The acclaimed chef at 400 Coups will venture to Fort Chambly this weekend for the historic site’s Spring Festival. And what’s a taste of New France without a bowl of pea soup?
But Cantin being the inventive chef he is, this will be his take on the French-Canadian classic. It’ll be served at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Cantin’s soup will be created in collaboration with Cuisine patrimoniale du Québec.
The day starts at 11 a.m., when re-enactors from the Compagnie de Lacorne soldiers’ school will arrive along with other period characters.
They’ll conduct manoeuvres, and there’ll be something called a Maypole planting ceremony, the French custom from the early 17th century wherein a large spruce tree will be trimmed, decorated and blackened with black powder. And, with the shot of a swivel-gun, organizers say, the public will be invited to gather for the traditional dance around the tree with musicians and dancers from the Nouvel Opéra.
Make it a day trip: Fort Chambly National History Site is 30 kilometres southeast of Montreal, at the foot of the Richelieu rapids. Saturday is its first day of the summer season.
It was built in 1711 to defend the colony. All summer long, you can meet the costumed interpreters to learn about the daily lives of the fort’s occupants, try on a soldier’s uniform and watch the firing of the musket in the indoor courtyard. The swivel-gun is fired in the park at 1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in July and August.
For park hours and more info, visit the website.
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