The Final Few Years

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

F-X Lachance was reluctant to retire. He was passionate about his trade, and customers were still asking him to build or repair boats. He kept working at his shipyard until 1976, at the age of 78.

An Honest Career – Listen to the audio clip with its transcript

He tried to pass on his know-how to a new buyer, but unfortunately his mentee had neither his talent nor his passion—and this at a time when only an outstanding craftsman could hope to rival mass-produced fibreglass boats. With its founder out of the picture, the F-X Lachance shipyard soon fell silent.

For a number of years, F-X harboured hopes of getting the business up and running again but, alas, it was not to be. He kept himself busy building models of the boats he’d made, recalling their every detail from memory. These models were often gifted to the people who’d bought the boats.

Article from Le Soleil newspaper about Mr. Lachance’s 45 years of experience. June 15th, 1966.