Émile spent his summers in Cacouna from 1886 until 1898.
Although Émile did not choose Cacouna – like any young child, he went where his parents took him – he was quick to explore all the village had to offer. And Cacouna had so much for a child like Émile to discover, things he wouldn’t find in the city: vast fields to get lost in, beaches to explore for hours, low tides revealing nearly a kilometre of mysterious tidal pools, fiery red sunsets over the St. Lawrence and its islands. And each escapade provided chance encounters with birds, groundhogs, porcupines, butterflies, ladybugs, crickets and more. The music of the wind rustling through the fields and trees. The smell of new mown hay.
And the vast St. Lawrence estuary with its sea breezes, salt sprays, the scent of seaweed at low tide, the fog rolling in and dissipating, sometimes revealing the shape of a ship, arriving from unknown ports, carrying mysterious treasures. The mighty river, open to the world, whether real or imagined. An infinite horizon for the eyes and the soul.
Photo source :
Background : A village view from the wharf. Postcard "Rivard Series" éditeur, Richard Michaud Collection
Medalions : Young Émile at 7, 10, 14, 16 years old. Nelligan à Cacouna p.183