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Rimouski est magnifique sur cette photo ! :O
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Went down the hometown wednesday for a new project. It was a "warm" and clear winter day, with temperatures around the freezing point. I took the small roads along the
Richelieu river to get to
SAINT-JEAN. A quite pleasant ride. It reminded me how much I love and miss my region !
On the road to get to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
MONT-SAINT-HILAIRE AND BELOEIL
On the eastern shore of the river lies
Mont-Saint-Hilaire, a gorgeous suburban town ! Here's a general view, with the hill (411 m.) in the background. Mont-Saint-Hilaire remains a very cultural town. It's the birthplace of Jordi Bonnet, Ozias Leduc and Paul-Émile Borduas, amongst others.
39 km to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
In Mont-Saint-Hilaire, you still find the mansion of seigneurie de Rouville. It was possessed by the Rouville, and later the Campbell families.
Just in front of Mont-Saint-Hilaire is
Beloeil. The churches of the two towns seem to be greeting each other from across the river.
37 km to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Old Beloeil is tiny but charming. A small rural village, very alive, surrounded by anonymous suburbia.
CHAMBLY
This little road trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at Fort Chambly !
Notice the white flag is floating above the peaceful fortress.
19 km to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU
Finally, I got to the hometown. It was nice to walk these old streets a little.
Christie Manor, the old mansion of the Bleury seigneurie.
Downtown is getting a new bridge. The one you see on the picture has been continuously used since 1916. It replaced an old bridge from 1820 which has been demolished because an elephant from Barnum circus refused to cross it and prefered to walk on the bed of the river on its way to Montreal...
Always been in love with this street corner : County Registry Office (1936). Maria-Boivin and 5th.
1st and 5th
1st and 4th. In the middle of the old town is the last urban stable. From the first half of the 1800s.
Interesting doors
District courthouse, St-Charles St. / Laurier St.
Former Hotel-Dieu, now the geriatric pavillion of Haut-Richelieu hospital, Longueuil St.
Market place (1828) and Fire Hall (1876), Longueuil st.
One of my favourite streets downtown, Artistes St.
Hidden beside Laurier St. and a pedestrian alley, the Wesleyan church (1841)
Various views. St-Athanase church ; Richelieu St. ; The Fire-Alarm tower.
St. James anglican (1816), St-Georges St. / Jacques-Cartier St.
In Saint-Jean, you often find beauty in unexpected places...
Downtown's main: Richelieu St, completely rebuilt in 1876 after the Great Fire.
Old town grit... Behind the scenes
Champlain St. / Market Pl.
National Hotel. The only one that kept its second floor balcony (there were dozens of buildings with these before the 1950s)
Views on the cathedral of Sant-Jean-l'Évangéliste
Great street corners :
Richelieu and St-George. Former "Port Customs Office" and "American Consulate".
Jacques-Cartier and St-Jacques.
St-Charles and Champlain
Mercier square
