Daryl Ness dreamed of settling near a body of water. The young man in his fifties who has always lived in the Suroît region has made a career as director of schools in the region. For several years he had lived in Elgin on 100 acres of land, in an old stone house built in the early 1900s.e century.
“It was a beautiful farm with lots of trees. We had three horses, two pigs, two goats, five hens”, he explained to us as if he were reciting a nursery rhyme. The green mouse.
But the call of the water was felt. With reason. Nearby Lake Saint-François is a natural extension of the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is the largest in the river system. In addition, it offers an interesting navigable area for large boats as well as for kayaks and company.
The aptly named Saint-Anicet
After having walked along the shore and explored the villages with evocative names that border the lake on the south side – Hungry Bay, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Baie-des-Brises, Sainte-Barbe… –, his search led him to Saint-Anicet. His choice fell on a unique property, a few steps from the municipal beach, in the heart of the village.
An imposing house whose Federal-style architecture is reminiscent of that of the East Coast of the United States.
Recognizable by their symmetry, these houses have windows arranged horizontally and divided into panes. They are often covered with bricks, but others, near bodies of water, are clad in wooden clapboards.
The one that seduced Daryl Ness would have been built in the 19the century by a merchant and notable of the time, Louis-Napoléon Masson, whose father, Luc-Hyacinthe, was a doctor and one of the patriots who took part in the 1837 rebellion, an important figure in the development of the village.
Of course we know Saint-Anicet!
We often heard about the village of Saint-Anicet without really knowing where to locate it. Thanks to history books first, since the village saw the birth of two characters who distinguished themselves in the last century: Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger and his brother, Jules, former Governor General of Canada.
Then because of weather reports. An Environment Canada station camouflaged in a nearby field provides valuable information on the weather in this part of the country. The small municipality is almost at the southernmost point of the province. This is often where the mercury rises the most. Talk to Ève Christian, ICI Première meteorologist, who regularly quotes the weather there.
That’s all well and good, but would you know how to find the village without the help of your GPS? A hint: after Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, follow the river along Route 132. Fifteen minutes before crossing the American border, you are there.
The small municipality (2,786 permanent residents and probably six or seven times more in summer due to vacationers) is charming. Several old houses have stood the test of time. So much so that the Saint-Anicet Historical Society has listed them and written a description. The church is particularly impressive. It has works of art that have been carefully preserved. Around, a park on the edge of the lake has just been laid out and receives, in the summer, musicians like Alexandre Da Costa.
The federal wharf attracts lovers of fishing and sunsets. There are typical activities like the Corn Festival, a winter carnival and artisan markets. The region is rich in agricultural land and fields as far as the eye can see. And a local restaurant offers pancakes to roll on the floor.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The owner has installed decorative woodwork in each room. Before the last change of ownership, the walls were covered with wallpaper and were not embellished with moldings. The vestibule is a room in itself, it is so vast.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The ground floor is made up of three main rooms: the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. The living room is adjacent to the vestibule and the kitchen. There is also a full bathroom and a wet sauna. The fireplace is gas.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
Large, the dining room is open to the kitchen. Please note that all furniture, accessories, useful or decorative objects, etc., come from the previous owner, who included them in the sale of the property.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The kitchen is installed at the back of the house. This is the last room renovated by the owner. The cherry slats on the floor come from his lumber yard. Work surfaces are granite.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The staircase leads upstairs, where there are the four bedrooms, the office and a small room at the front of the house. Note the decorative moldings and woodwork that adorn each wall and each partition.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
Undoubtedly the room that most resembles a notable’s office, with its wooden partitions and copper ceiling. The woodwork and the layout of the shelves and built-in furniture serve the owner, who works from home.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The master bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom and west-facing windows flooding it with natural light.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
A pretty veranda runs along the back of the house upstairs.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The courtyard has several areas: a spa, an outdoor shower, the door of which leads to a wet sauna (inside), a garage, a dining area and a nice bar!
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
The small Jules-Léger park is one of the village’s green spaces. It leads to the municipal beach, a few steps from the house.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY VENDIRECT
Here we see the heart of the village, with its public wharf and the majestic church (1888). The property is located a few meters from the church.
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Several transformations
It was all of this, the lake and the house itself, that convinced Daryl Ness to settle in the village.
The house was large and luxurious with its four bedrooms and magnificent office. It was well located and you only had to cross the street to get to the beach. It was a win-win for us and the kids.
Daryl Ness, owner
Obviously, the house has multiplied remodeling over time. The most recent is arguably from the previous owners who sold the house to Daryl Ness. “They had renovated and furnished it with high quality period pieces and…they left everything to us. “And when we say everything…” The furniture, the lamps, the tables, the paintings on the wall, the dishes, the comforters, everything, everything, everything, recalls Daryl Ness. The owner, a man about my height, even donated his clothes to me! »
Daryl Ness, for his part, continued the work of his predecessors, just to bring honor to the house. “We added woodwork in each room, we had enough for two trucks filled to the brim. We ripped up the carpets and wallpaper, we repainted the kitchen cabinets, we replaced the damaged floors, etc. A lot of work that took several months.
Why sell? Because the family wants to travel. “We want to leave with the children for a few months, even a year. It is important for us that they can live elsewhere to learn. And return to the region with a head full of memories.
The property in brief
Asking price: $749,000
Municipal assessment: $236,200
Year of construction: Between 1850 and 1900, according to the Société historique de Saint-Anicet, and in 1940 according to the municipality
Rooms: 14 rooms including 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 gas fireplace. Detached garage.
Land area: 6153 ft2
Property tax: $2339
School tax: $197
Broker: Yves Langevin, Vendirect