Surviving Modernity

The Launch of the Marie-Antoine (video without sound) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)

Starting in the 1950s, pleasure boats and rowboats began to be built with fibreglass and aluminum instead of wood. These lighter materials were more durable and required less maintenance.

The Marie-Antoine at its launch in summer 1960.

When the Saint-Laurent shipyard closed in the 1960s, it left F-X Lachance the only traditional craftsman making rowboats on Île d’Orléans, and his boats were still in demand. In fact, he was the last craftsman in Québec to still be earning a living building wooden boats, the last in a long line.

His success can be put down to the quality of his boats—solid, elegant, and durable—as well as their ability to handle the choppy waters of the St. Lawrence, because before building boats, F-X had the experience as a sailor. His tremendous success can also surely be attributed to the close and warm relationships F-X developed with his customers and the wisdom that came with his vast experience.

A Memorable Meeting (subtitles available in FR and EN) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)