back to the Journey List
Download PDF (French version)

Departure
Saint-Félix-d’Otis

20 km

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

This winding road passes through varied landscapes, running alongside a river and mountains, before circling a lake

Start

445 Principale Street, Saint-Félix-d’Otis, Quebec G0V 1M0
View on Google Maps

Finish

410 Principale Street, Rivière-Éternité, Quebec G0V 1P0
View on Google Maps

Distance

20 KM

Route duration

DAY 1

Difficulty level

MEDIUM

Elevation gain

50 M

Itinerary

From Saint-Félix-d’Otis to Rivière-Éternité

  • Take Route 170, then turn left. (15.7 km)
  • Along the way, look for the “Au pays des bleuets” soap factory on your right.
  • After the soap factory, turn right onto the Rivière-Éternité bike path and continue to Parc des Artistes. (4 km)
  • Walk through the park to the church parking lot. (0.3 m)

Practical Tips

Plan for today's drive

  • Water, snacks
  • Lunch

Planning for the Road Ahead

  • Option 1 (public transportation): water and a snack.
  • Option 2 via the Sépaq hiking trails: Bring water, snacks, and meals for 2 days, along with a gas stove and cookware.

Important for this route

Confirm:

  • Reservations for public transportation for the following day if Option 1 is selected:
    Tel. +1 (418) 540-4150
  • The first night in a forest cabin on the Sépaq trail toward L’Anse-Saint-Jean (depending on the option chosen for the next day), to find out if there’s room to sleep: http://www.sepaq.com/pq/sag and confirm the day before – Tel. 1 (800) 665-6527 (you must have made your reservation in advance)

Point of View

Statue of Our Lady of Saguenay on Cap Trinité (1881)

To reach the Notre-Dame du Saguenay statue from the church in Rivière-Éternité, take Notre-Dame Street, which runs in front of the church and the entrance gate to Saguenay Park. It is 7 km to the Visitor Center. From there, the trail begins, leading up to the recently restored statue.

The estimated time is two (2) hours each way—a total of four (4) hours. A full day of hiking is required for the round trip. A contribution ($) is required to help maintain the site.

Restaurants / Food

Gérald Simard Grocery Store

408 Main Street, Route 1
Rivière-Éternité, Quebec G0V 1P0
Phone (418) 272-2446

(next to the church)

Le Relais Snack Bar

132 Main Road, Route 1,
Rivière-Éternité, Quebec G0V 1P0

Accommodations

Church of Our Lady of Eternity

410 Principale Street
Rivière-Éternité, Quebec G0V 1P0
Tel. (418) 272-3138 and (581) 882-2529

For groups.

Sunday Inn

410 Principale Street
Rivière-Éternité, Quebec G0V 1P0
Tel. (418) 608-8890 / (581) 235-4588

Former rectory (next to the church).

For individuals and couples.

Things to Do in Rivière-Éternité

HERITAGE AND CULTURE

The Artists’ Park and the Nativity Scenes

On a lovely trail behind the church, discover 15 nativity scenes created by local artists, including Victor Dallaire.

A Brief History of the Stopover Town

Eternity River

More than a hundred years ago, as part of the construction of a settlement road between Saint-Félix-d’Otis and Saint-Siméon de Charlevoix, which began in 1924 and opened after 1929, the township of Hébert was established, with more than 30 families settled there by 1932. The municipality took the name Rivière-Éternité in 1974. A chapel-school and a post office followed in 1936.

The site was already frequented by many pilgrims who had come to the mouth of the Éternité River, where it flows into the Saguenay River very close to Cap Trinité. It is on this cape that the statue of Our Lady of Saguenay stands, created by Louis Jobin and erected in 1881. Commissioned by Charles-Napoléon Robitaille—who, according to him, was miraculously saved from an incident that could have been fatal during a business trip on the Saguenay— this statue has since served as a votive offering and, as a result, has continued to attract devout Catholics and curious visitors alike.

The terms “Eternity” and “Trinity” lend a religious dimension to this way of life.

 

Photo: Simon Villeneuve, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, M Poiss on Unsplash.

Next Step: Departure from Rivière-Éternité—Option 1 or Option 2

VIEW DETAILS FOR OPTION 1

VIEW DETAILS FOR OPTION 2