Sainte-Flavie is the gateway to Gaspésie, the call of the river with its strong winds and its sunsets among the most beautiful in Quebec. It is also the long red and white building in a slightly art deco style from the 60s: Capitaine Homard . Its fish tanks and smokehouses, its fish market, its restaurant, its boutique, its campsite and the handful of cottages licked by the waves. For nearly 20 years, Alain Bellavance was the captain. For the past year, two young friends from Rimouski have been steering the boat. Laurence Marquis and Nicolas Horth, aged 26 and 27 respectively, already have the wind in their sails.

Taking over a business between friends

“Nic and I were part of the same gang of friends in Rimouski who had been hanging out since we were 14,” says Laurence. “When it came time to go to university, we both ended up in Montreal. That’s where we got to know each other.” The two friends discovered the city together and shared their dreams for the future. A real estate project or a café, why not? It was on the cards…

Nicolas studied actuarial science and his path seemed predetermined. Laurence completed a bachelor's degree in fashion marketing because she liked to dabble in everything: sales, business launches, branding. Less studious, more ambitious perhaps, she was above all full of ideas. She worked in a marketing agency and in catering. "I like to bring new ideas," she confirms. "It's infuriating, however, when someone else reaps the benefits."

Nicolas would return to his hometown to replenish his coffers during the summers. “At Capitaine Homard, he worked his way up the ladder for six years: he was a busboy, then a waiter, before becoming manager and then the boss’s right-hand man,” explains Laurence. “When the owner’s daughter texted Nic to say that her father was ready to sell, we looked at each other and smiled and said: shall we buy it?”

To have stars in your eyes

Alain Bellavance, owner since 1968, had been alone at the helm of Capitaine Homard for about ten years. “He no longer had as much energy to put into all the activities here,” explains Laurence. “His three children didn’t want to take over. The business was still his baby, he didn’t want to let it go to just anyone. He had established a bond of trust with Nic. So, when the three of us sat down together and started proposing lots of ideas to him, talking to him about the potential we saw for the future, he had stars in his eyes. And so did we.”

The owner, happy to hand over, supported the two young people and shared his knowledge. “He was always very open and transparent with us,” confides Laurence. “He showed us what was going well and what was not so well.” The Centre de transfert d’entreprises du Québec supervised the transferor-buyer trio. Several meetings took place, between them, then with the whole host of experts involved, notaries, lawyers, SADCs and CAEs , etc. “Alain bet on us, we were even able to count on him as our main creditor,” says Laurence gratefully. The transfer took less than a year from May 2019, when we put together our business plan, to the signing on April 1, 2020!”

For Laurence, taking over a business in the region when you are a woman and young has its share of advantages. “You just have to do your research, there is help everywhere,” she assures us. “We received a $7,500 grant to redo the website, and several loans. There is financial support for salaries, tax credits, equipment purchases, support for eco-renovation and other resources.”

Rejuvenating the space together

A breath of fresh air hit Capitaine Homard in the summer of 2020. The two partners, who divided up the tasks quite easily, one in accounting and the other in marketing and customer service, had to readjust their aim. Although they welcomed with open arms and smiles the human tidal wave that flooded into Gaspésie, they had to lend a hand in the kitchen, in the dining room, with reservations, etc. The company's staff, which remains seasonal, was there, but the traffic was such that the new co-owner did some dishwashing, and her mother too!

An online reservation system for camping and catering, separate reception areas, renovated chalets and a new human resources manager are among the new features this year. “We want Capitaine Homard to reflect our image,” insists Laurence. “I am currently developing derivative products, clothing bearing the brand’s image. The idea, beyond being a tourist institution, is for local people to reclaim the place and for us to shed the label we hold dear. We have created menus that incorporate regional products, sea lettuce, salted herbs, the famous Gaspé rice. On the new large terrace, you can sip a Mitis gin or a blueberry mead from Vieux-Moulin de Sainte-Flavie, with your feet in the water and your eyes fixed on the setting sun. That’s worth all the gold in the world.”