Scattering ashes on the Saint-Lawrence

This is a letter from one of our readers.

Hello Mr. Portelance,

I found your blog site online about sailing around the Montreal area. Unfortunately I do not have a boat, but was wondering instead, if maybe you could help me find some information.
You have obviously spent a lot of time on the water around Montreal, and I was wondering if you knew of anybody whom offers Sailing Tours. I have not been on a sailboat since I was a child, and therefor don't have much of any experience, and have never had a big interest in sailing myself. I ask, because I lost my father recently. He passed away at Lakeshore Hospital in Pointe-Claire. In his younger days he was an enthusiastic sailor. He even had his own boat (although sold it many years ago).
One of his final wishes, were to have some of his ashes left in the St Lawrence river (since that is where he spent so much of his life). I felt that rather than going on a small cruise boat, it would be a fitting tribute to go out in the boat that he loved so much.
Do you know of any companies or persons who sell rides? I ask only because I have had a lot of difficulty trying to find any companies who provide tours online.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my email.

Yours truly,
John Doe

Griffin Sailing Tours would be happy to take you out I am sure. They do short tours up and down Lac St. Louis. 2 people can go for 2 & 1/2 hours for $80. Like the boat Etienne mentioned, the Griffin boat is a larger comfortable sailboat. Griffin Sailing Tours home base is near the locks in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Click the link above to go to their webpage.

Ralph Stocek


Hello John,

Beaconsfield Yacht Club has a learn to cruise program.  You can certainly schedule an hour with an instructor on a comfortable 27ft keel boat. Their number is 514 695-1272.
Tony Pattison at Baie d'Urfé Yacht Club also runs a learn to cruise program through his sailing school: Ynotsailing. He has 3 locations: Pointe-Claire, Baie d'Urfe and Gananoque. His number is 514 622-3397.

These are the two sailing schools that use keelboats with a cabin on Lake Saint-Louis that I know of. If your father enjoyed sailing, you will find that scattering his ashes from a sailboat is the most appropriate way to go about your mission.

If you don't mind getting your feet wet, Ecole de Voile de Lachine can also certainly accommodate you with a sail on a smaller sailboat.

Good luck in finding the best way to proceed with your father's last wishes.  Hopefully, you might also discover an activity you would like to do more of.

Etienne

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