” I was born in Lac-Saint-Jean and I remember well my first stay in Charlevoix. I was twenty years old and we were celebrating my parents wedding anniversary at the Auberge des Peupliers. It was my first culinary journey and it was exquisite.

My work at Mont Grand-Fonds led me to settle permanently in Charlevoix five years ago. My spouse Layla – who is originally from Bagdad – and I immediately fell in love with the region. When you’re privileged to enjoy extraordinary sunrises over La Malbaie, to have breakfast, lunch and dinner facing the river – our neighbour from across – how can you not be overwhelmed? I am happy that my son, Jules, experiences that life as he discovered here his true calling as his passion for music developed. We don’t really know if it’s by spending time at La Fascine on Isle-aux-Coudres, the Domaine Forget or the musical after-skis at Mont Grand-Fonds, but Jules has found his musical roots in Charlevoix.

I am fortunate to enjoy the mountain’s life saving energy where despite a solidly anchored history we feel somewhat elsewhere. Mont Grand-Fonds is the ideal mountain, authentic from top to bottom, like Charlevoix’s people who invest themselves completely in what they do. Restaurants, accommodations, everything is excellent. Whether Allegro or Le Passe-Temps, Pains d’Exclamation or Café Chez-Nous, these are places we often visit.

It is probably for all those reasons that Layla and I decided to get married here, last May, to deepen 23 years of living together and become full-fledged Charlevoisians. We found our grounds. We are home at last! “