The Influence of a Grandfather

The proximity that Jean-François Lachance had with his grandfather F-X certainly increased his interest in cabinetmaking. It even became his job, perpetuating the family tradition.

Jean-François Lachance, grandson of François-Xavier Lachance, is in the rowboat shop of the Parc maritime de Saint-Laurent. He speaks to an interviewer on the right side of the camera.

[Jean-François Lachance] If I am a carpenter today, a cabinetmaker, it is sure that the fact that I frequented this grandfather all my youth, that I have been a lot in his workshop, because my father, I think, did not spend a day of his life without going to see his father or his mother, when he was on the island, so I often followed my father to see grandpa in the workshop because I liked to see him working, I was admiring this man with his artisan hands,

Black and white photograph showing the hands of François-Xavier Lachance in close-up, handling a small unidentifiable object.

[J.-F. L.] to work despite his advanced age, because the man I knew was an elderly one.

Black and white photograph showing the face of François-Xavier Lachance, aged, in close-up. He wears a cap and looks at his hands.

[J.-F. L.] When I was born, my grandfather was 73 years old.

Back on Jean-François Lachance in the rowboat shop.

[J.-F. L.] He still had his shipyard … His shipyard, he closed it when he was almost 80 years old, so … But after, until the age,

Video sequence inside the rowboat shop, showing a workbench and eight saws hung on the wall, between two windows.

[J.-F. L.] until his death at age 92, he always kept a small carpentry workshop. It really influenced me to watch

Back on Jean-François Lachance in the rowboat shop.

[J.-F. L.] this man working with his hands, and then I think that after a while,

Video sequence inside the rowboat shop, showing an old wooden mallet and 12 metal punches of different sizes, attached to the wall.

Close-up of some punches.

[J.-F. L.] I started working wood. What I always liked was

Back on Jean-François Lachance in the rowboat shop.

[J.-F. L.] the fine finishing work, doing the work, really the wood processing and I think it comes from my grandfather, from seeing him work,

Black and white photograph showing the face of François-Xavier Lachance at work, aged, in close-up, looking down.

[J.-F. L.] transform the raw material, it’s something that impressed me.