Author: Gisèle Vézina (0012)
Translated by: Louise Gosselin (0013) and Robert House
Photos: Courtesy of Gilles Bélisles
Source: Fortinfo, # 4 – novembre 2003, pages 3-4
Last update: novembre 2003
Email: info@afafortin.com

Second Gathering

Last July 19 & 20th, L’Association des Fortin d’Amérique held its second reunion at “Côte du Sud” (South Shore of The St. Lawrence River). Starting at 9:30 am on Saturday, the participants registered and were given a colored card denoting from which of Julien Fortin’s sons was their forefather. Approximately 250 people attended, coming from all corners of Quebec, Ontario and even from the U.S.A.

Saturday at 1:00 pm, four buses took the happy crowd to Cap St-Ignace where they visited Rosaire Dionne’s house, which was the home of many descendants of Eustache Fortin, son of Julien. Near by, they visited “L’Ébénisterie Fortin” (cabinet works), a business founded by Arthur Fortin around 1880 and administered by the Fortin family for many generations. The place has kept its old world charm.

The tour also included visits to the magnificent churches of L’Islet-sur-Mer and St-Jean-Port-Joli as well as Parc-des-trois-Bérêts at St-Jean-Port-Joli. Large and beautiful sculptures as well as many family benches including the one of the Fortin family embellish the park, situated on the shore of the St Lawrence. During the tour, the guides gave us a lot of information concerning the area where the Fortin ancestors lived and worked.

Later, wine was offered to the group by the town of St-Jean-Port-Joli and a banquet was served during which everyone greatly enjoyed a men’s choir singing a capella.

On Sunday, Louis-Georges Fortin, Father of foreign Missions, celebrated a mass at the church of Cap St-Igance. After a short tour of the church, a reception was given by the municipal administration of Cap St-Ignace.

Returning to St-Jean-Port-Joli, a brunch was served followed by the annual general meeting of the Association. The following persons were elected to the board of directors for 2003-2004: Jean-Pierre Fortin (008), president; Zachée Fortin (053), vice-president; Jean-Marie Fortin (005), secretary; René Fortin (022) treasurer and the administrators: Pauline Bouchard (058), Achille Fortin (082), André Fortin (002), André Fortin (043), registrar, Bibiane Fortin (019), Hélène Fortin (021) et Lucette Fortin (439).

Two people who are no longer members of the board have agreed to continue to assume their previous responsibilities: Louis-François Garceau, archivist and Gisèle Vézina, genealogist.

An exhibition and a genealogical workshop were of great interest to the participants during the two days of the reunion.