ASA Annual meeting

Travel to Sudbury

On the road to ..... Sudbury

There were a lot of Séguin.

About a hundred Séguin took the road to mid-northern Ontario on August 14.

Destination: Sudbury where the 8th annual meeting of the Association des Séguin d'Amérique is held.

Departing from Valleyfield, with stops in Vaudreuil, Rigaud, Hawkesbury and Ottawa, the two crowded coaches of the Quesnel firm will take us to our destination without a hitch.

It is in North Bay that the discovery of these impressive spaces really begins. A first stop is reserved for the visit of the humble paternal house of the Dionne quintuplets (house that has been moved from Corbeil to North Bay). Multiple photos of the famous "binoculars" clearly demonstrate the commercial exploitation of which they were victims by the governments of the time. We then better understand the recent demands of the three famous survivors.

Full of concern for the Séguin visitors who set foot on their Ontario soil, Pierre-Paul # 368 and his team invited two of theirs to join the groups for the rest of the trip. Manon Séguin # 369 and her partner Richard Gagné were therefore our guides for the North Bay-Sudbury journey. Thank you both. You have very well "told us about your country."

In the North Bay region, 35% French-speaking, we learned that its basement contains the most stable rock in North America. And that there is a tunnel a mile long that was once dug by the armed forces. An enemy aircraft observation center (Center des Bomarcs) was established there. Because of government cuts everything is closed. All that remains is the "hole" which still benefits tourists.

North Bay and several surrounding villages bathe in Lake Nipissing, a huge sheet of fresh water that borrows its name from a tribe in the region: the Ojibway, members of the First Nations.

Formerly renowned for its sturgeon fishing and its caviar sold abroad (Russia), this resource has unfortunately been exhausted.

The town of Sturgeon Falls has 5,000 inhabitants, 80% French-speaking. Once a single corrugated cardboard factory, the MacMillan Bloedel, supported the population. From 500 employees in 1970, hiring is barely 200. In 1993, faced with the threat of an imminent closure, the population joined together to raise $ 1 million intended for the installation of a paper and cardboard recycling plant. Today recovery is coming from everywhere. The Sturgeon River owes its name to the spawning of the sturgeons which each year up the Nipissing River in incredible numbers. A 160 pound freak of this thought to be extinct fish was caught in the lake a few years ago.

A string of villages continue to parade before our eyes:
- Cache Bay: 80% French speakers.
- Verner: Beautiful agricultural region of Ontario, 90% francophone.
- Warren: Village where resided Doctor Séguin, veterinarian, brother of Curé Lionel Séguin and Aline Séguin (Mariline) author of the novel "The sacred torch".
- Hogar: Village of mines and woods, crossed by the Veuve river and renowned for its well-kept blueberry "tillers".
- Coniston: Suburb of Sudbury, the mining town of Coniston, decked out with multiple chimneys, reminds us of the time when ore was refined on site. The clear cuts of wood and the spitters of pollution have exposed the rocks of the region. So much so that NASA saw in it a similarity to lunar soil. It was here that she "tested" her vehicles there before their trip to the moon in 1968. Shocked at such a comparison, locals hid the news. Stung to the quick, they turned to reforestation.
- Sudbury: Visible for miles around, Sudbury's big chimney greets us. We arrive at our destination. When it was built around 1970, this fireplace was considered the tallest in the world to "stand" by itself. It oscillates several feet at its top. The city of Sudbury has 95,000 inhabitants, 40% of whom are Francophones. It derives its main industry from the nickel and iron mines operated by the Inco and Falconbridge companies.

The nickel used in the manufacture of the five Canadian cents comes exclusively from the Sudbury mines. Hence the development of a simulated mine in operation with galleries several meters above ground level, all topped by an enormous 5 cents. Two major centers of interest that are the pride of the residents of the place and satisfy the curiosity of the thousands of tourists who stop in Sudbury.

Sudbury is also home to the Sudbury Neutrinos Observatory located 6,800 feet below the earth's surface.

It is a laboratory reserved for scientists who study the mysteries of the universe and the particles generated by the sun and stars.

Sudbury, now lush green, is dotted with several lakes. The University of Sudbury, which hosts the Séguins, and the Science North complex run alongside beautiful Lake Ramsey.

The Science North museum takes the shape of a snowflake and tells us about the great Canadian north: its geology, its flora and fauna, the Arctic and the habits of its inhabitants. The Science North Museum was inaugurated by Queen Elisabeth II about ten years ago.

The Jesuits built the first University of Sudbury. Since then, other churches and the Ontario government have added buildings to complement programs. Twenty-five years ago, the title of Laurentian University was given to the largest university in northern Ontario.

Sudbury, a city with a generous basement ... where millions of pebbles are broken to extract nickel. ..

... a city which vibrates to the rhythm of the seasons and which was a land of welcome for hundreds of descendants of François Séguin.

Friday evening activities, August 14

A first meeting with Séguin is set for Friday evening at 9 p.m. at the Canisius room of the University. To the 90 Séguins who arrived by bus in the early evening, were added those who made the trip by car (about twenty) and all the Séguins from the beautiful Sudbury region (our hosts).

A first word is then addressed to us by the person in charge Gérard Séguin # 480 of Azilda who says he is happy and honored to wish the most cordial welcome to the Association of the Séguin of America: "Welcome: to the executive, to the cousins ??members and cousins ??of Canada and America, in Sudbury in the nickel capital of the world. I assure you that you will have a warm and friendly stay in our beautiful northern Ontario. Thank you for your visit. It is good to see you again. Have fun. well and put to good use our new motto "Strength and generosity" without forgetting that the Séguins are great lovers. Let us raise our glasses and raise a toast to all the Séguins of America ".

Pierre-Paul Séguin # 368, director of the board of directors of the Séguin d'Amérique and responsible for the 8th rally, then acts as the mayor of Sudbury's interpreter to welcome the group. He greets his right arm Gérard Séguin and all his compatriots in the middle north.

In a brief history, he recalls that an asteroid, millions of years ago, would have struck the Sudbury basin with a length of 30 miles by 17 miles. Its chemical effects would have contributed to develop this richness of the subsoil.

From the University, he underlines the modest beginnings of the Jesuits in 1913. It was then the Collège Sacré-Cœur, the only French-speaking institution in northern Ontario. The Jesuit Fathers made it a renowned university. It is said that the patron Paul Desmarais, originally from Sudbury, publisher of the newspaper La Presse, made a large contribution to the library and the University's resource center.

Pierre-Paul ends by wishing everyone a pleasant stay.

He then invited Madame Lise Saint-André Marenger # 717 to offer a souvenir of the town hall to President Yolande Pharand as a gesture of welcome.

Father Ronald Perron, a Jesuit stationed at the University, addressed a few words to the Séguins: "I am very happy to receive the Séguin clan. I appreciate the happiness of seeing you regroup in this enclosure of the Society of Jesus" .

Among the guests of honor were our ancestors François Séguin and his Jeanne Petit. In Sudbury, François (real first name), barely five years old, accompanied our, Francine (Jeanne Petit) Séguin # 328. Little François is the son of Sylvain Séguin # 370, owner of Héli-Nord Aviation Inc. and grandson of Pierre-Paul Séguin.

Activities for Saturday, August 15

A wine and cheese tasting ended the evening. Note that the wines, white and red, bore the badge of little François Séguin and came out of the "cellar of a Séguin".

What a wonderful welcome evening!

The day starts very early for our president Yolande, who must go to the Sudbury radio station, accompanied by our genealogist André Séguin and Pierre-Paul Séguin, reception manager.

All three know how to find the words to explain to the interested interviewer, the history of the Association des Séguin d'Amérique, its role and the space Jeanne Petit and her growing son François that she occupies not only in America but up to 'in Europe.

Saturday is devoted to discovering Sudbury. In the morning, it is the descent into the nickel mine with a guided tour of the galleries, a walk around the biggest "5 cents" in the world and helicopter tours for the more intrepid.

The tour then continues to the North Science Center Complex built in the shape of a snowflake on the shores of Lake Ramsey. This museum contains hundreds of exbibits from the northern ecosystem.

The city tour raises a lot of interest. Several Séguins take the opportunity to discover a very beautiful city, clean, mining certainly but also very concerned about its environment. Despite the rock still very present, we have managed to reforest and bloom again to give it the appearance of a place where life is good.

Along the way, we discover commercial kills, flourishing industries, modern schools and particularly the French-speaking Technical Secondary School, very important for our Franco-Ontarians.

At the Franco-Ontarian Folklore Center, we meet Father Germain Lemieux, s.j., 80 years old, author of 32 volumes on folklore, entitled: "If the old people were telling me". He enthusiastically explains how he still bakes his bread in his own bread oven, shows us his collection of old "gramophones" and even makes us listen to his records on wax rolls.

We discover new neighborhoods, glancing past the famous chimneys, which particularly recall the history of French Canadians. Science North The general assembly at four o'clock brings together the Séguins at the University hall. Yolande welcomes you. She recalls that the Association has completed its eight years of existence with 800 members, including nearly 500 in good standing. It pays tribute to Pierre-Paul Séguin and his team who prepared a breathtaking program.

The weekend banquet is being held in the magnificent underground room of the Science North Museum. In the magical setting of a cave, the multiple circular tables illuminate the place thanks to the superb coordination of Madame Lise Saint-André Maranger # 717. She takes the opportunity to present a string quartet from the Sudbury orchestra which will complement the meal.

During the feasts, a souvenir gift is given to the 800th member: Colette Séguin from Sturgeon Falls.

A professor of history Gaétan Gervais then gave us a brief presentation on French-Canadian immigration in northeastern Ontario. From Champlain's travels exploring these wild regions, he tells us about the many difficulties that our ancestors had to encounter, and the courage they had to claim their rights and ensure their survival.

And the evening continues late into the night to the sound of music from Jos Forest and his folklore ensemble. We tell our little story, we invite each other, we prepare the next meeting ...

Sunday activities, August 16 "Jeanne Petit" and "François Séguin" Yolande Séguin-Pharand, Monsignor Charbonneau and Father Edouard Séguin The Sunday tour of the Séguin started very early on Sunday morning of August 16.

Note that the Séguins living at the University greatly appreciated their breakfast, carefully prepared by the welcoming team. Coaches leave Sudbury at 7:30 am to continue further northwest. Chelmsford awaits them for mass in the country of Abbé Lionel Séguin; ceremony chaired by Monsignor Charbonneau assisted by Father Edouard Séguin c.s.v # 144. by Rigaud.

At the religious ceremony, in the Saint-Joseph-de-Chelmsford church, a short biography of Father Lionel Séguin is read by Colette Séguin # 800. (the biography of L'Abbé Séguin has already appeared in La Séguinière Volume 5 N 1)

We then visit the Séguin-Charbonneau farm in Chelmsford. Lucille Séguin # 595, her husband Armand Charbonneau and their children welcomed on their farm a hundred Séguin during the morning of Sunday. The 6th generation of Séguin lives on this lawn-producing farm. Indeed, 110 years ago the ancestor Dieudonné left Saint-Dominique des Cèdres to settle in the township of Rayside, which became Chelmsford. To pay homage to the pioneers Dieudonné 1 and Dieudonné II, a stone was given to Yolande Séguin-Pharand by the Charbonneau family to be placed in Boucherville near the stele of François Séguin. (La Séguinière has already published the history of Dieudonné Séguin's family, see Volume 4 No 4)

Then the Séguins go to Chelmsford for the friendship brunch. He was happy friend Gérard Séguin! The Séguins of America finally set foot on the soil of their ancestors. Since the time he called in Sudbury the annual meeting of Séguin!

It was the Knights of Columbus room in his city that received the 170 guests for a very generous Sunday brunch.

Gérard underlines the formidable work of all the volunteers who put their hands in the dough to welcome us with dignity. He introduces them and invites them to regroup in front of the room.

It's goodbye already. The tour draws to a close.

Thank you to all of you Séguin from Chelmsford and the surrounding area.

You have spoiled us with prayer, affection and food.

The Séguins' journey is drawing to a close. Sunday brunch over, it's time to embark for a final visit to the Ideal Farm of Valois and Mario Séguin in Noëlville.

Here again, the Séguins are warmly welcomed. Mario and Valois say a few words to us and invite us to visit the various facilities and buildings of this important computerized dairy farm.

Yolande, the President, gives everyone a plaque in memory of our visit to this land cultivated by several generations of Séguin.

It's already the end. On the way back, Pierre-Paul and his wife are still seated in each of the two buses. Until their home port Sturgeon Falls, they will continue to describe their region to us.

A brief stop to greet them and we begin the return home.