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Security at the Fêtes by Louis Bricault

A photograph, edited to look like a comic strip, of a man sitting on a chair, singing into a microphone with both his arms raised. He seems to be on a stage inside a big tent. Behind him are four people standing and one person seated. On the lower left corner are the words: “Security at the Fêtes”.

Image: Photographer unknown (graphic design by Audrey Fauteux-Robillard), circa 1975.
Private collection of Monique Villeneuve.

Audio excerpt: Interview with Louis Bricault, organizer of the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache, by Sandrine Contant-Joannin, ethnologist, 2023.
Excerpt length: 47 seconds. Patrimoine culturel Vieux-Saint-Eustache collection.

Louis Bricault was one of the organizers of the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache between 1974 and 1978. Here, he describes the partnership that was established with Saint-Eustache police chief Jérôme Richer to provide security in the area. The excerpt of the interview is transcribed below:

Louis Bricault (LB): No, and it’s… At the time we worked with Jérôme Richer, who was the police chief. Jérôme had a good idea who… the people who were liable to create problems. He knew… he was pretty well acquainted with the criminal element in the village. So Jérôme organized a meeting with those guys. There were guys who called the shots in that group, and Jérôme said to them, “Can you assure me that during the Fêtes there won’t be any problems in Old Saint-Eustache?” So, there were agreements in place before the Fêtes were held.

Monique Villeneuve: That’s amazing.

LB: Yeah, it was amazing. Like I said, Jérôme did an incredible job… but he really liked us too.