Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier 1852-1934
«Son and grandson of sailor, ship’s boy at the age of 14, captain at 17, he crossed 250 times the Atlantic Ocean before venturing into Great North. hardly known waters.
His time is that of the last big sailboats, the prosperous exotic business from Rio to Liverpool or Gibraltar, the dynamic shipyards of Quebec, the discipline on board and the death watching in every wave. ❲…❳
This talented sailor was greeted by princes; he baptized islands, refloated ships, accumulated the challenges by pleasure more than out of a sense of duty, acquired considerable knowledge, wrote regularly his diary, amassed a fortune then spent it to convince his fellow countrymen of the necessity of repatriating the North.
Legendary in his lifetime, he was nevertheless fast forgotten after his death. But as the progress makes look smaller the planet, do not we find the nostalgia for the great epics? That of Captain Bernier turns out one of the most fascinating of our close history.» - Paul Terrien
À votre tour to discover this old salt and legendary hero who gave an arctic border to his country.
The exhibits | Parc
Hydro-Québec | The
Chalouperie | Services
About the Museum | Where
to find us ? | Virtual tour