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The Party’s Over!

Two rows of cars, parked side by side, stretch as far as the eyes can see. In the distance, we can see a group of men talking.

A line of cars heading towards the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache, 1978

Over the next few years, the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache becomes increasingly popular, eventually attracting up to 150,000 people in a single year, mostly from Saint-Eustache and the surrounding area. Not bad for a municipality with a population of 30,000!

Murielle Drolet-Douville (1979) and Raymond Kerr (1980-1981) take over from Gilbert Gardner and his team. They no longer produce original content for the festival, but they continue to coordinate a wide range of activities and promote the event with the assistance of their employees. In 1980, an episode of the popular show Soirée canadienne, broadcast on Télé-Métropole (now TVA), is recorded in Saint-Eustache. Like many other people, you find the show a bit cheesy, but you can’t help but watch.

Excerpts from the show Soirée canadienne in Saint-Eustache. Watch the video in French, the written transcription is available in English.

In 1981, the organizers of the Fêtes are thinking big and want to do something new. Instead of holding the event mainly in the Old Saint-Eustache neighbourhood, they propose to decentralize it and hold activities in all the city’s neighbourhoods. The aim is to ensure that the people of Saint-Eustache continue to make the celebrations their own. Unfortunately, this initiative is not a great success and one of its consequences is a major increase in costs. As a result, the event is discontinued.

A grid of nine maps, one per year from 1973 to 1981, shows the evolution of the occupation of the territory by the Fêtes du Vieux-Saint-Eustache from one edition to the next.

Changes in the space used by the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache, 1973-1981

Like many others, you are disappointed by the way things have gone. The Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache gave you a chance to discover your new city when you moved there. Plus, you always felt at home when you were participating in it. Fortunately, new initiatives and new events will soon take its place. Beyond introducing people to the neighbourhood’s heritage, the Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache have helped spark in its citizens a sustained interest in local heritage.

A Fêtes du Vieux Saint-Eustache licence plate. The name of the event is written in blue at the top center of the plate. Below that is a blue acorn-headed figure with a green oak leaf on his back. The plate has four holes.

Souvenir licence plate, 2024

Spectacular Celebrations The Story Continues