Volume 18 Issue 1 » 83
Baie-Saint-Paul boasts 25 art galleries clustered along Saint- Jean-Baptiste street , making it a mecca for art aficionados . The town ’ s scenery and distinctive light have inspired many prominent Canadian artists , including the founder of Cirque du Soleil .
We stop at the Laiterie Charlevoix , a four-generation artisan cheesemaker whose cheese is a staple throughout the province . Philippe Labbé gestures proudly at the family estate founded by his great-greatgrandparents , where many members of the family still reside to this day . The Laiterie ’ s cheddar cheese curds , an essential ingredient for poutine , fly off the shelves daily , while its flagship product , the 1608 de Charlevoix , is made from the milk of a herd of Canadienne cows , a small breed that produces milk with a different fat and protein content than that of its larger cousin , the Holstein .
ISLAND CHARM
You can see Isle-aux-Coudres from many scenic overlooks in the Charlevoix , a small island home to just 2,000 and known as the region ’ s jewel . A free ferry escorts residents and visitors from Saint- Joseph-de-la-Rive to the island , whose 23-kilometre radius is easily bikeable and makes for a fun getaway . The island was settled in the 1720s and many of its present-day residents trace their lineage back several generations .
We stop at Boulangerie Bouchard , a oneof-a-kind bakery where tantalizing loaves compete with pies , buns , and flatbreads for space and attention . Owner Noëlle-Ange Harvey is a lifelong resident who is deeply connected to the island terroir . She gestures to her selection of small savoury pies called pâté croche , and recounts a story of how they came to be . “ My grandmother made pies for my grandfather when he would paddle his canoe across the channel ,” she recalls . “ With choppy water and a bumpy landing , they didn ’ t fare well on the journey , so he asked her to make something smaller and firmer , that would travel better . Et voilà ! The pâté croche was born !”
Harvey gets misty-eyed as she talks of life on the island , a place where crime is non-existent , the sunsets never get old , and a spirit of cooperation between residents remains an intrinsic value . “ Our homes were built with the help of our neighbours ,” she explains . “ Island residents won ’ t allow you to remain anonymous – they reach out with warmth and welcome .”
She directs us to the windmill , where wheat and buckwheat for her breads are still ground in the summertime , to the stately St . Louis Church , which dates back to 1885 , and to the long stretches of beach where locals still spot whales in the channel each year . We spend a lazy afternoon taking in the peacefulness , cruising between the scenic vistas and stopping for beach walks and samples of cider before catching the ferry back .
We spend our last evening in the Charlevoix in the town of Saint-Irénée , with its long , seductive stretch of sandy beach . The vast expanse of the St . Lawrence River extends as far as the eye can see , but just a kilometre from the beach we spot the unmistakable white backs of beluga whales , surfacing as they feed . They continue to captivate us during our dinner , a spectacular meal of halibut and risotto at Le Sainti , an elegant restaurant overlooking the beach .
As we reflect on the bounty and sheer beauty of the Charlevoix , Harvey ’ s parting words echo in my mind . “ There ’ s a special energy in the Charlevoix , and it feeds the soul of those who visit and live here ,” she says . “ Come visit and you never leave quite the same .”