Duplessis

Place of interest

17, Chemin d'en Haut, Natashquan – Duplessis.

The pioneers spent the first years of their lives in Natashquan without a parish organization. Construction of a chapel began in 1859. The wood needed for its construction was cut by the families of the village. In 1860, a large ship loaded with wood was wrecked in the vicinity. The villagers recovered a large quantity of it, which was used in the construction. It was solemnly blessed in 1861 by the first resident priest.

In 1884, the chapel, which had become too small, was enlarged. The church was finally completed in 1898. Hilaire Carbonneau and his descendants were responsible for the construction, enlargement, and maintenance of the current church. The shape of the ceiling resembles that of an upturned boat hull. The current stained glass windows were designed by poet Gilles Vigneault. The local population is very proud of their church, which was built from scratch by the same pioneer craftsmen who built the village. This wooden church is the oldest in Minganie.

Text written or compiled by the Acadian Museum of Quebec

Personality

What can be said about Gilles Vigneault that you don't already know? It's not always easy to introduce an artist of such renown. The bard of Quebec song is undoubtedly one of our greatest contemporary poets. His peers have long affirmed this in every forum. But Gilles Vigneault is above all the poet of Natashquan and the North Shore because he was born there, his works are imbued with it, and he knows better than anyone else how to express the soul of his corner of the country.

Who is Gilles Vigneault beyond the fact that he was born in Natashquan, a small village on the North Shore, on October 27, 1928, to a mother who was a teacher and lover of literature, and a father who was a trapper, lumberjack, fisheries inspector, and school commissioner, who also had the heart of a poet? Some say he is indefinable, while others venture to describe him as a reflection of the country itself...

Gilles Vigneault's discography and literary works are impressive. To date, Bernard Landry, in collaboration with the Le Bord du Cap de Natashquan Interpretation Center, has accumulated more than 700 items related to him: albums (LPs/45s/CDs), books, specialized magazines, brochures, show posters, etc. The interest in the poet is reflected in a multitude of impressive studies, articles, and reports. Since 1960, hardly a month has gone by without Vigneault being the subject of media coverage (print/radio/television). Over the years, hundreds of press articles, dozens of specialized magazines, audiovisual documents, and books about his career have been cataloged. Not to mention the many honors and prestigious awards that highlight either his literary work or his career as a singer-songwriter.

Poet, author of stories and songs, performer, and proud Acadian descendant, Gilles Vigneault was born in Natashquan. He is the son of a fisherman and a country schoolteacher. In his writings, he describes the people of Natashquan at length.

Gilles Vigneault is the author of more than 40 books. Some are storybooks, which he has published himself in print and sometimes recorded and released as audiobooks. He has written over 400 poems, most of which have become songs that he has performed on stage and recorded on some 40 albums, which he has also published. His early songs, such as La danse à Saint-Dilon and Jack Monoloy, have become classics.

Since the 1960s, Gilles Vigneault has become a true living legend in French-speaking America. His fame has spread to Europe, particularly France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

Vigneault is also a staunch defender of the French language and the cause of Quebec sovereignty. Many people today consider his song Gens du pays to be the unofficial national anthem of Quebecers. In Quebec, an adaptation of this song has become the refrain sung to someone on a special occasion such as a birthday.

Text written or compiled by Bernard Landry and the Acadian Museum of Quebec.

Place of interest

Near the bridge, Natashquan, Duplessis.

The old school is a modest wooden building constructed in 1913. A few decades ago, it was relocated to the banks of the Petite rivière Natashquan.

In 2006, the villagers devoted more than 2,000 hours of volunteer work to restoring it. Today, the walls that once saw the young Gilles Vigneault, Natashquan's famous poet, study now house an exhibition on his work. La Vieille École pays tribute to the author through the characters he named, sang about, and glorified. It's a way to better understand the poet's songs, which tell stories of fishing, hunting and trapping, relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, secrets, dance and music, but also departure... You can feel the spirit of the people who were part of Natashquan's life and history.

Text written or compiled by Bernard Landry and the Acadian Museum of Quebec.

Source: Natashquan Heritage, Cultural, and Tourism Development Corporation.

Personality

Roland Jomphe is not only known for his writing, but also for his love of his village and nature. He often brings people from outside the area to the Mingan Islands. He gives numerous lectures at the Havre-Saint-Pierre interpretation center on the heritage and beauty of the region.

Roland Jomphe was born in Havre-Saint-Pierre in 1917. He was the third of twelve children. While his brothers and sisters entertained friends at home, he would isolate himself in his room to write and reflect on his family's experiences. He left school after seventh grade, as was customary in those days, to follow in his father's footsteps. He became a halibut and cod fisherman before becoming a sacristan for the church and secretary-treasurer for the municipality.

He is best known as the Cayenne poet of Minganie. His works, which until then had been reserved for his family and close friends, were revealed during his appearance on the religious program Second Regard. Roland's authenticity and the freshness of his words caused a stir in the village and even in the province, leading to two reruns of the program. Having attracted the interest of the general public, through events and press coverage, he was approached to publish his first book, De l’eau salée dans les veines (Salt Water in the Veins). He went on to publish other books, such as À l’écoute du temps (Listening to Time) and Confidences des îles (Confidences of the Islands). Roland Jomphe died in December 2003 at the age of 86.

He received several honors, including the Order of Canada in 1981 and the Ordre national du Québec in 1987. In tribute to this great man, the interpretation center has borne his name since 2005, as has a trail on Niapiskau Island.

Text written or compiled by Nancy Petitpas and the Acadian Museum of Quebec

Personality

Parrot Island – Duplessis

Placide Vigneau was born in the Magdalen Islands. He was a fisherman, schooner captain, lighthouse keeper, and an important author in Acadian history in Quebec.

In 1858, Vigneau settled in Pointe-aux Esquimaux, where he began keeping a journal that he wrote in every day for nearly 70 years. In it, he recorded details of both his daily life and his fishing expeditions. Throughout his life, he collected a wealth of information (songs, statistics, notes about his ancestors, etc.) and amassed a collection of books and objects. His intellectual abilities led him to hold several positions in the village: church cantor, school secretary-treasurer, and justice of the peace.

From 1892 to 1912, Vigneau was the keeper of the Île aux Perroquets lighthouse. Life on the island gave him more free time to write his journal, which was published as a standalone work in 1969 under the title Un pied d’ancre: journal de Placide Vigneau. He wrote on a variety of topics, including genealogy, folklore, natural pharmacopoeia, and linguistics, and produced numerous stories about supernatural events, shipwrecks, and visits from scientists. Using telegraphy, he sent numerous dispatches to the Family Herald and Weekly Star in Montreal. He collaborated on the production of books on the history of the North Shore and the Magdalen Islands. The value of Vigneau's work is inestimable.

He died in Pointe-aux-Esquimaux.

Text written or compiled by the Acadian Museum of Quebec