September 11, 2002 – The Chronicle, Montreal’s West Island community newspaper

Festival highlights local history

BY BARBARA LAVOIE

Why read about local history when you can experience it first-hand.

Last weekend thousands of local residents and visitors stepped back in time to experience life as it was more than 200 years ago in Montreal's West Island at a two-day historical celebration of traditional music, dance, hands-on exhibits and storytelling on the historic grounds of Collège Gérald-Godin in St. Genevieve.

An initiative of the new local development organization, the Latin Quarter of the West Island in collaboration with Salle Pauline-Julien and the Borough of L'île-Bizard, St. Anne-de-Bellevue and St. Genevieve, the festivities recognized the long-lasting contributions made by several of the area's founding families.

Event organizer, Sylvain Caron, Dorval secondary school music teacher, explained, "The idea of promoting history in an educational and interactive way was a new concept. I'd call it more of an 'historical happening' than an event." Last year Caron also organized a similar event.

Over 20 kiosks were set up to provide visitors of all ages a chance to learn and to try out many of the crafts practiced by the early settlers. Exhibitors, dressed in period costume,

made shingles, hats and felt, melted pewter for spoons, forged horseshoes, sawed planks and beams, braided chairs and displayed boats used for maritime transport and trade activities. A First Nations storyteller and drummer shared knowledge of the local aboriginal community. The Quebec Association of Agriculture and Heritage provided a large display of farm tools including a 1950 Ford tractor.

Storyteller and animator, Robert Payant, held the attention of everyone who sat at his feet listening to tall tales and legends about life along the St. Lawrence River.

Of particular interest were the family exhibits set up in the CEGEP courtyard. Descendents of the founding families, Paquin, Pilon, Locas, Richard, Laniel, Theoret, Legault, Lalande and Bélanger, many dressed in period costume, proudly displayed old photographs, family records and keepsakes.

Armand Bélanger, 83, an avid geneologist explained, "I have a computer database with over 40,000 names of descendents of the original settler, François, who arrived in Bonsecours in 1634 from Normandy. He became the seigneur and his brother, Nicolas, began importing salt used for fish processing in Beauport in 1655." A scale replica of the Legault family home built in 1780, that is now used as a community centre in Pointe-Claire was proudly displayed by its maker, André Legault. "Every New Year's Eve we hold a family reunion in the house," said André.

Several community service organizations used the opportunity to share information about their latest projects. The Society for the Discovery and Preservation of Local Heritage of the West Island distributed maps of their 70km heritage bicycle trail that identifies historical buildings and nature parks along the old Chemin du Roy. Guided tours are available from Thursday to Saturday. Volunteers of the historical societies of L'île-Bizard and Pointe-Claire were also on hand to talk with visitors.

Borough President, Jacques Cardinal, himself a native of St. Genevieve commented, "It is very important for today's citizens to understand the contribution made by the families who settled here. The response to last year's activities was overwhelming. So we were very pleased to support another event this year."

No Quebecois event would be complete without music and dance. Offering up mini-concerts of traditional music throughout both afternoons, were violinist, Marie Neige Lavigne and

accordionist, Josianne Hebert. On Saturday afternoon, Matapat, a popular group of traditional Quebecois musicians, performed in Salle Pauline-Julien. Well-known and admired, Monique Jutras, accompanied by Jean-Pierre Joyal on violin and Rachel Aucoin on piano, pleased the audience gathered around the outdoor stage on Sunday with music by singer-songwriter, Madame Bolduc.

Probably Kirkland resident, Alex Grekov who had brought his two young children for the afternoon's activities, summed up the weekend best when he said, "This was a very interesting event. A great way to learn about the history of my community."