The forgotten 

When speaking of this area’s pioneers, it would be a shame not to mention the contribution of curé – parish priest – Charles-Hector Deslauriers. Ordained in 1925, he was named founding parish priest of Mont-Tremblant on July 21, 1929.

Upon his arrival in the Upper Laurentians, he observed that the land was abandoned and not suited for agriculture. Vast areas had been razed by the forest industry. This was during the years of the economic crisis: in a few weeks, people would be talking about the Great Depression.

From his earliest presence here, he was noted for his devotion, energy and community involvement. He was aware that the forest industry was not enough to relaunch to regional economy and when he met Joe and Mary Ryan, he spotted an opportunity for his parish.

Businessman

We should be clear that the provincial premier at the time, Maurice Duplessis, looked askance at the arrival of Joseph Ryan, the rich American who wanted not only to build himself a playground, but who was also asking him to cede part of the national park to do so.

Mr. Ryan invited Curé Deslauriers to join him for a meeting with the premier, with the goal of attesting to the importance of the resort project and the economic repercussions it would have throughout the region.

The parish priest was so eloquent and convincing that the premier quickly provided the documents and permits for the operation. It was the beginning of a fine friendship between the Ryan family and Curé Deslauriers.

The beautification contest

Mary Ryan and the curé shared a great passion for horticulture. The priest wanted to give his parishioners a feeling of pride and belonging; he thus developed a beautification contest in which each person could submit their flower garden to a jury.

It should be mentioned that at the time, nobody cared much about their plot of land. They had other priorities. Nonetheless, the contest raised a great deal of interest.

The winners were photographed and the picture was in the local newspaper. It was a healthy competition and the people were proud.

The reforestation

But it was not only garden flowers that Curé Deslauriers cared about. He was worried about the disappearance of our beautiful Laurentian forest. He mobilized the region’s efforts and goodwill to mount a huge reforestation program.

The results can still be seen along the Montée Ryan, where trees were planted beside the Diable River and the golf courses.

In 1939, the Association forestière québécoise – Québec’s forestry association – launched a broad appeal to all those interested in getting a popular education in forestry. Abbé Deslauriers became interested in the movement and believed it was important to involve the young people.

In May 1952, he was officially named counsellor to the 4H club in Mont-Tremblant. The club was located on lac Moore and all the boys of my generation were members.

Pragmatic

At the time, I lived with my parents in one of the small houses behind the Saint Bernard Chapel and in winter, I lived on the North Side.

The curé wanted me to come sing in the choir so he wouldn’t have to call for a boy from the village. What’s more, I’d be available on Sundays and Saints’ days. The idea didn’t really appeal to me, largely because time spent in the chapel meant less time on the ski runs.

Curé Deslauriers suggested we make a deal: I could wear my ski boots under my choirboy’s cassock and would be able to get onto the slopes faster. Done deal!

On the first Sunday of my new career as a server at mass, the chapel was, as usual, full to bursting. My mother and Mrs. Ryan were seated proudly in the first row. Everything went well until it was time for me to bring the cruets and walk up a few steps.

What was bound to happen, happened: I tripped on the stairs, got tangled up in my robes and fell full length onto the floor after having spilled the contents of the cruets onto the curé’s white robes. He remained calm and continued with the service. My mother and Mrs.

Ryan had their heads on their knees. After the mass, he invited the two women into the sacristy and, without batting an eyelid, told them that it would be better if I were to concentrate on school and skiing.

The blessing of the skis

It was traditional that at the start of each winter, the girls and boys would go to the chapel to have their skis blessed, and the curé made sure that nobody missed the service.

He also organized ski days for the village children several times a season. Throughout my alpine skiing career, before leaving for Europe, I would go see Curé Deslauriers at the presbytery to have him bless a pair of skis that I had in my big bag.

I hoped that all my other skies would be similarly blessed, just by touching the blessed pair.

This man was an important link between the village residents and the tourists…a kind of bridge between the village and the mountain.

The men appreciated him, the women found him accessible and the children admired him. We all respected him. Charles-Hector Deslauriers died on April 23, 1979, at the age of 81.

He guided the souls of his parishioners for 50 years and contributed to making Mont-Tremblant the prized destination that we know today.

By the same author: Mary Ryan, Tremblant pioneer (Click the image below)