Imposing stature and beard, with an arrowed belt around his waist. Anyone who has ever met the owner of Rigaud's Sucrerie de la Montagne, Pierre Faucher, remembers this friendly man who loves his region. Last October and November, this colorful character won two prizes awarded by Tourisme Montérégie. Interview with the businessman who founded his company almost 40 years ago. 

It was at his sugar shack, nestled on Chemin Saint-Georges in the Rigaud mountains, that Pierre Faucher welcomed the author of these lines a few days after receiving his award to discuss his life and this tribute prize. 

At the end of October, Pierre Faucher was awarded the “Bâtisseur de notre identité culinaire à l'international” prize by Tourisme Montérégie. Then, on November 21, he received the Bâtisseur award from Tourisme Montérégie at the organization's Gala Reconnaissance, in recognition of the 47 years he has devoted to developing his business and raising the profile of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region around the world. 

How does he feel about these accolades?” I'm happy, these are great distinctions. Even though I'm 78 years old, I still come here every day and continue to travel to pass on my passion around the world. In May 2025, I'll be in Milan and Rome,” he says.  

A member of the Office du Tourisme de Montréal since 1981, Pierre Faucher travels the world to promote local culinary delights. “I've taken part in culinary evenings and tourism trade shows on all five continents. In the late 1980s, I took part in Quebec evenings in partnership with major airlines that showcased Quebec music and cuisine at the world's biggest food fairs. It was a lot of fun.” 

A world traveler at heart 

A true globetrotter, Pierre Faucher has visited many destinations throughout his life. Whether in Europe or Africa, for pleasure or business, backpack or suitcase, the man is always happy to come home. “What's the most beautiful place you've ever been?” the author asked the septuagenarian sitting opposite her. “The most beautiful place is here, because it's home,” he replied without hesitation. It's an answer that bears witness to Mr. Faucher's love for his adopted land.  

Born on November 13, 1946, on the experimental farm at McGill University's Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue campus, Pierre Faucher grew up on the West Island of Montreal in a family of ten children. He was the youngest of the siblings. Several of his brothers, as well as his father, a native of the Beauce region, work in the construction industry. 

“I'm happy to have grown up here. When I was five, my father told me: Pierre, it's very important to learn the enemy's language, because he controls everything. I took his advice and learned English from a five-year-old girl who had just arrived from England and lived two houses down from me. I've always had a desire to learn more about Quebec culture, but also about other cultures around the world.”

Young Pierre likes to play field hockey, but also baseball. “My father used to tell me how good the West Island was. It's true, we had a comfortable life, but he always told me that life was in the woods. That's where he grew up. I think he passed on his love of nature to me. When I was a teenager, I worked with him and my brothers in construction during the summer. After supper, we'd go out to tend the garden and talk about everything around us and Quebec's heritage. My father was proud of his province, a patriot at heart,” he recalls. 

In January 1972, he decided to continue his journey by foot and backpack, crossing the Sahara desert to Africa with a traveling companion. “It took us nine months. We had lots of adventures and slept under the stars. We came across scorpions and snakes many times and slept in the jungle near elephants and giraffes. We really got to see how people lived and understand other cultures. I flew home at the end of November and had quite a culture shock.” 

A few weeks after his return, he landed a job as a sales representative for a mining company in Georgia. “It was a big job with a car provided and a good salary. I traveled a lot for meetings and to meet customers. Then, one day, on my way to Philadelphia for a meeting, I had an epiphany when I saw the front page of the Times Magazine. It showed a close-up photo of a tombstone on which was written: Here lies the brain of X who, at 40, stopped thinking. I realized it was me. I resigned in the weeks that followed after three months on the job.” 

A decisive encounter 

It was following this episode that life brought Pierre Faucher into contact with Mr. Lefèvre, the owner of a sugar bush on Chemin du Petit-Brûlé in Rigaud. After chatting with a friend, the latter mentioned to Pierre Faucher that he was looking to buy a piece of land in the country.

“After returning home, I grabbed my bag and my old pussycat and decided to set out to discover the West Island of Montreal and the countryside around Rigaud.” 

He quickly found a site in Rigaud's Petit-Brûlé sector, where the land bordered a river and had a breathtaking view of Rigaud Mountain. After negotiating the price, he announced it to his friend, who told him instead that he wanted to settle...in Hudson. No problem, Pierre Faucher buys the land to build his house. 

To make this project a reality, he called on a number of acquaintances. Among them was Mr. Lefèvre, whom Pierre Faucher used to help out from time to time. Mr. Lefèvre owns a small cabin in the woods where he harvests maple syrup. One day, Mr. Lefèvre offers to help Pierre Faucher build his gallery if he agrees to help out during sugaring-off season.  

That's when it all clicked for Mr. Faucher, who discovered that he loved working in nature, participating in the syrup production cycle and living as our ancestors did.

Despite this first contact with the world of maple syrup, which left a deep impression on him, Pierre Faucher decided to stay in the area and opened a branch of Bo Jeans at 115 rue Saint-Pierre, in the heart of Rigaud village, in 1975. One of the store's customers is Eugène Séguin, who owns Sucrerie de la Montagne, a tiny shack, but struggles to keep up with the work because he's alone. Mr. Faucher agreed to help out, while his wife Sandy managed the couple's clothing boutique. 

“Finally, I acquired his business in 1978. At that time, the water source was located 300 feet from the cabin. We made several modifications and additions over the years to make it look like it does today. Then, in 1982, we decided to open year-round. In 1984, we made the front page of The Times Magazine. After that, we never looked back.”

Although he's approaching 80, Pierre Faucher hasn't lost his passion. “He lives 0.5 kilometers from the cabin, so he comes to visit every day,” says his son Stefan, who has been running the business alongside him since 2003.  

Today, more than 40 years after its purchase by Pierre Faucher, the Sucrerie de la Montagne continues to shine on the international scene. Every year, it welcomes tourists from all over the world to discover its culinary wonders, such as maple syrup, or to stay overnight in one of the rustic cottages on the Faucher family property.

Father and son make it their duty to make every visitor feel at home at Sucrerie de la Montagne.