A Major Builder

Karine Vachon-Soulard talks about the importance of François-Xavier Lachance’s contribution to leisure boating.

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] The shipyard of François-Xavier Lachance was opened from 1925 to 1976. So it’s about fifty years, and during these 50 years,

Black and white photograph showing a yacht mounted on a base in front of a building with a large door, in winter. Four men are busy around the boat, on the ground.

[K. V.-S.] he would have built about 300 leisure boats, and that’s without counting the lifeboats that he had done

Black and white photograph from inside the building, showing a yacht ready to go out. A man is in the doorway. The shore and the river are visible in the background.

[K. V.-S.] during the Second World War. It’s still huge.

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] So if you count on 50 years, it would be about six boats per year, which is a big figure when you think these boats are handmade from A to Z.

Black and white photograph of a yacht with the inscription “Handy Billy”, docked at a wooden dock. A woman, two men and a boy get on board.

[K. V.-S.] He stood out because he was making relatively luxurious yachts,

Return on Karine Vachon-Soulard in the rowboat shop.

[K. V.-S.] so he went to fetch a clientele of the Francophone upper middle class with whom he built relationships not only for business, but also friendship. It helped him to have a loyal clientele that he kept until the mid-70s, whereas for example here at the Saint-Laurent shipyard, from the 60’s, there was really

Color photograph of three yachts from F-X Lachance anchored in a small bay under blue sky, in spring. Several houses near the beach are in the background.

[K. V.-S.] a drop in demand for small freight schooners.