Sharing Maritime Heritage

Karine Vachon-Soulard speaks of the importance for the Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent of highlighting the story of a remarkable man like F-X Lachance.

Karine Vachon-Soulard, former director of the Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent, is in the rowboat shop. She speaks to an interviewer on the left side of the camera.

[Karine Vachon-Soulard] For the project on François-Xavier Lachance, we were first approached by his grandson Jean-François Lachance, who was extremely motivated and who knew, coming to meet us, how to transmit to us the passion that he had for the story of his grandfather. So it’s really his passion, his motivation, plus the fact that, indeed, his grandfather’s story was extremely relevant to the maritime heritage of Île d’Orléans,

Color archive video showing François-Xavier Lachance, wearing a fur collar coat and a black fur hat. He is in his workshop and bypasses the back of a wooden boat under construction. He touches the frame.

[K. V.-S.] which made us go further, and then we wanted to find ways to finally valorize this heritage. For the Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent,

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] it is very important not only to highlight the maritime history of Île d’Orléans,

Black and white photograph of the Saint-Laurent shipyard. The structure of an imposing boat is on the right, in the foreground. Two sailboats under construction are in the center. The St. Lawrence River occupies the entire background, as well as the coast of the south shore.

[K. V.-S.] but also to be connected to our community

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] and François-Xavier Lachance still has his place in the memories of the community here. So for the Parc maritime it was to secure that memory while it was still present,

Black and white photograph of a wooden boat under construction, inside a workshop. Two men are busy fixing the boards covering the hull.

[K. V.-S.] to perpetuate it and we are already promoting the heritage

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] of F-X Lachance here, thanks to the reproduction of boats he had made, but for us it’s really to go digging further

Video sequence inside the rowboat shop, showing the interior of a rowboat in the foreground.

[K. V.-S.] to get its history, then to highlight it even more precisely,

Video sequence inside the rowboat shop, showing the top of the right edge of the boat in close-up, as well as the workbench on the right.

[K. V.-S.] because François-Xavier Lachance was really an exceptional craftsman here in Saint-Laurent,

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] by the high quality of his work. He also stood out by his longevity

Black and white photograph of a man paddling in a rowboat, back, near the beach. Four boats including a sailboat are anchored just in front of him.

[K. V.-S.] and by his personality.