Val-d'Espoir
Val-d'Espoir is a hamlet within the city of Percé, in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region, in eastern Quebec, Canada.[1] It was an unorganized territory until 1971 when the territory was merged with the city of Percé.
Val-d'Espoir | |
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Val-d'Espoir Val-d'Espoir | |
Coordinates: 48°30′49″N 64°24′06″W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Quebec |
Administrative region | Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine |
City | Percé |
Postal code | |
Area code(s) | 418 and 581 |
History
In the 1930s, an agricultural school was founded in Val-d'Espoir. It closed its doors in 1961.
In 2010, Val-d'Espoir became the site of the famous Groundhog Day where Fred, Quebec's official groundhog, makes his annual predictions of the arrival of spring.[2] This tradition is temporarily interrupted in 2023 when the groundhog Fred had been found dead before making his predictions.[3][4] The hamlet is also the host of the winter carnival of the place, which would be the second oldest winter carnival in Quebec, after that of Quebec City.
References
- "Val-d'Espoir". Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- "Gaspésie: la marmotte Fred prédit un printemps tardif". Le Journal de Québec (in French). February 2, 2019.
- "Jour de la marmotte | Fred, la marmotte de Val d'Espoir, est morte". La Presse (in French). 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
- Wilton, Katherine (February 2, 2023). "Quebec's beloved Fred la Marmotte dies on Groundhog Day". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 2, 2023.