Kamouraska, Quebec

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Kamouraska is a village on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Regional County Municipality of Kamouraska. It has been named one of the top 20 nicest villages in the province of Quebec.

The area was first settled in the late 17th century. There is a long tradition of eel fishing here and an interpretive centre on eel fishing is located in the village.

Anti-Catholic preacher Charles Chiniquy was born in Kamouraska in 1809. Kamouraska was also the location of the 1839 murder of Louis-Pascal-Achille Taché. The event inspired Anne Hébert's 1970 novel Kamouraska, which was made into a film in 1973 by Claude Jutra.

Kamouraska was also the hometown of Marie-Louise Meilleur, who went on to become the oldest person in the world in 1997-1998; she lived to 117 years of age.

There are salt marshes along the river and there is an ecological reserve near the village. The marsh provides habitat used by birds for nesting and during migration. Cliffs along the river provide nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcons. Seals can also be seen in the river here. At certain times of year, the mosquitoes found in the marshes can be particularly aggressive.

The village can be reached via Quebec Autoroute 20. Quebec Highway 132 travels through the village.

The name "Kamouraska" comes from an Algonquin word meaning "where rushes grow at the water's edge".

According to the Canada 2001 Census: