The history of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon from 1920 to the present day told by our

“Collective memories” is the theme of the exhibition presented until May 29 at the municipal library of Saint-Pierre. This project is the result of work carried out by seniors during memory workshops offered in the context of loss of prevention and autonomy.

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At the municipal library of Saint-Pierre, some sixty black and white photographs remind us of stories of yesteryear. Those of the winters of yesteryear, cod fishing, gravel, buildings now renovated or destroyed, fox breeding, lighthouses, agriculture in Miquelon and many other clichés that some are the only witnesses of a bygone past.

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By observing the pictures, certain anecdotes come back to memory, for example a photograph relating the landing of the first plane in Saint-Pierre. Henri Gautier, Michèle Urtizbéréa’s father, was one of the pioneers behind the first air links between Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and Canada.

I know I left on the first flight […]. I was 12 years old

Michèle Urtizbéréa

Some pictures attract more attention than others and are a real discovery like the cod on the bass.

I don’t remember seeing the fish drying like this

Denise Girardin

The exhibition is the result of concerted work carried out by our seniors who meet once a week as part of the memory workshops organized by Marielle Lartigue.

Read also: Photographs to stimulate the memory of seniors in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

The facilitator and occupational therapist responded to the call for projects launched by the conference of funders in the context of preventing the loss of autonomy of seniors.

During their research, the elders were able to find rare, unexploited photographs.

In Miquelon, there are very old ladies who talked about things that even young retirees did not know.

Marielle Lartigue, host of memory workshops

In addition to this work of memory, the workshops also aimed to create social links.

Karim Augustin Baïla and Allison Audoux immersed themselves in the history of the archipelago, during an exhibition.

The population of Miquelon will be able to discover this exhibition from June 3.

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