Mitis salmon by Christine Beaulieu | In the head of a salmon

The actress and playwright Christine Beaulieu, to whom we owe the play I like Hydro, teamed up with illustrator Caroline Lavergne to put on paper a show presented for two summers at the Jardins de Métis. Thus was born the illustrated book Mitis salmonpublished by La Bagnole editions.

In the show, Christine Beaulieu told from the inside the epic experience of Atlantic salmon as they swim up the Mitis River to spawn. The dangers facing freshly laid eggs, parr (young salmon less than 10 cm) and smolts are numerous. And the survival rate is very low.

This documentary theater project was born from an invitation that Christine Beaulieu did not expect. “During the pandemic, Pierre Thibault contacted me to present an outdoor show in an architectural structure he designed at the Jardins de Métis. I accepted, without knowing what I wanted to talk about. Once there, Alexander Reford, the director of the Gardens, told me about the salmon that swim up the Mitis River. They are hampered in their journey by two hydroelectric plants, which are now at the end of their useful life, and a huge fall. »

His research led to the creation of a short, very interactive family show, where each spectator received a marble upon arrival which symbolized a salmon egg. The imagination of the public and the talent of the storyteller took care of the rest…

“At the end of each performance, spectators told me that I should make a book with this story…” says Christine Beaulieu. It is now done.

In the book, the show and the material that composed it are superbly illustrated by Caroline Lavergne (who signed the comic Sarah’s film). The drawings are both poetic and very realistic.

This was also one of the designer’s objectives. “Christine and I wanted the drawings to be as realistic as possible, but a salmon doesn’t have a very expressive face! So I worked a lot to find this realism while remaining faithful to a certain impressionism. I didn’t want to fall into the cartoon…

The result is all the more successful because Caroline Lavergne used wooden pencils for this project, a medium that is not her own, as she is more accustomed to handling ink and watercolor. Its pages filled to the brim with fertilized eggs or parr, its fishing birds feasting on the fry and its landscapes of the river which we imagine teeming with life add to the pleasure of reading this “uncompromising” book, these two meticulous people told us.

Christine Beaulieu believes that this new adventure has made her aware of the crucial role that humans must play with other species.

“I realized that humans are the only species capable of imagining themselves in the head of a salmon or another animal. I tell myself that this power must come with great responsibility. If we do nothing, if we don’t take care of other species, it means we are failing in our role. »

The actress will bring this message again next July with other representations of Salmon from the Mitis River. Shows are planned at the Biosphere on Île Sainte-Hélène and in Ferme-Neuve, on the grounds of the Miels d’Anicet company. A return to Métis is also planned, still in July 2024. “I want to perform this show outside. I care about it,” insists Christine Beaulieu.

Her acting career being very busy, Christine Beaulieu has little time these days to tackle a new writing project. But she wouldn’t say no to another invitation. “I don’t have the author’s enthusiasm like Fanny Britt or Simon Boulerice. I need an invitation! But I love writing. I know it. »

Mitis salmon

Christine Beaulieu and Caroline Lavergne

The car

96 pages