Summer in and around Baie-des-Sables, QC

 

With my retirement from Electricity Canada approaching at the end of September, we have been preparing to spend more time in Gaspésie. We took a big step this winter by buying a house in Baie-des-Sables, just 10 kilometres from the place we have rented for several weeks during most summers over the past two decades. It is a delightful village with a strong sense of community—where people know their neighbours and greet one another while walking through town or along the shore.

The main road through the village—a short spur off Route 132—runs only two and a half kilometres, with no traffic lights or stop signs. At the heart of the village is the former Caisse Populaire, now a community-run café and ice cream shop. It hosts Friday evening cinq-à-sept gatherings with live music, and a thrift shop opens in the basement on Saturday afternoons.

The old abandoned wharf is fenced off and marked with “Danger” and “Do Not Enter” signs, but I can attest—as someone who walks the dog there—that it remains a popular spot, especially with locals who fish there early in the morning at high tide. Below are photos taken from the wharf looking back toward the village. They were shot with my Tachihara Hope 4x5 camera on Ilford FP4+ film and developed at home in Rodinal 1:25.



 




Last week, the village hosted a classic car rally, so I brought out the Tachihara again, using the same film and development routine.











The Tachihara’s first outing of the year was to the Jardins de Métis, a place I have photographed several times over the years.





…and I always make a point of photographing their old pickup, this time with a light leak...



La Grotte de Fées—the Fairy Cave—near Saint-Léandre is a little challenging to reach with large-format gear, but I managed to carry the Tachihara out to the cave and photograph the waterfall opposite it.






We also spent a morning hiking along the shore at Parc national du Bic, a place we try to visit most years. Its striking rock formations and sweeping views from bay to bay make it a remarkable spot. But scrambling between bays—or trudging through mud to reach an island at low tide—calls for a lighter setup, so I brought the Hasselblad, stayed with FP4+ at box speed, and once again drew down my supply of Rodinal for development.








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