All Hands on Deck: Boat-Building Heritage in the English-Speaking Community of the Lower Saint Lawrence We are delighted to announce that a new project has just started on the maritime heritage of the Lower St Lawrence! The aim of this 2-year project is to preserve local intangible and material heritage, and to research, record, and share the maritime history of the English-speaking population of the region. Activities will include
- community restoration of marine material heritage with the aim to pass on/acquire practical skills and knowledge,
- educational components for youth and the general public, including exhibitions,
- storytelling workshops
- and public storytelling events.
This year, activities will focus on
Peggy, an elegant wooden sailboat previously owned by the Seaside House Hotel in Metis Beach for leisurely nautical use. After initial repair work in Bic by professional boatbuilder, craftsman Pierre-Luc Morin and apprentice Corentin Briand, the boat will be launched TWICE before traveling back through Rimouski to Métis-sur-Mer. The launches are planned:
- In St-Jean-Port-Joli on Friday, 18. August around 7pm, during the sea shanties festival “Chants marins”
- In Bic Sunday, 20. August around 5 pm
Save the dates to join us for these events! Hands-on workshops on boat maintenance, boat building and navigation will be held by and for members of the community around
Peggy, after her launch and until the next sailing season. An exceptional opportunity to get to know a wooden sailboat intimately, to learn with and from experienced sailors and boatbuilders and to contribute as a team to the preservation of this collective material heritage. ***If you are interested to contribute as a volunteer or to participate in the process, please contact Claire Newton (cnewton@heritagelsl.ca). Places will be limited. During the summer, the exhibition “A History of Navigating the Saint Lawrence”, produced by our new partner the
Comité du patrimoine naturel et culturel du Bic, will be displayed in Rimouski and Métis-sur-Mer – stay tuned for more details! The first storytelling workshop will be held in Métis-sur-Mer Friday, 25. August (in English only). Come and learn how to tell your maritime flavored stories! Details and registration form to follow. This project is funded by
Canadian Heritage,
in partnerships with invaluable members of the community, the Comité du patrimoine naturel et culturel du Bic, the Maison de la Culture du Pic Champlain, the Garde Côtière Auxiliaire Canadienne – Québec (GCAC-Q) (Unité 14 – Rimouski & Unité 54 – Matane), the Quebec Writers Federation, Musée Maritime du Québec and Musée de la Gaspésie, and in collaboration with the Parc du Bic, Aventures Archipel, the marina de Rimouski, and the Club de voile de Rimouski.
We are grateful to all for enabling this project to set sail.