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  • Cumyn, Ann Rhodes (Hargreaves)

    Born in England, Ann emigrated to Canada and was devoted to education, her church, and her family Cumyn, Ann Rhodes (Hargreaves) Born in England, Ann emigrated to Canada and was devoted to education, her church, and her family Back to ALL Bios Ann Rhodes Cumyn (née Hargreaves) Ann was born on April 14, 1935 in Wimbledon, England, and died in Charlottetown on August 25, 2025, whilst on holiday. Her father was Hebert Lyde Hargreaves and her mother was Armitage Rhodes, the daughter of Armitage Rhodes and Katie von Iffland. Ann received a degree in mathematics from Exeter University and on graduation taught mathematics at a school in the London area. In 1962 she moved to Montreal where she taught for the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal. She married Philip Cumyn in September 1970 and in May 1971 the couple were transferred to Taiwan for eighteen months where Philip was involved in a construction project. Whilst in Taiwan, Philip and Ann adopted twins, Joanna and Lucy and on returning to Canada, bought a house in Baie D’Urfé where they lived for over 50 years. Ann was very much involved in community matters, first in the local school system where she ended up as Vice-Chairman of the Lakeshore School Board and then of its successor, the Lester B. Pearson School Board. Later on, she became a lay reader of the Anglican Church and as such sometimes took services at St. George’s Church, Ste Anne de Bellevue, at the Fulford Residence in Montreal and at Grace Church, L’Acadie. She also sat on many committees for the church including the Board of Directors of the Montreal Diocesan College. Ann was the cousin of Phoebe Skutezky and of Ainslie Stephen, and with Philip, was often invited to spend a week with them in their house at Tadoussac. Ann is buried in the Lakeview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Pointe Claire, Quebec. Back to ALL Bios

  • Whitley, Lt.-Col. Frederick Whitley & Jessie (Chouler) & daughter Jessie Margaret Whitely

    A family most remembered for the 3 front windows of the church in memory of their infant daughter, Jessie Whitley, Lt.-Col. Frederick Whitley & Jessie (Chouler) & daughter Jessie Margaret Whitely A family most remembered for the 3 front windows of the church in memory of their infant daughter, Jessie Back to ALL Bios Jessie Margaret Whitley - 1882 Most of us who attend services at the chapel have probably read the inscription beneath the front windows of the chapel hundreds of times. It is both sad and funny. Read by itself, the left-hand window reads “To the Glory of God … died at Tadoussac, August” which may draw a smile to the faces of the faithful who never subscribed to the “God is Dead” movement of the 1960s. But to read across the three windows as we are expected to do, we learn of a baby who died in 1882 at the age of five months. There is sadness, and we can only wonder, well over a hundred years later, about the reason for the child’s death and the sorrow it must have inflicted on the family and friends, but particularly to her parents. Jessie Margaret was born on February 27th and baptized on April 7th of the same year in which she died and, while named after her mother and her maternal grandmother, the family actually called her Daisy. She died on August 3rd in Tadoussac, and was buried on August 5th in Montreal. Her father was Frederick Whitley who was the son of John Whitley and Sophie Hardy of “La Solitude”, St. Martin’s Parish, Jersey, Channel Islands. He was educated at Victoria College, St. Helier’s, Jersey and at Dijon, France, and came to Montreal around 1873-1874. Frederick was first employed in the firm of Thomas Samuel and Company, then established the firm Fred’k, Whitley and Co. Leather Importers, importing high quality leather mostly from England. He served as an officer in the Montreal Garrison Artillery and was later transferred to the Montreal Squadron of Cavalry (about 1896), which became the Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars. He was also very interested in the Church of England, was a Lay Reader in the Diocese of Montreal, and was Superintendent of St. Martin's and St. James the Apostle's Sunday schools. Frederick returned to England in 1877 to marry Jessie Chouler and brought her back to Canada with him. She was the daughter of Christopher Chouler and Margaret Wilson of London, England. Her father, Christopher Chouler, was a member of the firm of Howell’s, Drapers, St. Paul’s Churchyard, London. He was the son of Christopher and Mary Chouler, Falcon Lodge, Althorp Park, Northampton. (That Christopher, Jessie’s grandfather, was the Estate Manager of Althorp, Princess Diana’s family estate.) Together, Frederick and Jessie had five children: Frederick, Henry, Ernest, Elsie and Jessie. Frederick and Jessie’s son, Frederick, became an Anglican priest, married, and had one daughter, Ruth, who never married. It was in about 1941 that he gave the brass candlesticks on the altar in the chapel in memory of his parents. Frederick died in 1914, just before WW I and his wife Jessie died in 1940. Ernest joined his father in business. He married Gertrude McGill and had one daughter, Barbara Jane Whitley, who was never married. She was well-known at the Montreal General Hospital where she volunteered for sixty years. She also started the Whithearn Foundation, a family foundation that was set up to fund research on diseases and disorders of the eye. Barbara passed away at the age of one hundred in 2018 but remembered Tadoussac very well and provided this family information just before she died. Henry also worked with his father. He and his wife had one daughter Phyllis Rosamond, who married Ralph Collyer and had three children – John, Peter, and Jane (Wandell). Phyllis passed away in 2002, in her ninety-first year at St. Lambert, Quebec. Her daughter, Jane Wandell, is currently a director of the above-mentioned Whithearn Foundation which her aunt, Barbara Whitley, founded. Elsie married C.S. Bann and had one child, Joan, who married Gordon Rutherford and had one child - Hugh. The youngest child was Jessie, usually called Daisy, whom we remember in the chapel’s front windows. Cynthia Price, Karen Molson, Alan Evans Back to ALL Bios

  • Russell, Willis & Rebecca Page (Sanborn)

    First generation summer residents who built Spruce Cliff Cottage Russell, Willis & Rebecca Page (Sanborn) First generation summer residents who built Spruce Cliff Cottage Back to ALL Bios Willis Russell 1814-1887 & Rebecca Page (Sanborn) 1813-1889 Willis Russell came originally from Vermont where he had been associated with his brothers in the paper, pulp, and lumber business. Willis married Rebecca Page (Sanborn) who descended from a long line of early New England colonists. Rebecca’s great grandfather, Lieutenant John Sanborn, was born in Norfolk, England in about 1620 and emigrated to the colonies in 1632 with the Rev. Stephen Bachiler party on the ship William and Frances, settling in Hampton, New Hampshire, the town having been founded by Rev. Bachiler. Many generations later, Rebecca Page Sanborn was born in 1813 in Sanbornton, NH to John Sanborn and Dorcas Nelson. Not much is known about Rebecca herself other than she married Willis in Franklin, NH in 1835 and eight years later they relocated to Quebec City where she and Willis lived until 1887 when he died and she died a year later at age seventy-five. An interesting historical note: Rebecca was distantly related to Thomas Nelson Page, the US Ambassador to Italy during the First World War and a direct descendant of the Virginian, Thomas Nelson Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Willis and Rebecca had six children: Mary, William, Charles, Ellen, Arthur, and Agnes. Mary and William are the ones whose descendants have continued to come to Tadoussac. After being sent by his family to Quebec to investigate business opportunities there, Willis remained a resident of Quebec City throughout the rest of his life and found himself in the hotel business, owning the St. Louis, the Albion, and the Russell House (now the Clarendon). The missal stand on the chapel altar on which the prayer book rests is made from an oak beam taken from the St. Louis Hotel when it was demolished to make room for the Chateau Frontenac. When the doctor recommended sea air for Willis’s ailing daughter, his friend Colonel Rhodes of Quebec suggested they try Tadoussac. The two men bought lots beside each other in 1860 so they could continue the friendship of the two families. Rhodes built immediately and Russell the next year. His order to the builder was “build a house just like William Rhodes’s house.” Subsequently, the Ste. Marguerite Salmon Club was founded in 1885 by Willis Russell and Robert Powel of Philadelphia and the three men could adjourn to the Marguerite River for salmon fishing. The Salmon Club leased all the rights on the Marguerite River along which they built six cottages. One of these, known as Bardsville, still stands. A big promoter of Quebec tourism, Willis Russell wrote a book on the history of Quebec which can still be bought on Amazon (Quebec; as it was and as it is). Willis Russell was involved with the Tadoussac Hotel and Sea Bathing Company which opened the original hotel in 1864. He lived in Quebec City for forty-five uninterrupted years. He is buried in Mt. Hermon Cemetery. Susie (Scott) Bruemmer, Willis and Rebecca’s great-great-granddaughter, now owns the property known as Spruce Cliff near the Tadoussac Tennis Club. The Dewarts, Reilleys, and O’Neills who all spend time in the summer in Tad in their own cottages are also direct descendants of Willis and Rebecca Russell.   Back to ALL Bios

  • Leggat, Stephanie Jane

    A keen equestrian, Stephanie loved her family, her horses, her dogs, and her times in Tadoussac Leggat, Stephanie Jane A keen equestrian, Stephanie loved her family, her horses, her dogs, and her times in Tadoussac Back to ALL Bios Stephanie Jane Leggat - December 1, 1952 - December 24, 2008 Stephanie was born in Red Deer, Alberta. She was the daughter of Leonard and Anne Limpert. She was the youngest of three children; a sister, Elaine, and brother, Len Jr. Her father was a career member of the Canadian Air Force, and as a result she and her family lived in many towns across Canada. Stephanie's early years were spent in Penhold, Alberta and Comox on Vancouver Island. She settled for a while in Summerside, P.E.I. There she met friends she kept in touch with the rest of her life. The family moved to Halifax in 1962, where she attended Mount Saint Vincent Academy. She went to business school and then worked in developing child care programs. She eventually settled at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Halifax where she worked the remainder of her life as the executive assistant for the commander of the base. In 1971 she befriended Michael Leggat, a young travelling musician. Stephanie and Michael had a long-distance romance until 1973, when he moved to Halifax. They were married in June of 1976. In 1974, Stephanie spent her first summer in Tadoussac and loved it from the start. She never played tennis or golf but she could be found cheering her friends on. She also loved walking the beaches with her dogs, Sasser, Jane, Oliver and Livvie. Before having children, Stephanie's passion was for horses. She and her sister owned two and competed in many equestrian shows, winning countless ribbons. Each fall the two would attend the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. They would stay all day and night watching the equestrian events, never tiring of it. She loved her many stays at White Point Beach Lodge and ski vacations at Sunday River. In 2006 Stephanie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed away on Christmas Eve, 2008. She was survived by her husband Michael, and son Alexander. She was predeceased by her two sons, Mathew and Robbie. She will always be remembered for her love of life and infectious smile. Back to ALL Bios

  • Villeneuve, Joseph & Rita Gingras

    Joseph et Rita ont réuni la communauté de Tadoussac pour partager la culture de leur époque. Joseph and Rita brought the Tadoussac community together to share in the culture of their time Villeneuve, Joseph & Rita Gingras Joseph et Rita ont réuni la communauté de Tadoussac pour partager la culture de leur époque. Joseph and Rita brought the Tadoussac community together to share in the culture of their time Back to ALL Bios Joseph Villeneuve 1904 – 1960 et Rita Gingras 1917 - 1979 Joseph Villeneuve a épousé Antonia Olsen le 24 septembre, 1929. Antonia était fille de Gunder Olsen et Antonia Dallaire à Tadoussac et Joseph était fils de Mathias Villeneuve et Domitille Vezeau. Tragiquement, Antonia et son fils mourront, tous les deux, à la naissance de l’enfant. Ils étaient victimes d’un médecin qui ne savait rien des accouchements et aimait la vue du sang. Certains disent qu’il n’était pas médecin, mais brancardier pendant la Première Guerre Mondiale et qu’il avait appris à couper bras et jambes pour abrégner les souffrances des blessés. Plusieurs personnes plaignirent des mauvais traitements de cet homme. Il opera à froid de l’appendicite un jeune garçon de Tadoussac, les jours de ce jeune homme étaient comptés. Il a échappé à la mort par miracle et surtout grâce aux bons soins d’une infirmière. Joseph se remaria dix ans plus tard avec Rita Gingras. Rita Gingras est née le 5 février, 1917. Son père était René Gingras et sa mère Annette Morin de Sacré-Cœur. Dès l’âge de sept ans, elle prend des leçons de piano avec Madame Louis Jean et Mademoiselle Antonia Olsen, la première épouse de Joseph Villeneuve. Comme professeure attitrée, c’est Mère Marie-Laure-de-Jésus, des Petites Franciscaines de Marie, excellente musicienne, qui lui fera passer ses diplômes de musique au Conservatoire de Chicoutimi. A quinze ans, elle obtiendra son diplôme de brevet supérieure qui correspond aujourd’hui au bacchalauréat. Rita était reconnue pour son talent d’accompagnatrice. Elle pouvait suivre n’importe qui à la note que ce soit un chanteur, un accordéoniste, un violoniste ou un musicien quelconque … Elle pouvait donc transposer n’importe quelle pièce musicale dans une autre tonalité et les chanteurs et musiciens appréciaient cette grande souplesse plutôt rare chez les pianistes. Elle épousa Joseph Villeneuve le 30 septembre 1939, il était veuf depuis 1929. Elle aura six enfants : René, Reine, Gaby, (bien connu comme historienne local et auteur du livre d’où provient cette biographie) Roland, Gilles, et Chantale. Rita joua un grand rôle au sein de la communauté Tadoussacienne. Elle était très près des gens, elle jouait toutes les messes du dimanche, les mariages et les funérailles. Elle exerçait le choeur de chant pour les évènements importants de l’année tels Noel, le Jour de l’An, Pâques, les mois du Rosaire etc… Elle était partout, dans les pièces de théâtre, à l’école pour les fêtes d’enfants, dans les concerts et même dans les bars. Joseph était autodidate – il a appris plusieurs métiers par lui-même. Il a été gérant de la Banque Nationale pendant plusieurs années. Il avait appris son métier de technicien en lisant dans les livres et en s’instruisant auprès de son bon ami, électricien, Jos Brisson. Il réparait radio, grille-pain, fer à repasser, bouilloire électrique, télévision etc …Il a ouvert une salle de cinéma où il passait des filmes de Tino Rossi, Fernandel, Bourvil, Laurel et Hardy, et les premiers filmes américains en couleur - ça coûtait .50 pour les adultes et .10 pour les enfants. La salle était inconfortable, mais les gens s’engouffraient trois fois par semaine pour voir les « petites vues », du vendredi au dimanche. Il a travaillé aussi au magasin chez Villeneuve et Frères. C’est d’ailleurs là, derrière le comptoir qu’il est mort, foudroyé par une crise cardiaque. C’était en 1960 et il avait seulement 56 ans. Toute sa vie, Rita notera les principaux évènements de la paroisse, les baptêmes, mariages et décès. Les gens se fiaient sur elle et ils avaient raison de le faire, elle était toujours dévouée et à son poste, prête à rendre service. C’est ce qu’elle fera jusqu’à la fin! Elle joua son dernier service funéraire le 14 septembre, 1979, alors qu’elle était très malade et décèdera le 11 décembre de la même année. Comme aimait à dire les gens du village après sa mort : « Elle en a marié du monde et elle en a enterré ». Elle accumulera la correspondance la plus importante et gardera précieusement les photographies de famille. Malheureusement, lors de l’expropriation de sa maison en 1971, beaucoup de ces documents précieux furent brulés dans la cour de la maison. Toutefois, elle a pu sauver les plus importants comme sa collection de partitions musicales. Rita savait communiquer à sa famille l'amour du passé, l'amour des choses anciennes, des traditions et des ancêtres. En 1979, l’abbé Jean Chevalier, curé de Tadoussac, avait demandé au Pape Jean-Paul 1er, de lui envoyer sa bénédiction papale en remerciement des 50 années qu’elle avait données à la paroisse. Il ne l’a reçue qu’au printemps, il était trop tard, la mort était déjà passée, même si, comme elle l’a dit pendant qu’elle était malade, elle avait encore des choses à faire... De : Les Vielles Familles de Tadoussac 1850 – 1950 par Gaby Villeneuve Joseph Villeneuve 1904 – 1960 et Rita Gingras 1917 - 1979 Joseph and Rita brought the Tadoussac community together to share in the culture of their time Joseph Villeneuve married Antonia Olsen on the 24th of September, 1929. Antonia was the daughter of Gunder Olsen et Antonia Dallaire in Tadoussac, and Joseph was the son of Mathias Villeneuve and Domitille Vezeau. Tragically, in childbirth, both Joseph’s wife, Antonia, and their son died. They were the victims of a “doctor” who knew nothing of birthing and was said to have loved the sight of blood. People said that he wasn’t a doctor, but had been a stretcher-bearer during the First World War and that he had been taught to amputate arms and legs to lessen the injuries of the wounded. Several people complained of bad treatments from this man. He operated on the appendix of a young boy in Tadoussac who nearly died as a result. The boy barely survived, mostly thanks to the good care of a nurse. Joseph was a widower for 10 years until he married Rita Gingras. Rita Gingras was born on February 5th, 1917. Her father was René Gingras and her mother was Annette Morin of Sacré-Cœur. From the age of 7 Rita took piano lessons with Madame Louis Jean and Mademoiselle Antonia Olsen, Joseph’s first wife. As a regular teacher it was Mother Marie-Laure-de-Jésus, of the Petites Franciscaines of Marie, an excellent musician, that helped her pass her diplomas of music at the Conservatoire de Chicoutimi. At 15 years old, she obtained her Superior Brevet Diploma which is the equivalent of a Baccalaureate today. Rita was recognized for her talent as an accompanist. She could follow any note from a singer, an accordionist, a violinist or any musician. She could transpose any piece of music into another tone and the singers and musicians appreciated this great flexibility which is rare among pianists. Rita married Joseph Villeneuve on the 30th of September, 1939, after he had been a widower for ten years. They had six children: René, Reine, Gaby, (well-known as a local historian and author of the book this biography came from) Roland, Gilles, and Chantale. Rita played a big role in the heart of the Tadoussac community. She was very close to the people and she played for all the Sunday Masses, the weddings and the funerals. She ran the choir practices for the special events of the year like Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and the months of the Rosary. She was everywhere, involved with the theatre productions, at the school for the children’s partes, in the concerts, and even in the bars. Joseph was self-taught and learned many different trades by himself. He was manager of the National Bank for several years. He learned how to be a technician by reading books and by having instruction from his good friend, Jos Brisson, an electrician. He repaired radios, toasters, irons, electric kettles, televisions and other small appliances. He opened a movie house where he showed films of Tino Rossi, Fernandel, Bourvil, Laurel and Hardy, and the first American films in colour. They cost 50 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. The room was uncomfortable, but people filled it three times a week to see the "little shows", from Friday to Sunday. He also worked in the store at Villeneuve et Frères. It was there behind the counter that he died, struck down by a heart attack. It was 1960 and he was only 56 years old. All her life Rita played for the main events of the parish: the baptisms, the weddings and the funerals. People relied on her and they had reason to. She was always devoted to her work, ready to offer service. She did it right up until the end! She played her last service – a funeral – on the 14th of September, 1979. Then she became very sick and died on the 11th of December of the same year. As the people in the village liked to say: “She married everybody and buried everybody!” Rita kept a collection of the most important correspondence that she received and the precious photographs of the family. Sadly, during the expropriation of her house in 1971, many of these precious documents were burned in the heart of the house. Fortunately, she did save the most important pieces including her music. Rita passed on to her family her love of the past, her love of ancient things, and the traditions of the ancestors. In 1979, Fr Jean Chevalier, the priest of Tadoussac, asked Pope John-Paul 1st to send Rita a Papal Blessing and thanks for her 50 years of service to the church. It wasn’t received until the spring – it was too late – her death had already happened, even though as she said while she was sick, she still had things to do! From : Les Vielles Familles de Tadoussac 1850 – 1950 by Gaby Villeneuve Back to ALL Bios

  • Goodings, The Right Reverend Allen

    Allen served for many years in the Tadoussac Chapel and in as Bishop of the Diocese of Quebec Goodings, The Right Reverend Allen Allen served for many years in the Tadoussac Chapel and in as Bishop of the Diocese of Quebec Back to ALL Bios The Right Reverend Allen Goodings 1925- 1992 In 1964, the Reverend Allen Goodings enquired at the Diocesan office in Montreal about the possibility of becoming a locum over the summer months. Advised that nothing was vacant, the secretary put forward his name should a placement become available. Early in July, he unexpectedly received a phone call asking if he would be interested in presiding over services at the Tadoussac Protestant chapel the following month. Neither he nor his wife Joanne knew much about where they were headed but a few weeks later a trunk was loaded onto a CSL steamship, and with their car packed to the roof, the family set off on an adventure that was to be repeated almost yearly for the next two decades. Allen Goodings was born on May 7, 1925 in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. The second of three children, he was born into a shipbuilding family. His father Thomas was in the employ of His Majesty’s Colonial Service in the protectorate of Nigeria overseeing the building of steam ships, and Allen followed his older brother Goff into an apprenticeship at Vickers Armstrongs shipyard in Barrow. He furthered his craft at Barrow Technical College and though he would rather be playing sports than studying, he eventually graduated as an engineer draughtsman. Allen, a passionate sportsman, was selected to play rugby for Lancashire County at Wembley stadium in London. He had the prospect of a professional rugby career at that time, but chose to follow another path. On March 29, 1952, Allen sailed from Liverpool to begin a position with Vickers Armstrongs Shipbuilders, Ltd. in Montreal. Being a gregarious man, he set about building a life in Canada, but gradually came to realize that he was being pulled towards another vocation. In the fall of 1952, he began a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sir George Williams College. The following year, he also began a Bachelor of Divinity at the Diocesan Theological College of McGill University. In the spring of 1959, he graduated with a degree from both universities and was ordained in December. He married Joanne Talbot of Grand Valley, Ontario, on October 26 that same year, they went on to have two children, Suzanne and Thomas, shortly thereafter. Over the next ten years, Allen served three parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal and was chaplain to the Grenadier Guards from 1966 to 1969. His love of rugby never far behind, he and a group of players from the Westmount club played for Canada in the annual Bermuda Rugby Week. He was later a member of Montreal Barbarians Rugger Club. In the fall of 1969, he became Dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Quebec City. On October 31, 1977, Allen was installed as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Quebec and served until he resigned his See in 1991. He and his wife Joanne retired to the Ottawa area the same year, where he became assistant bishop of Ottawa and served until his death on December 15, 1992. Tadoussac became Allen’s spiritual home, a place where he made lifelong friends, and lasting memories. An avid fell walker in his youth, he loved nothing more than to set off on a long ramble. He spent many happy afternoons on the tennis court, and loved family picnics on Pointe Rouge communing with belugas and basking on the rocks. Allen requested that his ashes be scattered on the Saguenay River. This was done on a foggy morning in May 1992, as a whale surfaced to accompany the sailboat. Joanne Goodings Back to ALL Bios

  • Dewart, The Reverend Russell and Ann (Stevenson)

    A descendant of the Russell family, Ann and Russell served in the Tadoussac Chapel for many years Dewart, The Reverend Russell and Ann (Stevenson) A descendant of the Russell family, Ann and Russell served in the Tadoussac Chapel for many years Back to ALL Bios Ann (Stevenson) 1915 - 2008 & the Rev. Russell Dewart 1901 - 1997 Ann de Duplessis Stevenson was born in 1915 at 83 rue d’Auteuil in Quebec City, the daughter of Florence Louisa Maude Russell and Dr James Stevenson. The Stevenson sisters (Margaret, Ann, and Elizabeth) spent their childhood summers in Tadoussac staying at their grandmother's house in the village, the original family cottage Spruce Cliff built by their great-grandfather, Willis Russell in 1861. In 1922, Ann’s father, Dr Stevenson, had their own cottage built for his family in Languedoc Park on land given to them by their cousin, Erie Russell Languedoc. This cottage now remains in Margaret's family and is owned by Margaret's son, Dennis Reilley. In the late 1920s, Dr Stevenson built a second cottage nearby which now remains in Elizabeth's family (the O'Neill house). In 1938, Ann married a Bostonian, Russell Dewart - coincidently her third cousin (Ann was a direct descendant of Willis Russell and Russell was a direct descendant of Willis's brother, William Russell). When one of Russell’s sisters was getting married in Boston, Ann was sent to represent the Canadian branch of the family and was met at the train station by her future husband, Russell. Later, in the 1940s, Ann and Russell Dewart purchased Tivoli, the third Stevenson cottage (now the Dewart house). Tivoli has an interesting history. Shortly after World War I, Erie Languedoc had two square log cabins from the golf course moved on rollers to Tivoli's present location where she joined them together and rented it out. It was then bought from Erie Languedoc by Professor Maclean from Rochester, NY, who named it Tivoli. In 1945, Ann and Russell purchased the cottage from the professor and continued summering there every summer with their six children, Timothy, Alan, Brian, Ted, Beth, and Judy. Many years later, in the mid-1980s, Russell and Ann built their own little chalet across the road from Tivoli. Among Ann's additional pleasures were stimulating and philosophical conversations, exchanging aphorisms, delving into history, reading and writing, brisk walks, and sharing a cup of tea. Ann’s time spent with family at her summer home in Tadoussac was a source of great joy and spiritual renewal. She authored a self-published memoir Nose to the Window which included reflections, poems, letters, and anecdotes of her rich and vibrant life including much history of early Tadoussac and growing up in Quebec City. Russell Dewart, was asked to tell of his life for his 50th college anniversary and part of what Russell wrote is below: “… after getting a delayed degree at Harvard, I took the rather conventional business route of selling everything from rubber boots to investment counselling. The salesman whom my long-suffering wife married turned up a few years later in the pulpit with a round collar, but with few of the other less discernible attributes usually associated with the Ministry. I regard this complete change of direction as one of the many paradoxes of my life and makeup. Having entered the Episcopal Seminary in Cambridge at the age of forty-three it was hard for me to believe that I had spent twenty-three years as a parish priest when I retired (for the first time). While a clergyman’s life can be parochial and unexciting, I have found it a most challenging profession and one that is deeply rewarding. Perhaps the reason I say this is that the greatest joy I find in life is through my relationships with people of all ages and conditions - beginning of course with my own family and friends. The church records tell me that it has been my privilege to be called on to baptize, marry or bury some 1600 souls, and to present another 800 to the Bishop for Confirmation. These occasions for most individuals, as well as other times of tragedy and joy, are crucial and searching experiences. They are times when the clergyman is allowed to share some of the most significant moments in a family’s life together. For him, they provide the unique opportunity to do what he was ordained to do – to walk along with his people as one who serves. Because of this, and for what he himself has learned from them – these times are never forgotten. My entire Ministry has been here in Massachusetts - at Epiphany, Walpole; Grace Church, Chicopee, and St. Peter’s, Beverly. Since retiring in 1967, I have served part-time at the Old North Church in Boston where my father was Rector fifty years ago, and more recently as Interim Pastor at St. John’s, Beverly Farms. Throughout these years I have been blessed beyond measure with the kindness and appreciation of so many people in return for what little I on my own might give. God does work in mysterious ways. Other activities during the past fifty years have centred largely around my family and home. Since the war, we have spent some part of most summers at our cottage in Tadoussac, Quebec – where the Saguenay River joins the St. Lawrence. It is here where my wife came as a child and where we as a family have spent some of our happiest days. Now our children return there with their children and friends – to the place they consider their first home. We acquired our present home here, a small, cosy, New England house built originally by one Jeffrey Thistle, a planter, in 1668. Jeffrey built well but there is enough to keep me busy and happy in caring for his clapboard house and half-acre of land. It is here we expect to live out our days with occasional visits to our six children, and possibly further travel abroad if the spirit moves and the conditions are favourable. But we are quite content to remain where we are. There is a good stack of Vermont hardwood outside for our fireplaces; there are some fish left in the ocean a half-mile away. And we are surrounded by friends. Fortunately, Ann and I still enjoy good health and, most of the time, our sense of humour. We are able to pursue our individual interests and to look forward not to vegetating, but to making the most of what time is left to us in being useful and helpful to others in our own particular way. The Lord has been good to us; our life together has been a full and happy one.” Russell Dewart served faithfully as a summer rector for twenty-one years (1953-1974). He died in 1997 and Ann died eleven years later in 2008. Both are buried in the family plot in Mount Hermon Cemetery, Quebec. Brian Dewart Back to ALL Bios

  • Evans, Trevor Ainslie & Dorothy (Rhodes)

    Trevor and Dorothy bought Ivanhoe Cottage which has served five generations to date Evans, Trevor Ainslie & Dorothy (Rhodes) Trevor and Dorothy bought Ivanhoe Cottage which has served five generations to date Back to ALL Bios Trevor Ainslie Evans 1879-1939 & Dorothy Gwendolyn Esther (Rhodes) 1892-1977 Trevor Ainslie Evans was born in Montreal in 1879, the son of the Very Reverend Thomas Lewis Frye Evans, Dean of Montreal, and Maye Stewart Bethune. He married Dorothy Gwendolyn Esther Rhodes, the eldest daughter of Armitage Rhodes in Quebec City after World War I. As a boy, Trevor spent the summers in Tadoussac as his father conducted Sunday services at the Tadoussac Protestant Chapel. He stayed in the house currently owned by the Beattie family. Trevor attended the High School of Montreal located on University Street and he initially served with the Royal Victoria Rifles which, at the beginning of World War I, amalgamated with several other Companies and Militia Regiments as the First Royal Montreal Regiment. He went overseas and saw action at the Somme where he was twice wounded. Trevor recovered from his injuries at ‘Broadlands’ in England an estate owned by his aunt and uncle, Edward and Stretta Price. Dorothy Rhodes was born in 1892, in Quebec City. Dorothy was the daughter of Armitage Rhodes of Benmore, Bergerville in Quebec City and Phoebe Allman. Dorothy spent her summers in Tadoussac with her family. She was ‘home schooled’ and then attended local schools before going to Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, and then King’s Hall in Compton, Quebec. Dorothy served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a nursing sister during World War I. In 1921 Dorothy and Trevor purchased Ivanhoe from the Royal Trust Company and the executors of the Estate of the late Alfred Piddington of Quebec City. Trevor established an insurance agency for the North American Insurance Company on St. Sacrement Street in Old Montreal. He was a member of the St. James’s Club in a building that was demolished to make way for the building of Place Ville Marie. During his summers in Tadoussac, he played golf (left-handed) with his hickory shafted golf clubs. He regularly fished the last hour of the rising tide and the first hour of the falling tide. He also dabbled in watercolour painting and in writing poetry. Their children, born between 1921 and 1925, were Phoebe Maye (Evans) Skutezky, Dorothy Ainslie (Evans) Stephen, Trevor Lewis Armitage Evans, and Rhodes Bethune (Tim) Evans. During her summers Dorothy managed her children and their many friends. When they had their own families, she welcomed her grandchildren and presented them with a list of chores and responsibilities. It was not uncommon for there to be twenty people for dinner. Michael Skutezky Photos above Dorothy and Trevor with Phoebe and Ainslie Dorothy with Phoebe and Ainslie Ivanhoe Dorothy with Phoebe Dean Lewis Evans (sitting), his first wife Marie, his 4 children Basil, Trevor (with pipe), Muriel and Ruby Dorothy and Trevor with Phoebe, Ainslie, Trevor and Tim, and Katie Von Iffland (Dorothy's step mother) Back to ALL Bios

  • Languedoc, Adele

    Adele had a very successful career as a librarian that led her to the National Archives of Canada Languedoc, Adele Adele had a very successful career as a librarian that led her to the National Archives of Canada Back to ALL Bios Adele de Guerry Languedoc March 1904 – December 1993 On Sunday, August 5th, 2007, the congregation of the Tadoussac Protestant Chapel laid a headstone in memory of Adele de Guerry Languedoc on the chapel grounds. Adele was born in Tadoussac in the early 1900s and summered here with her family throughout her life. Adele’s stepmother, Erie Russell Janes Languedoc, was the granddaughter of Willis Russell who, along with Colonel Rhodes, were among the first to build summer cottages at Tadoussac in the 1860s. Erie purchased the lands that later became known as Languedoc Park after she married the widower, George de Guerry Languedoc. The four original cottages in Languedoc Park were Erie's cottage and the cottages of the three Stevenson sisters who were great-granddaughters of Willis Russell. At the time of her death, she was remembered by the National Archives of Canada for her distinguished career as a librarian. Her career began with her undergraduate degree at McGill University including a library diploma and she received a Bachelor of Library Service from Columbia University in 1946. Adele served for five years with the American Relief for France during the Second World War and her efforts helped to restore the regional libraries that had been so damaged during the war. She also set up the first children’s library that existed outside Paris. On her return to Canada, she was hired as an ‘Accessions Librarian’ at the Canadian Bibliographic Centre which was later named the Library and Archives of Canada. She helped to build our now-famous collection of Canadian literature and documents. She was named Assistant National Librarian in 1964. Through her work in Ottawa, she was asked to represent Canada as a member of the UNESCO seminar on libraries and served as a consultant in Africa. The National Library News wrote of her at the time of her death “To all her work, she brought a broad, deep knowledge and experience of Canada’s French and English tradition.” Adele is remembered by her friends in Tadoussac as a friendly, smiling member of the community sitting on her porch at her cottage in Languedoc Park. Few realized what important work she had done at the National and International levels. She was a neighbour and a friend. Adele was born in Tadoussac in the early 1900s and summered here with her family throughout her life. Adele’s step-mother, Erie Russell Janes Languedoc, was the granddaughter of Willis Russell who, along with Colonel Rhodes, were among the first to build summer cottages at Tadoussac in the 1860s. Erie purchased the lands that later became known as Languedoc Park after she married the widower, George de Guerry Languedoc. The four original cottages in Languedoc Park were Erie's cottage and the cottages of the three Stevenson sisters who were great granddaughters of Willis Russell. At the time of her death, she was remembered by the National Archives of Canada for her distinguished career as a librarian. Her career began with her undergraduate degree at McGill University including a library diploma and she received a Bachelor of Library Service from Columbia University in 1946. Adele served for five years with the American Relief for France during the Second World War and her efforts helped to restore the regional libraries that had been so damaged during the war. She also set up the first children’s library that existed outside Paris. On her return to Canada she was hired as ‘accessions librarian’ at the Canadian Bibliographic Centre which was later named the Library and Archives of Canada. She helped to build our now famous collection of Canadian literature and documents. She was named Assistant National Librarian in 1964. Through her work in Ottawa she was asked to represent Canada as a member of the UNESCO seminar on libraries and served as a consultant in Africa. The National Library News wrote of her at the time of her death “To all her work, she brought a broad, deep knowledge and experience of Canada’s French and English tradition." She is remembered by her friends in Tadoussac as a friendly, smiling member of the community sitting on her porch at her cottage in Languedoc Park. Few realised what important work she had done at the National and International level. She was a neighbour and a friend. Back to ALL Bios

  • Palmer, Noeline (Pixie) Winnifred Smith

    Pixie was known as a very creative contributor to life in Ottawa as well as travelling a great deal in Europe Palmer, Noeline (Pixie) Winnifred Smith Pixie was known as a very creative contributor to life in Ottawa as well as travelling a great deal in Europe Back to ALL Bios Noeline (Pixie) Winnifred (Smith) Palmer 1902 - 1986 Pixie Smith, daughter of George Carington Smith and Winnifred Dawes Smith, had one sister, Marion. She was born on Christmas Eve in 1902, and so was named Noeline. She strongly disliked her given name because she linked it to the children’s nursery rhyme “Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean”. Thus, due to her diminutive size, she came to be called Pixie. Pixie grew up in Montreal, attended King’s Hall, Compton, and then married Leonard Charles Dunlop Palmer (1898-1982). She and Leo moved to Ottawa in Rockcliffe Park and raised two children, George (1924-2019) and Linda born in 1930. Leo’s job with TWA involved taking care of visiting diplomats from around the world. Pixie was well-known in the Ottawa community as a gracious hostess and wonderful conversationalist. Her creative decorations for their annual Christmas party even made the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. Pixie was also a very accomplished seamstress. Once George was grown, and following his career in theatre, Pixie often helped sew the costumes for The Ottawa Little Theatre Productions. She and Leo travelled extensively throughout Europe. Pixie devoted her life to her family, supporting her husband in his career and then caring for Leo after he retired and when he suffered from PTSD due to his wartime experiences. Pixie died in 1986, in Ottawa, and is buried in Beechwood Cemetery. Eve Wickwire Back to ALL Bios

  • Burns, Louisa Jane 1846(?) - 1921

    Little is known about Louisa Burns but her Tadoussac connection seems to have been with the Smith family Burns, Louisa Jane 1846(?) - 1921 Little is known about Louisa Burns but her Tadoussac connection seems to have been with the Smith family Back to ALL Bios At the time of the compilation of the book, In the Quiet of This Place we could find nothing about the life of Louisa Jane Burns but since its publication a small amount of information has surfaced. Louisa Jane Burns was the aunt of May Dawson of Toronto and Aileen (Dawson) Smith of Quebec City. She had about ten other nieces and nephews including Charles Carington Smith (husband of Aileen) and Dudley Dawson. I’m guessing Charles Carington Smith was a nephew by marriage. Maybe Louisa’s maiden name was Dawson. Louise was born in about 1846 and, widowed, she was 75 at the time of her death. She lived at 90 Forest Hill Road in Toronto North. At the time of her death, she lived with May Dawson, who was 51, her grand niece and nephew, Carington D. Smith (18) and Noel Lavina Smith (16), and their cook, Emily Helen Padfield (51). It is probable that Louisa came to Tadoussac because of her niece, Aileen’s, connection to the Smith family. She died in Tadoussac on August 4th, 1921. Back to ALL Bios

  • Imbeau, Armand

    Entrepreneur et Constructeur de goélettes  Contractor and Goelette builder Imbeau, Armand Entrepreneur et Constructeur de goélettes Contractor and Goelette builder Back to ALL Bios Armand Imbeau Entrepreneur et Constructeur de goélettes Des personnages, certains lieux, des événements sont incontournables à Tadoussac. La baie, une des « belles baies du monde », les dunes et bien entendu, la «Toupie » du haut-fond prince au lointain, la petite chapelle, tous sont des emblèmes distinctifs de l’endroit. Le feu du Ss Québec au quai de Tadoussac en 1950 restera également un évènement qui restera en mémoire. Parmi les gens, on reconnaît assurément les noms de certains témoins du passé. C’est le cas du célèbre capitaine Jos Deschênes et de l’entrepreneur Armand Imbeau, Tadoussaciens dont on a attribué les noms aux traversiers de première et deuxième générations qui font la navette incessante entre Baie-Ste-Catherine et Tadoussac. Bien avant les traversiers, la Côte-Nord a connu l’âge de la navigation dite de nécessité locale: transport de produits essentiels depuis les grands centres vers les villes et villages, et expéditions de ressources naturelles, notamment le bois des moulins à scie de la région vers les centres de distribution. Pour répondre à ces besoins, les constructeurs navals québécois ont développé une expertise dans la construction de bâtiments de bois, à voiles et plus tard à moteur, particulièrement les goélettes à fonds plats permettant un échouage sur la grève pour faciliter le chargement dans les endroits dépourvus de quai. Parmi ces renommés constructeurs de goélettes de la région de Charlevoix et de la Côte-Nord, Armand Imbeau, fils de charpentier naval de Baie-Ste-Catherine. Navigateur, charpentier, entrepreneur, citoyen impliqué dans sa communauté, Armand Imbeau a marqué sa profession, sa ville, sa région et son époque. Imbeau de Charlevoix Le patronyme Imbeau (Imbeault, Imbault ou Imbeaux) était très répandu dans la région de Charlevoix entre le 17e et le 19e siècle. Nous retrouvons les traces de l’ancêtre des Imbeault, François Imbeault (1737-1823) dit Lagrange, militaire français et de sa conjointe Catherine Ringuet, à La Malbaie–Pointe-au-Pic. Graduellement, on note la présence des nombreuses familles de la descendance plus au nord de la région, à Saint-Siméon jusqu’à St-Firmain (Baie-Sainte-Catherine). En fin de 19e et début du 20e, des Imbeau se déplacent sur la Haute-Côte-Nord. (1, 2) Né à Baie-Sainte-Catherine le 30 août 1893, Armand Imbeau est le fils de Thomas Imbeau, de Baie-Sainte-Catherine, charpentier de profession et de Marie Laprise de Grandes-Bergeronnes. Son grand-père, Louis Imbeau travaillait aux chantiers de William Price à Baie-Sainte-Catherine et à Rivière-aux-canards. La famille de Louis comprend de nombreux enfants. À cette époque, plusieurs familles Imbeau étaient installées à Baie-Sainte-Catherine. Thomas, le père d’Armand aura deux autres fils, Lucien, Thomas-Louis (Mrg Imbeau, évêque de Charlevoix) et sept filles. Armand fait ses classes en charpenterie et apprend la construction navale auprès de son père. À l’âge de 25 ans, le 22 avril 1919, il épouse à Tadoussac, Marie-Louise Caron, enseignante à l’école du village (1900 -?), âgée de 19 ans, fille de monsieur John (Benny) Caron et madame Éveline Pedneault de Tadoussac. De cette union naissent quatre enfants; Georgette (Marie-Louise-Emma-Georgette), le 11 mars 1920, décédée le 25 mai 1973. Elle épousera Émile Baril (1904-1989) de Saint-Charles de Mandeville le 30 juin 1956. Le couple n’aura pas d’enfant. Monsieur Baril sera enseignant et directeur de l’école primaire de Tadoussac; Jacques, né en 1924 à Tadoussac et décédé à La Malbaie en 2011. Il épouse le 1er octobre 1949 Jaqueline Gauthier (1930-2013), fille de Hector Gauthier, propriétaire de l’Hôtel Gauthier qui deviendra le Manoir Tadoussac, et de Émilie Brisson. Employé du ministère des terres et forêts, Jacques Imbeau est appelé à travailler à Hauterive et à Havre-St-Pierre. Un enfant naitra de cette union, Claudine, dernière de la lignée de Armand Imbeau; Simonne, décédée très jeune (1927-1939); Rachelle (1933-1937) décédée à l’âge de 4 ans; Jacqueline (19??), qui épouse Rosaire Bouchard (1924-1987) le 15 mai 1954 à Tadoussac. Le couple s’installe à Chicoutimi, parents de deux garçons Pierre et Jean, décédés en bas âge. La cale sèche Imbeau À l’extrémité ouest de la plage, donnant sur la baie avant d’atteindre L’Islet, se trouve à droite, au pied sud-est de la colline de l’Anse à l’eau, une petite crique, un bassin naturel qui prolonge l’Anse à L’Islet, dont une bande de rochers délimite l’entrée: l’«Anse à cale sèche». Se remplissant à marée haute, l’endroit donne accès au fjord profond et facilite l’entrée et la mise à l’eau des navires. Du côté de la plage, l’anse est séparée de la baie par un isthme reliant la presqu’ile à la terre ferme. Certains résidents de Tadoussac s’installent à même la plage de la baie pour construire des embarcations. En 1923, monsieur Imbeau loue l’emplacement à ses propriétaires : la Canada steamship lines. En 1930, il fonde la « Cale sèche Imbeau » à Tadoussac, une compagnie spécialisée dans la construction et la réparation de navires à coque de bois, particulièrement ceux destinés au transport du bois et à la plaisance. La cale sèche sera opérationnelle en novembre 1931. Elle sera creusée à la main l’année suivante pour améliorer sa fonctionnalité. Grâce à une subvention gouvernementale obtenue grâce à l’appui de la municipalité et du curé du Village, les citoyens sont embauchés pour deux semaines au chantier de la cale sèche. Afin de stimuler l’économie locale, au bout de deux semaines un autre groupe de travailleurs prenait la relève afin de permettre à un maximum de personne d’éteint un travail rémunéré en ces temps difficiles. Un bâtiment nécessaire à l’entreposage des matériaux et des outils sont érigés sur les rochers, là où actuellement se trouvent les installations du « Centre d’interprétation des mammifères marins ». On retrouvait dans ce garage, les divers outils du charpentier, tel que des herminettes, plusieurs fers à calfat et maillets à calfat, des tarières, chignoles à main, vilebrequins, planes, gouges, plusieurs ciseaux à bois, scies, égoïnes à chantourner, rabots de toutes grosseurs, etc. De massives portes de bois sont installées à l’entrée de l’anse afin d’y contrôler l’entrée d’eau. Les activités de constructions et de réparations s’y dérouleront jusqu’en 1965 environ, quelques années avant le décès de monsieur Imbeau. L’âge d’or des activités du chantier se situant entre 1930 et 1950. Selon les statistiques gouvernementales d’enregistrement des nouveaux navires, au cours de cette période au moins 300 caboteurs de bois à moteur furent construits au total au Québec, dont près de 40% dans la région de Charlevoix. À Tadoussac, c’est une douzaine de bâtiments qui sortiront de la cale sèche Imbeau, dont le Saint-Jude en 1935, le Victoire en 1936, le Tadoussac Transport en 1938, le Royal Trader en 1939 et le Vaillant en 1943, son bateau personnel, le St-Étienne Murray Bay en 1939, le Raguenau en 1941. Étant donné l’espace restreint de la cale sèche, les bateaux construits devaient être de petites et de moyen tonnage. (3, 4) L’essor industriel d’après guerre et la construction de routes reliant les villes et villages des régions de Charlevoix et de la Côte-Nord contribuent à la diminution des besoins en transport naval et marquent la fin de l’ère des goélettes de même que des petits chantiers maritimes. Armand Imbeau continu tout de même la réparation et l’hivernent des bateaux dans la cale sèche jusqu’en 1965 environ. Homme aux multiples talents, il réalise la construction que quelques maisons. Pour combler le temps libre qui lui reste, il bricole, répare tout ce qu’on lui confie. Il va même jusqu’à faire office de cordonnier, domaine dans lequel il excellait. Lors de la création d’un parc national, le « Parc marin du Saguenay–Saint-Laurent » en 1998, le site alors inactif, est acquis par le gouvernement provincial et intégré au parc. Aujourd’hui, sous l’administration municipale, la cale sèche Imbeau accueille les bateaux de plaisance pendant la saison hivernale. En été, le lieu sert de stationnement automobile pour les touristes. Armand Imbeau: Le citoyen impliqué L’implication sociale de monsieur Armand Imbeau est également notable. Conseiller municipal de 1928 à 1939, il a consacré sa vie à favoriser la prospérité économique de sa région et employait jusqu’à 75 personnes au tournant des années 40. (5) Armand Imbeau s’est également engagé plusieurs années dans les organismes de l’église Sainte-Croix comme marguillier ou encore à la Ligue du Sacré-Cœur. Un événement inusité : Le trésor archéologique Un événement inusité arrive à Armand Imbeau en 1923. L’année suivant son mariage, il achète la résidence de Arthur Hovington située près de L’Islet, sur un plateau surplombant l’Anse à cale sèche, orientée face à la rivière Saguenay, le jeune père de famille s’affaire à creuser la cave en terre battue. A quelques coups de pelles de la surface, il fait la découverte d’une pochette de toile contenant des pièces de monnaie anciennes. Le magot était constitué de 102 pièces. Deux d’entre elles étaient des pièces de métal blanc d’une grande équivalente à une pièce d’un dollar canadien actuel. Elles sont en bon état, sans usure excessive et portent l’effigie de Louis XIV, et date respectivement de 1655 et 1659. Deux autres du même métal sont plus petites et plus usées, datant de 1591. Le reste de la collection comprend des pièces de métal jaune, un peu plus grandes qu’une pièce de 10 cents et sont relativement usées par le temps. Elles sont de la même époque que les deux premières. (6) L’histoire ne dit pas si le « trésor » avait une grande valeur marchande qui aurait enrichi son propriétaire, mais selon les archéologues numismates consultés, la valeur historique est réellement importante. Où sont rendues ces pièces de monnaie? Après un certain temps, Armand Imbeau les donne à son garçon Jacques qui en prend un soin jaloux pendant de nombreuses années. Alors que ce dernier résidait à Hauterive, les pièces disparaissent lors d’un vol au domicile familial. Au terme d’une vie bien remplie, Armand Imbeau s’éteint à Tadoussac en 1969 à l’âge vénérable de 76 ans. Une stèle familiale est érigée au cimetière ancestral de Tadoussac. Il laisse en héritage marquant à son village une foule de réalisations économiques et de contributions sociales. Son nom, qui baptise maintenant deux navires de la Société des traversiers du Québec est connu dans toute la province et au-delà de nos frontières. Daniel Delisle PhD avec la précieuse collaboration de Claudine Imbeau, petite fille de Armand Imbeau Inconnu, Illégitimes en Charlevoix (2), les Imbeault, https://www.touslestemps.net/2-imbeault-1-2/ Inconnu, Illégitimes en Charlevoix (3), les Imbeault, https://www.touslestemps.net/imbeault-2-2/ Frank, A., Les chantiers maritimes traditionnels: il était de petits navires, Continuité, 2001, (89), 37-39 Desjardins, Robert, Les voitures d’eau, le cabotage artisanal sur le St-Laurent, 2013, http://goelettesduquebec.ca Société des traversiers du Québec, https://www.traversiers.com/fr/a-propos-de-la-societe/nos-navires/nm-armand-imbeau/ Bulletin des recherches historiques : bulletin d'archéologie, d'histoire, de biographie, de numismatique, etc., décembre 1923 Armand Imbeau Contractor and Builder of Schooners Certain people, places and events are essential to Tadoussac. The bay, one of the "beautiful bays in the world", the dunes and of course, the "Toupie" from the Prince Shoal in the distance, the little chapel, all are distinctive emblems of the place. The fire of the SS Quebec at the Quai de Tadoussac in 1950 will also remain an event that will be remembered. Among the people, we certainly recognize the names of certain witnesses of the past. This is the case of the famous captain Jos Deschênes and the entrepreneur Armand Imbeau, Tadoussaciens whose names have been attributed to the first and second generation ferries that shuttle incessantly between Baie-Ste-Catherine and Tadoussac. Long before the ferries, the Côte-Nord knew the age of navigation born of local necessity: transport of essential products from the large centers to towns and villages, and shipments of natural resources, notably wood from the sawmills of the region to distribution centers. To meet these needs, Quebec shipbuilders have developed expertise in the construction of wood, sail and later motor vessels, particularly flat-bottomed schooners allowing beaching on the shore to facilitate loading in places without dock. Among these renowned schooner builders from the Charlevoix and Côte-Nord regions, is Armand Imbeau, son of a shipwright from Baie-Ste-Catherine. Navigator, carpenter, entrepreneur, citizen involved in his community, Armand Imbeau left his mark on his profession, his city, his region and his time. Imbeau de Charlevoix The surname Imbeau (Imbeault, Imbault or Imbeaux) was very common in the Charlevoix region between the 17th and the 19th century. We find traces of the ancestor of the Imbeault, François Imbeault (1737-1823) dit Lagrange, a French soldier, and his wife Catherine Ringuet, in La Malbaie – Pointe-au-Pic. Gradually, we note the presence of many families of descent further north of the region, from Saint-Siméon to St-Firmain (Baie-Sainte-Catherine). At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th, Imbeau moved to the Haute-Côte-Nord. (1, 2) Born in Baie-Sainte-Catherine on August 30, 1893, Armand Imbeau is the son of Thomas Imbeau, of Baie-Sainte-Catherine, a carpenter by profession, and of Marie Laprise of Grandes-Bergeronnes. His grandfather, Louis Imbeau, worked at William Price shipyards in Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Rivière-aux-Canards. Louis's family includes many children. At that time, several Imbeau families were settled in Baie-Sainte-Catherine. Thomas, Armand’s father, would have two other sons, Lucien, Thomas-Louis (Mrg Imbeau, bishop of Charlevoix) and seven daughters. Armand studied carpentry and learned shipbuilding from his father. At the age of 25, on April 22, 1919, he married in Tadoussac, Marie-Louise Caron, teacher at the village school (1900 -?), 19 years old, daughter of Mr. John (Benny) Caron and Ms. Éveline Pedneault from Tadoussac. From this union are born five children; Georgette (Marie-Louise-Emma-Georgette), March 11, 1920, died May 25, 1973. She will marry Émile Baril (1904-1989) from Saint-Charles de Mandeville on June 30, 1956. The couple will have no children. Mr. Baril will be a teacher and principal of the Tadoussac elementary school; Jacques, born in 1924 in Tadoussac and died in La Malbaie in 2011. On October 1, 1949, he married Jaqueline Gauthier (1930-2013), daughter of Hector Gauthier, owner of the Hotel Gauthier which would become the Manoir Tadoussac, and of Émilie Brisson. Jacques Imbeau, employed by the Ministry of Lands and Forests, is called upon to work in Hauterive and Havre-St-Pierre. A child will be born from this union, Claudine, the last of the line of Armand Imbeau; Simonne, who died very young (1927-1939); Rachelle (1933-1937) died at the age of 4; Jacqueline (19 ??), who married Rosaire Bouchard (1924-1987) on May 15, 1954 in Tadoussac. The couple settled in Chicoutimi, parents of two boys, Pierre and Jean, who died in infancy. The Imbeau dry dock At the western end of the beach, overlooking the bay before reaching L'Islet, is to the right, at the south-eastern foot of the hill of Anse à l'eau, a small cove, a natural basin which extends the Anse à L'Islet, of which a band of rocks delimits the entrance: the “Dry dock”. Filling at high tide, the place provides access to the deep fjord and makes it easier for ships to enter and launch. On the beach side, the cove is separated from the bay by an isthmus connecting the peninsula to the mainland. Some residents of Tadoussac settle on the bay beach to build boats. In 1923, Mr. Imbeau rented the site from its owners: the Canada Steamship Lines. In 1930, he founded the “Imbeau Dry Dock” in Tadoussac, a company specializing in the construction and repair of wood-hulled ships, particularly those intended for the transport of wood and for yachting. The dry dock will be operational in November 1931. It will be dug by hand the following year to improve its functionality. Thanks to a government subsidy obtained with the support of the municipality and the village priest, the citizens are hired for two weeks at the dry dock site. In order to stimulate the local economy, after two weeks another group of workers took over to allow as many people as possible to get paid work in these difficult times. A building for the storage of materials and tools is erected on the rocks, where the facilities of the "Center for the Interpretation of Marine Mammals" are currently located. We found in this garage, the various tools of the carpenter, such as adzes, several caulking irons and caulking mallets, augers, hand chignoles, crankshafts, planes, gouges, several wood chisels, saws, scrolling hands, planes of all sizes, etc. Massive wooden doors are installed at the entrance to the cove to control the entry of water. Construction and repair activities would take place there until around 1965, a few years before Mr. Imbeau's death. The golden age of the shipyard's activities was between 1930 and 1950. According to government statistics for the registration of new ships, during this period at least 300 motorized wood coasters were built in Quebec, of which nearly 40% in the Charlevoix region. In Tadoussac, a dozen goelettes will emerge from the Imbeau dry dock, including the Saint-Jude in 1935, the Victoire in 1936, the Tadoussac Transport in 1938, the Royal Trader in 1939 and the Vaillant in 1943, his personal boat the St-Étienne Murray Bay in 1939, the Raguenau in 1941. Given the limited space of the dry dock, the boats built had to be of small and medium tonnage. (3, 4) The post-war industrial boom and the construction of roads connecting the towns and villages of the Charlevoix and Côte-Nord regions contributed to the decrease in naval transport needs and marked the end of the schooner era as well as small shipyards. Armand Imbeau nonetheless continued to repair and winterize the boats in the dry dock until around 1965. A man of many talents, he builds a few houses. To fill in the free time that remains to him, he tinkers, repairs everything that is entrusted to him. He even went so far as to act as a shoemaker, an area in which he excelled. When a national park was created, the "Saguenay – St. Lawrence Marine Park" in 1998, the then inactive site was acquired by the provincial government and integrated into the park. Today, under municipal administration, the Imbeau dry dock accommodates pleasure boats during the winter season. In summer, the place serves as a car park for tourists. Armand Imbeau: The citizen involved The social involvement of Mr. Armand Imbeau is also notable. A city councilor from 1928 to 1939, he devoted his life to fostering the economic prosperity of his region and employed up to 75 people at the turn of the 1940s. (5) Armand Imbeau was also involved for several years in the organizations of the Sainte-Croix Church as churchwarden or in the League of the Sacred Heart. An unusual event: The archaeological treasure An unusual event happened to Armand Imbeau in 1923. The year following his marriage, he bought Arthur Hovington's residence located near L'Islet, on a plateau overlooking the Dry Dock Cove, facing the Saguenay River. The young father is busy digging the dirt cellar. A few shovels from the surface, he discovers a canvas pouch containing old coins. The nest egg consisted of 102 coins. Two of them were white metal coins of a size equivalent to today's Canadian dollar. They are in good condition, without excessive wear and bear the effigy of Louis XIV, and date respectively from 1655 and 1659. Two others of the same metal are smaller and more worn, dating from 1591. The rest of the collection includes pieces of yellow metal, a little larger than a dime and relatively worn with time. They are from the same period as the first two. (6) History does not say whether the "treasure" had a great market value which would have enriched its owner, but according to the numismatic archaeologists consulted, the historical value is really significant. Where are these coins? After a while, Armand Imbeau gives them to his boy Jacques, who takes care of them for many years. While the latter resided in Hauterive, the coins disappeared during a theft from the family home. At the end of a busy life, Armand Imbeau passed away in Tadoussac in 1969 at the venerable age of 76. A family monument is erected at the ancestral cemetery of Tadoussac. He left as a legacy marking his village a host of economic achievements and social contributions. His name, which now names two ships of the Société des Traversiers du Québec, is known throughout the province and beyond our borders. Daniel Delisle PhD with the precious collaboration of Claudine Imbeau, granddaughter of Armand Imbeau Photo below Armand Imbeau is sitting on the gate of the drydock as the "Hobo" owned by Guy Smith is entering the drydock for winter storage. Back to ALL Bios

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