Meet Andrew Caddell: A dedicated Municipal Councillor for Kamouraska, accomplished author, journalist, and retired diplomat with Global Affairs Canada. Andrew’s extensive experience and passion for public service make him a remarkable figure in our community.
Best place to get it if you do know? There was a place near Saint Jean Port Joli called “Chez Mamie” which is no longer. It expanded to Kamouraska and is now called “La Grand Ourse.” There is also a small boite à frites in L’Isle Verte called “Casse Croute des Filles.” I ate there on a bike trip and it was fantastic.
What is your favourite place in Lower Saint Lawrence, and why? Sitting on what we call the “Round Rock” on the beach in Kamouraska below our home, as I have done all my life. There is a photo of my grandmother, Estelle LeMesurier and her siblings in their bathing suits on the rock. Watching the tide come in, and swimming in the river as they did more than a century ago, gives me a great sense of peace and connection with my heritage. (See picture)
Your favourite pastime? A tie between oldtimers’ hockey and bicycle touring. Hockey is a joy in winter and I love getting together with my pals in La Pocatière afterwards. I have cycled all of Canada, and I am often on the back roads near Kamouraska.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sitting on my screened-in gallery in Kamouraska on a summer’s evening after a good meal, listening to music, talking with friends and watching the sun go down.
What talent would you most like to have? Playing the guitar. I have always loved to sing, and I would have liked to accompany myself.
What is your greatest achievement? My children, although their accomplishments are their own. Also, earning a Master’s degree in Journalism at 50 years old.
What is your motto? “Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
Biggest regret? Not accepting my Uncle’s invitation to join the crew of the oceanographic ship, “The Hudson” on a trip through the Northwest Passage and around the world in the late 1960s. I doubted my ability to undertake such a voyage at the time, as I was 1 metre 70 (5’7″) and perhaps 60 kilos (132 pounds) soaking wet. I wonder if it might have changed my life. But I did lots of interesting things in the past 50 or so years.
