Isle-aux-Coudres in the footsteps of Pierre Perrault

It was when his wife first brought him to her beloved Charlevoix “homeland” that Pierre Perrault felt he had finally put his finger on what was missing from his Montreal life as a young lawyer and decided to settle on Isle-aux-Coudres in the summer of 1956, returning throughout the year many a time thereafter. To soak in the tidal flats and salt air, forget a quick tour of the island and opt instead for a longer stay at a campground or in a hostel, hotel or historic home.

Visit the Moulins de l’Isle-aux-Coudres, a flour mill economuseum, and head upstairs to discover an exhibit room paying tribute to Pierre Perrault. Interpretive panels and old photographs will help you learn more about his story. In this same room, named after the artist, you can watch one of the three films made on Isle-aux-Coudres in the 60s. For the 2024 season, an expansion project will involve redesigning the reception building to, among other things, showcase and rekindle the many memories associated with Pierre Perreault.

Next, follow the boardwalks to Anse de la Roche à Caya to learn more about this legendary porpoise fishing spot, which Perrault made it his duty to recreate for future generations in his famous Pour la suite du monde. Then, just like the essayist who, “desperately seeking a foothold in [his] own life, [took] a place among a few men and many birds” (Discours sur la parole, 1966), take advantage of the park’s tranquillity to watch the avian fauna, with over 200 different species stopping over on the island as the tides change.

Impressed by the expertise and resilience of the islanders in winter, Perrault devoted an entire episode of his Radio-Canada series to crossing the river by ice canoe in La traverse d’hiver à l’île aux Coudres. Next, it’s off to Les Traverseux: espace patrimoine – canot à glace to try your hand at this unique sport or watch history unfold before your eyes at the interpretive centre open year-round, where artifacts, lighthouses and schooners meet storytellers and emerging artists. Want to see real sailors at work? Plan your stay around the dates of La Grande Traversée, a major international ice canoe racing competition usually held in February between Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive and Isle-aux-Coudres.

And because following in Pierre Perrault’s footsteps, even without a tape recorder in hand, means listening to what people have to say above all, why not embellish your “Coudrilois” evenings with music, conversation and anecdotes by mingling with the locals at the Auberge La Fascine, a cozy cultural bistro where happy hours, karaoke nights, yoga sessions and live entertainment are all excuses to get together and keep perhaps the most important of all traditions alive: that of the spoken word!