2010 Saguenay Tour

At the appointed hour on Wednesday morning we boarded the bus bound for the south shore of Lac St-Jean. There was the occasional stop along the way during which we could admire the inland forests, then arrival at the lake for a relaxing picnic by the beach. From there we proceeded to Kenogami for the dedication of the newly renovated Price Park (following decades of closure). Once we were all assembled in this magnificently restored recreational area, the dignitaries, led by Jean-Pierre Blackburn, M.P., Minister of Labour and Jean Tremblay, Mayor of Saguenay, arrived. We were also honoured by the presence of a number of retired employees of the Kenogami mill. After four rousing verses of Oh Canada! (en Français) the dedication proceeded. Before, during, and after the dedication we all spent considerable time admiring the splendid location, in which both former and current graves of Sir William reside, the former being the site from which he nearly slid (for a second time) into the river, this time during the 1996 floods, and the current one being a somewhat safer location to which he had been transferred.

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Following the ceremony, we headed over to the Kenogami mill, a plant which was established on that site over 100 years ago, and were honoured guests in a tour of the facility. Our tour guides were most informative, and the overall cleanliness and seeming lack of human intervention in the production process were remarkable. Everything seemed automated, all managed from control rooms studded with computer screens and monitors.

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Late afternoon, after we had checked into the local Holiday Inn, we repaired to Sir William’s former residence, now known as Villa Pachon, at which we enjoyed a reception in the lovely gardens, followed by an extraordinary dinner in the main dining room. The cuisine was outstanding! Our hosts, Carole Tremblay Pachon and her husband Daniel, were most gracious and accommodating.

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The next morning we proceeded to the Price Museum at which numerous mementos of the Family’s influence and impact on the area were on display. Very striking was the stained glass window dedicated to Gilmour Price, killed in a mill accident in 1940.

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This was followed by a drive over to Chicoutimi where we first stopped at Maison Price, the original general store for Price Brothers, and from there on to the Price monument, where we posed for photographs. Then on to mementos of the 1996 floods which had inundated the area, featuring a small house through which some of the river was channeled as a reminder of the catastrophic nature of the event. A stopover at le Pulperie de Chicoutimi museum, formerly one of the original mills in the area, completed our visit to Chicoutimi, and our bus departed for Tadoussac.

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The hour of arrival allowed us all some time to do tours of the area on our own before heading over to Dufferin House for cocktails, hosted by Pam McCarter. The mayor of Tadoussac had been invited, and seemed quite impressed by the distances over which some of us had traveled for this event, testimony to how spread out our family has become over the years. Then on to Maison Nicholas, our destination for dinner that evening, hosted by Willa (Lal) Mundell. This is one of the most beautiful locations one could imagine, and dining while sitting outside overlooking the mouth of the Saguenay was an exceptional experience.

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On the final morning of our trip, we boarded a tour boat to go whale watching. And what an adventure! We were treated to the sight of Minke whales frolicking, and then the Belugas put on a performance, rare even to the eyes of our local tour guide. The weather, as it had been during the entire trip, was spectacular – it was just a lovely outing on the approach and entrance to the Saguenay.

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Finally, to Baie Ste-Catherine on the other side of the river where our bus was waiting. En route back we stopped for lunch at Chez Ginette where an assortment of the local gastronomy, anchored by that artery stopping delicacy, poutine, awaited us. And then on to Quebec along the St. Lawrence with all the splendid views afforded by that drive, and the beginning of the Reunion.