Horticultural exhibition

Horticultural exhibition

The horticultural exhibition was a popular competition where exhibitors from Tadoussac to Havre-St-Pierre came to showcase their products. The first edition took place in 1939 and appears to have continued until 1958.

The objective was to promote the cultivation of plants, flowers, and vegetables, not to mention the development of crafts in the region. A sort of snub to those who claimed that farming could not be done on the North Shore. There were a multitude of prizes to reward exhibitors. In 1951, the program welcomed this enthusiasm: “The successes achieved each year clearly demonstrate that the entire population of the North Shore of the St. Lawrence is committed to the development of the region.” Bishop Labrie was a fervent promoter of these exhibitions, as highlighted in this excerpt from a letter he sent to the clergy of his diocese: “Our young region needs to become aware of its strengths, its possibilities, its resources, and nothing is more appropriate to achieve this goal than these regional exhibitions.” The Bishop highlights the creation of the North Shore Historical Society and its exhibition at this event. He recommends that his diocese interest all parishioners and members of the clergy “in these works of historical or artistic culture, the exhibition of which will become the starting point.”