Louis Hémon and Péribonka
Louis Hémon (with an X over his photo), was born in Brest, Brittany. After spending eight years in England, he left Liverpool on October 13, 1911, aboard the Virginian , bound for Québec. By the end of June the following year, he arrived in Péribonka and met Samuel Bédard (to his left), who offered him a job as a farmhand. He lived with the Bédard family for two months before being hired as a chainman for a surveying company working north of Lac-Saint-Jean, a position he held until early December.
Though not particularly skilled at manual labour, Hémon proved to be a keen observer. During his stay in Péribonka, he took detailed notes on the landscapes, wildlife, and the daily lives, habits, and customs of the local people. Using these observations, he wrote Maria Chapdelaine a few months later. The novel’s success would leave a lasting mark on Quebec literary history and put Péribonka on the world map.
The oldest museum institution in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
The Musée Maria-Chapdelaine, the original name of the Musée Louis-Hémon, was inaugurated in Péribonka in 1938 by the Montreal-based society Les Amis de Maria Chapdelaine. At the time, the society’s mission was to commemorate the memory of Louis Hémon and promote awareness of his masterpiece, Maria Chapdelaine .
In the 1930s, the society negotiated a long-term lease for the former Bédard house, where the writer had stayed during the summer of 1912, with the aim of transforming it into a museum dedicated to his legacy. At that time, the small house was owned by Éva Bouchard, Samuel Bédard’s sister-in-law.
Éva Bouchard (Maria Chapdelaine)
Identified by local rumours as the inspiration behind Louis Hémon’s creation of the character Maria Chapdelaine, Éva Bouchard officially became the museum’s caretaker from the day it opened.
While embodying the role of the literary heroine, she gave lectures in Québec and France, and welcomed tourists from Canada, the United States, and Europe who wished to discover the world of the novel—and, of course, to meet its heroine. She continued in this role until her death in 1949.
To provide a more comfortable exhibition space for the growing number of visitors, certain modifications were made to the former Bédard house during this period. The shed was annexed to the main house, and a new building, described as “Éva Bouchard’s house,” was constructed next to it.
An interpretation center on colonial life
In the early 1970s, this third building was demolished and replaced by a new one constructed to the west of the house, primarily serving as a visitor reception area and administrative center for the site.
During that same decade, the site was sold to a non-profit organization called Aménagements Maria Chapdelaine , which gradually transformed it into an interpretation center on colonial life.
Inspired by the Séraphin Poudrier village in the Laurentians, a period reconstruction of old Péribonka was developed on the site. Visitors could enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides and experience life as it was at the beginning of the century—for a weekend, or just a little while longer.
The Origins of the Louis Hémon Museum
In the early 1980s, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Louis Hémon’s birth, large celebrations were held in Péribonka, and a complete restructuring of the museum’s mission and site was undertaken in order to refocus on the life and work of the Breton author.
The small Bédard house was restored and was recognized as a historic monument in 1983, later receiving the official name Maison Samuel-Bédard . At the same time, an ambitious museum site development project continued with the creation of the Pavillon Contemporain .
This large building, constructed close to the Maison Samuel-Bédard , was inaugurated on June 5, 1986, in the presence of the writer’s daughter. For nearly 40 years, it hosted a variety of modern art and literary exhibitions connected—closely or indirectly—to Louis Hémon’s life and legacy.
Relocation of the Museum and the Samuel-Bédard House
As of 2012, the year in which the Maison Samuel-Bédard was designated under Quebec’s Cultural Heritage Act , the museum joined forces with the municipality of Péribonka to launch an ambitious project aimed at revitalizing and energizing the community.
The goal: to bring together municipal services and activities of various local organizations under one roof, better meeting the needs of both residents and visitors.
In addition to ensuring its long-term sustainability, the Louis Hémon Museum planned to reposition itself at the heart of the community by modernizing its facilities and offering new museum experiences focused primarily on literature.
In the night of December 20 to 21, 2020, the first step of this project was achieved: the Maison Samuel-Bédard was relocated to the center of Péribonka village, on the site of the future multi-purpose building soon to be known as Espace Péribonka .
Espace Péribonka: Home to the New Louis Hémon Museum
Inaugurated on June 11, 2024, the new Louis Hémon Museum opens its doors in a setting that blends the modern (Espace Péribonka) with the heritage (Saint-Édouard Church).
In addition to offering a brand-new permanent exhibition on literary creation presented inside the heart of the church, the museum now features modern exhibition spaces designed to highlight the richness of Franco-Canadian authors and artists.
At the heart of these facilities, in the inner courtyard, is now located the Maison Samuel-Bédard . Its relocation, which ensures the preservation of this unique regional heritage, was also an opportunity for restoration and adaptation aimed at offering visitors a journey back in time—to the early 20th century and the era of Louis Hémon’s stay in Péribonka.
