The sea plays a large part in the park's ecosystem and also played a pivotal role in the lives of humans that inhabited the area. For almost two centuries, fishermen and their families pulled cod from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At Grande-Grave National Historic Site on the south shores of Forillon are 26 historic buildings, all recalling a time of the area's great commercial importance. Grande-Grave is thought to come from an old French word describing a pebble beach where cod was dried. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this is where a large part of the catch was dried, salted, and shipped to distant ports in Spain, Italy, and the West Indies.

The cliffs of Forillon

The hillside village of Anse Blanchette represents the individual families that tackled the jobs of catching and processing cod on a smaller scale. Here are the homesteads, barns, fish houses, and cod-drying equipment used by these tough, independent seafarers. Guides dressed in period costumes tell stories of the era and demonstrate skills in traditional crafts.

The Hyman Store was built by William Hyman in 1864 and used initially as a residence. The ground floor was turned into the company store in 1918, and today houses period canned goods, medicines, food, farm equipment, clothing, and fishing tackle. A warehouse was also built to store the vast catches of dried cod prior to shipping.

There is a 3-km trail that loops through the Grande-Grave area and passes displays as well as the many buildings. The Hyman Store and Anse Blanchette are open from June 19 to September 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Hyman store remains open from September 7 to October 15, from 10a.m. to 4 p.m.

Two side-trips from the park can be made to explore sites of historical significance. Allow plenty of time as the distances dictate.

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