On Friday, October 18, the Municipality of Les Cèdres gathered dozens of guests at the municipal wharf on chemin du Fleuve. The objective? To celebrate the 40th anniversary of a local landmark: the Grand Canot, a 45-foot boat built in the village core in 1984. 

Today, the grand canot is on display near the municipal wharf, where it now rests to be observed by the curious. On Friday evening, photo montages retracing its construction and some of the highlights of its existence could also be admired under a marquee. 

It was in 1984 that Bernard St-Jean, a citizen of Les Cèdres, received a strange request from the head of the Association des grands voiliers du Québec. At the time, the organization had just been formed, and in a few months' time, some sixty tall ships would be making their way to Quebec City, watched by nearly a million people. The head of the Association wanted to make a lasting impression, and was looking for something spectacular to impress the spectators.    

“Back then, my father and I built canoes as a hobby in the evenings and on weekends. We must have built between 300 and 400 when this gentleman came into the family garage one fine Saturday afternoon. He wanted to know if we could build him a canoe, over 25 feet, for this event where the organizers wanted to represent the Amerindians who welcomed the canoes arriving from Saint-Malo. So he wanted something grand and majestic to do it in. He'd been to see the Rabaska company, which made 25-foot-long canoes, but for him, that wasn't enough. He wanted more,” says Martin St-Jean, son of the builder of this giant canoe, which could still be the longest in Quebec by 2024. 

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Bernard St-Jean offered to build the man a 50-foot-long canoe. “I'll never forget his face.The man didn't take us seriously.He thought we were making fun of him, so he took the idea back to Quebec City.Three weeks later, my father called to tell him that his canoe was almost ready and if he was still interested.Again, he didn't really believe us. The Saturday afternoon after that call, he was in Cedars to admire the canoe. Again, I'll never forget his face. His jaw dropped for a good 10 minutes. In the meantime, my father was nagging him to see if he wanted it or if we should cut the canoe into sections and burn it in our wood stove (laughs),” adds Mr. St-Jean, who adds that he had help from Jean Saint-Marseille and William Enciso to build it. Some twenty other people from Cedars also lent a hand to the project. 

 “I have to admit that the challenge scared us at first, but in the end it was a great experience. I still have fond memories of it,” confided Jean Saint-Marseille. 

When completed, the canoe measures 45 feet 8 inches and weighs just over 1,200 lbs. It takes a dozen people to move it by hand. On the water, it can accommodate around thirty rowers. 

In the summer of 1984, the boat was unveiled in an unforgettable way, appearing on the water behind the famous Blue Nose II, a majestic boat in its own right. 

A well-traveled canoe 

Although only 40 years old, the big canoe has travelled a long way since its conception. Following the summer of 1984, the City of Quebec no longer had any interest in keeping the canoe. So it landed in...Saint-Zotique. 

“It was acquired by a hunting and fishing club. In the end, the canoe was too big for the club's needs. It was therefore stored near the Saint-Zotique beach for some time, where its condition deteriorated. It was then repatriated to Les Cèdres by municipal employee François Robillard, and the Optimist Club has been maintaining it ever since. Today, it could still sail, but standards have changed considerably. It will have to be piloted by a certified captain,” continues Mr. St-Jean, whose father died in 1999. 

The canoe also took part in two crossings of the Saint-Maurice River, at Trois-Rivières, in the 1990s.  

“It's a very special evening for our municipality. As you can see, the big canoe has a way of bringing people together. Since I arrived here this evening, many people have had stories to tell me about this boat. As for me, back in the 1990s, I wasn't yet a citizen of Les Cèdres. My first contact with this canoe was in 2015, when my friend Laurent Charlebois asked me to help move it. I figured that with two or three people, we should be able to do it without too much difficulty. When I got to the municipal garage and saw the canoe, I knew it wasn't going to be enough (laughs),” says Mayor Bernard Daoust. 

The Municipality gets involved in preserving this giant 

That same year, 2015, the municipal council adopted a resolution to restore and showcase this unique craft. “Thank you to Laurent Charlebois of the Club optimiste des Cèdres for his commitment to keeping the grand canot des Cèdres in good condition. Thank you to all those who, year after year, have contributed to its maintenance and preservation. I am pleased to announce today that the Municipality of Les Cèdres is taking over the maintenance and preservation of the canoe from Mr. Charlebois and the Optimist Club, starting this year,” continued Mr. Daoust. 

Over the next few months, the municipality will also be developing an interpretive approach to the history of this giant canoe. This will include testimonials and anecdotes, in addition to sharing with interested parties various information obtained on the great canoe through research. Anyone with information about the big canoe is invited to contact the Municipalité des Cèdres to share it.