Captains, to Your Boats!

The golden age of luxury mahogany boats was between 1945 and 1960. Sixteen boat parades were organized by the Club nautique des Mille-Îles. They always ended with a Sunday celebration. Seven processions of the Blessed Virgin were honoured by the presence of members of the clergy, including the Archbishop of Montreal, Paul-Émile Léger. But the Club did much more than celebrate. It also obtained grants to improve the navigability of the river. Dynamiting, digging and cleaning took place between the Athanase David Bridge and the Grand Moulin rapids. Pleasure boaters gained a 19-km stretch to sail on. Around 1970, the organization scaled back its activities because of low water levels and growing pollution.