This month we feature David Saint-Pierre, maritime historian, whose most recent book In The Wake of the Empress of Ireland: Rescue, Salvage, and Investigations in the Summer of 1914 is set to be released in North America in August 2025. Heritage is proud to be hosting a 5 à 7 on May 30, at the Empress of Ireland historic site, where David will be presenting his book in English, to be followed by a Q & A session in both French and English.
Where are you from? Where is home for you? I was born in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, on the Gaspe coast, but my family moved to Rimouski when I was 4. Rimouski is the place where I feel most at home, even though I have been living in Montreal for years.
Did you know about poutine before you arrived? Best place to get it if you do know? I cannot say I knew about poutine before I was born, but since then, I found out that the best there is can be found at la Cantine de la Gare in Rimouski, hands down.
What is your favourite place in the Lower Saint Lawrence, and why? Ah, there are so many! It used to be around the covered bridge on le Rang 2 de Neigette, near la route du Fourneau à Chaux, south of St-Anaclet. So many fond memories there as this is where we picked berries and pimbina every fall for my mom to make jelly, when I was a kid. But now that they cut down most pimbina trees and moved the bridge in a field and replaced it with a modern bridge, this place for me is just a memory. So, it would have to be the lighthouse at Pointe-au-Père. Perfect combination of everything I love about this region: beautiful natural site, incredibly rich history, maritime heritage and a cultural institution.
Your favourite pastime? Music! Playing guitar and singing. I play in a few bands around Montreal, and this is just genuine, real, plain fun. I also collect and restore antiques: vintage guitars and amps, steamship memorabilia, old TVs and radios. My place is really a museum.
What talent would you most like to have? Sports! I have no particular incline for physical skills and ability, but I am very much in admiration for people who can perform at any sport.
What is your greatest achievement? I think writing and publishing 6 books is my greatest achievement. I believe I have a certain talent for telling stories and this, mixed with an obsessive knack for research, I think provides for interesting books.
What is your motto? I like this one : « Quand y’en n’aura pu, y’en aura d’autres ». Hard to translate precisely, but it’s close to “never give up”.
Biggest regret? Not following my instinct and personal preference when choosing a subject for my PhD in history. All through my studies, I pursued research in both maritime history and Russian political history. I do not regret studying Russian history, culture and language, but I do regret not making maritime history my major subject. 25 years ago, when I was making these choices, I had a hunch that maritime history might be a better strategic choice, and with hindsight, boy was I right! Anybody can claim being a maritime historian, sometimes without any studies in the field. I still cannot understand how Quebec, and even Canada as whole, generally ignores and shuns its maritime heritage. I hope my books contribute to reversing this.
