One is Norman, the other, Breton. Together they form the new duo of lords of the Baie des Chaleurs. Not only have they saved a rare object in Quebec heritage with their purchase, but they also dream of sharing it with the entire region. Visit of the owners.
Europeans to the rescue of Quebec heritage? Why not ? “I’ve been in Quebec for 25 years,” says Dany Torchy, fifty-year-old, verbose and happy as a king in his larger-than-life castle.
It circulates among the three buildings which together form the Bahia castle: there is the main building, then the “inn”, and a third building is still under construction. Everything is built of wood. “The turrets are not decoration. They all serve a purpose,” said the squire. In the middle of winter, “we heat with wood masterfully”.
From the top of the observation tower, he points out the hamlets around Chaleur Bay. “We were won over by the region,” he says, before recalling that it was just in front of this castle that the Battle of Restigouche took place, the last jolt of French America in the 18th century.e century. “We’re in Pointe-à-la-Garde, here! »
The house has a total of ten rooms, six of which are open during the winter. Each has a different style. Around forty people can stay there in the summer. Inside, the black and white tiles and vaguely medieval decoration evoke a fairy tale. Each corner of the labyrinthine maze calls for another. And as with any good self-respecting castle, its walls hide secret passages whose content we will keep quiet.
An Acadian’s dream
The authorship of this enchanting place goes to Jean Roussy and his father. On a happy Montreal evening in 1976 when everything seemed possible, the decision devastated this native of the Bay of Chaleurs region, he recounted during his lifetime. He needed a castle.
For decades, with his father, around ten volunteers and a lot of imagination, he used the wood from the land to build the curious structure. Without a real plan, he adds a section here, then a turret there. Once the main building is completed, the idea of a hostel follows. Then came the project of a third outbuilding. The dream never really ends.
During construction, Jean Roussy became passionate about castles around the world, to the point of visiting several in Europe. Some in Russia inspired him in particular to decorate roofs. He asked his counterparts in France for permission to adorn the walls of his castle with photos of the most beautiful castles in France.
Tired of age, he resigned himself to selling the estate some time before his death, in 2020, causing work to stop. The following summer appear in the portrait those who present themselves as the “finishers” of the castle.
A whim turned into a favorite
It was in his home on the no less picturesque Île d’Orléans that Dany Torchy accidentally saw the announcement of the sale of the castle in spring 2021. “At noon, I see it. At two past twelve, I’m leaving for Gaspésie,” he says. Convinced of the potential of the place, he called his friend Michaël Retailleau. He then leads a peaceful life in a farmhouse in Terrebonne. His response is frank. “You think I don’t have enough problems right now?” »
After a visit and some negotiations with their respective families, they end up moving there full time.
The first challenge: bring everything up to standard and to their taste. They insulate the inn, install new windows, a new roof. The third building is secure. We are leveling the interior courtyard to be able to hold events there. A contrast to before, when the castle was open to the public only four months a year.
The construction sites are endless under the new gaze of the lords. There are plans to build a second kitchen in the basement of the inn. Outside, large greenhouses remain to be built in old abandoned fish farming ponds in the neighborhood. “You see no end. Afterwards, when everything is going well, things are going well,” jokes the Breton of the duo, Michaël Retailleau. With all the visitors and friends who settle there short or long term, “we manage a village rather than a house”.
He is the quiet strength of the duo. Today he puts his two hands and his past as an upholsterer at the service of the castle. A replica of a retro car, his creation, also adorns the entrance.
A castle “of the people”
The best way to preserve this built heritage is to offer it to local people at the lowest possible price, says Dany Torchy throughout the visit. “We want to continue by offering it to everyone, through art, well-being and culture. And that is priceless. »
Getting people involved is perhaps the squire’s greatest challenge. “ [Jean Roussy] made the castle better known in Europe than in Quebec. It was surprising for us,” he emphasizes.
Since purchasing the castle, the two friends and their entourage have increased the number of festivals, musical evenings and opportunities for meetings. The recording of radio broadcasts is being carried out. “We want to make it the people’s castle. »
Finally, the third building, half finished, concentrates all the utopia of these two dreamers. A “multigenerational space” could see the light of day there. Unless it becomes a home for artists? Or even for newcomers? The possibilities keep coming in Dany Torchy’s head, who is also calling on donors or partners to complete the work. “We want to make it a masterpiece. »
By living in such a castle in the depths of Gaspésie, the duo demonstrates that they do not fit into any box, like their new home.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.