Three giant megaphones will serve as a rest area and meeting space for cruise tourists vising Québec
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Baie-Comeau Cruises and Tourisme Québec have inaugurated three oversized wooden megaphones at Parc des Pionniers to provide more tourist attractions for cruise passengers visiting Québec and the wider St Lawrence region.
Measuring 12 feet in diameter and 12 feet deep, the three megaphones were built by Julie Tremblay, woodworker and owner of local wooden furniture restoration company Au Passé Recomposé. They were constructed as part of a major project funded by Tourisme Québec, which aims to develop the tourist circuit surrounding the cruise terminal and Parc des Pionniers.
All three megaphones have been designed to provide a ‘rest area’ for cruise visitors and other tourists to stop and appreciate the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside. Baie-Comeau Cruises also plans to promote events to highlight how the megaphones can be used as spaces for artists, tourists and locals to exchange ideas and work on creative projects.
Each megaphone is fitted with a plaque that recognises the ongoing commitment of three people who have played a key role in Baie-Comeau Cruises’ success. They include Sophie St-Gelais, who has been the organisation’s coordinator since it was founded; Renée Dumas, executive director and employee for almost eight years; and Reina Savoie-Jourdain, ex-officio president of Baie-Comeau Cruises.
"I have the pleasure and the honor to announce you that, just like the pioneers of Baie-Comeau who named the bells of St. Amelie’s Church, we, descendants of these pioneers, have decided that our megaphones will also have their name,” said Viviane Richard, president of Baie-Comeau Cruises. “When you are lucky enough to be around dedicated people, it is difficult to give them back, at least in part, all of their solicitude. Sophie St-Gelais, Renée Dumas and Reina Savoie-Jourdain remain pillars in the cruise industry in Baie-Comeau. That is why we wanted to express our gratitude and sincere thanks to all of them for their exceptional contribution.”