Cliquez ici pour la version en français

 Le Pilote | The Pilot

The pilot, an expert in navigation, was responsible for maneuvering and guiding ships. Working closely with the ship's captain, he would relay the vessel's position and warn of any potential hazards, such as currents, islands, reefs, or shallow waters. To carry out these duties, the pilot used navigation tools like the compass and sextant, which he checked daily, recording any significant observations. He was often assisted by second and assistant pilots to help ensure safe passage.

On the St. Lawrence River, the pilot was a specialist in navigating local conditions, guiding ships safely along the river and in and out of ports. His expertise extended to understanding the currents, winds, tides, and anchorages. The first pilots in New France were French, and over time, they became intimately familiar with the river, eventually passing on their knowledge and skills to apprentices.

Between 1762 and 1797, ordinances sought to formalize the profession of pilots. In 1788, for example, the Chambre d'Assemblée (House of Assembly) introduced new requirements for becoming a pilot: candidates had to pass an exam and obtain a certificate of competence. As Jean-Claude Dionne explains, “It was decreed that pilots would work in pairs, accompanied by one or more apprentices, who could not be younger than fourteen. Each company of two pilots was required to have a proper rowboat equipped with rigged sails, oars, anchors, and grapples. Apprentices were to serve for four years and could not be admitted as pilots until the age of twenty-one. Their masters were responsible for teaching them how to use a compass, sound bays and harbors, anchor, and maneuver ships. Pilots were entitled to eleven shillings for each foot of water a vessel drew.”

In 1805, the parliament of Lower Canada passed another law regulating the pilot profession. A pilot's license could only be granted after completing an apprenticeship of at least five years and making at least two voyages to Europe. Additionally, the pilot was required to have sufficient knowledge of English to issue commands.

Today, piloting on the St. Lawrence River is officially recognized as part of Quebec's cultural heritage, reflecting its deep historical significance and the vital role it has played in the province's maritime history: “Piloting on the St. Lawrence has existed since the seventeenth century, when sailors familiar with local navigation conditions began to be entrusted with the steering of ships travelling up or down the river. Navigating the St. Lawrence has never been easy. Since then, most ships travelling on the river between the Gulf of St Lawrence and Montreal have been guided by pilots with extensive experience of the many obstacles that dot this majestic waterway. These navigation experts come on board to steer the ships, drawing on the knowledge and expertise they have acquired over generations. Thanks to their very precise knowledge of the coasts, islands, hydrography, relief, currents and channels to be used, the pilots of the St. Lawrence perpetuate one of the oldest maritime traditions that has come down to us.”

Role variations:

• “Pilote côtier,” or coastal pilot: A person who guides ships along coastlines and into ports.

• “Pilote hauturier,” or offshore/deep-sea pilot : A person responsible for guiding ships on the open seas.

• “Pilote lamaneur,” or docking pilot: A worker stationed at docks or quays to assist in mooring ships.

Identified pilots: Pierre Lallemand, Edouard Anctil, François Aubin, Pierre Aubrière, François Aubut, Antoine Audet dit Lapointe, François Audet dit Lapointe, Isaac Audet dit Lapointe, Gilbert Baillargeon, Nicolas Baillargeon, Sévère Bélisle, Alexis Bellecoeur, Jean Blondel, Jean Blouin, Paul Blouin, Pierre Bonneau, Jean Cachelièvre, Jean Baptiste Chalut, André Chauvet, Pierre Chauvin, Jacques Cochu, François Côté, François Curodeau, Charles Delage, Charles Delisle, François Xavier Demeule, Jean Deymier, Pierre Dizet, Laurent Dubois, Claude Dubosq, Ambroise Dumas, Jean Dumas, Joseph Dupil, Germain Fluet, Louis Fontaine, Pierre Fontaine, Joseph Fort, François Gaulin, Jean Gaulin, Jean-Baptiste Gaulin, Edouard Genest, Joseph Genest, Joseph Girouard, Charles Guérard, Antoine Gobeil, Jean Gobeil, Pierre Gobeil, Nicolas Godbout, Ignace Gourdeau, Jean Gourdeau, Pierre Gourdeau (père et fils), Joseph Gravel, Dominique Harvey, Jean Paul Itzweire, Marc Joanne, Gabriel Lachance, Joseph Lachance, Joseph Ovide Lachance, Maurice Lachance, Moïse Lachance, Paul Lachance, Pierre Lachance, Denis Lafargue, Cyprien Langlois, Joseph Philéas Langlois, Pierre Lavoie, Guillaume Lemelin, Jean Lemoine, Louis Maheu, Edouard Marcoux, Jean Marcoux, Abraham Martin dit l'Écossais, Etienne Martin, Jacques Masson de Bectignac, Pierre Moisan, Jean Monjeau dit le Dragon, Thomas Moors, David Morin, William Morin, François Noël, Onézime Noël, Amable Paquet, Paul Paquet, Pierre Paquet, François Painchaud, Jean Paradis, Gabriel Pelegrin, Eugène Pépin dit Lachance, Ovide Pépin dit Lachance, Paul Pépin dit Lachance, Honoré Pelletier, Antoine Perochaud, Michel Petrimoulx, François Pignoisard, Jean Pin, Alphonse Pouliot, Joseph Pouliot, François Proulx, Hubert Raymond, Joseph Raymond, François Rioux, Pierre Rouleau. Antoine Roussel, Abraham Royer, Louis Albert Royer, Pierre Saint-Hilaire, Pierre Saint-Mars, Louis Thivierge, Jacques Tremblay, Alfred Turgeon, William West

Identified master pilots: Paul Blouin. David Bouffard, Pierre Crépeau, François Curodeau, Pierre Curodeau, Alexis Delisle, François Xavier Delisle, Jean Delisle, Nazaire Delisle, François Xavier Demeule, Joseph Dick, Louis Fontaine, Paul Fontaine, Pierre Fontaine, Joseph Fortier, Jean Gaulin, Antoine Gobeil, Jean Gobeil (père et fils), Paul Gobeil, Pierre Gobeil, Laurent Godbout, Fabien Langelier, Charles Langlois, Cyprien Langlois dit St-Jean (père et fils), Joseph Langlois, Paul Langlois, Abraham Martin dit l’Écossais (« maître pilote des rivières »), Jean Mongeau dit le Dragon, Henry Noël, Isidore Noël, Joseph Paquet, Paul Paquet, Barthélemi Pépin dit Lachance, Eugène Pépin dit Lachance, François Xavier Pépin dit Lachance, Gabriel Pépin dit Lachance, Joseph Pépin dit Lachance, Moïse Pépin dit Lachance, Nestor Pépin dit Lachance, Paul Pépin dit Lachance, Pierre Pépin dit Lachance, Antoine Petit, Charles Pouliot, Jean Pouliot, Jean Baptiste Pouliot, Joseph Pouliot (père et fils), Moïse Pouliot, Paul Pouliot, Hubert Raymond, Joseph Raymond, Léandre Raymond, Antoine Roussel, Louis Albert Royer, Thomas Théberge, Louis Thivierge, Jacques Tremblay, Charles Wagner

Identified coastal pilots: Jean Durand, Jean Girard, Marc Jouanne, Louis Leblanc, Charles Lecourt, Charles Levreau, Charles Nadeau, Augustin Raby

Identified deep-sea pilot: Pierre Gilbert

Identified docking pilots: Joseph Savard, Guillaume Tremblay

Sources:

• Jean-Claude Dionne, "Les divers métiers de la navigation exercés par des résidents de l’Île d’Orléans (1666-1930)," 2019, Société de recherche historique Archiv-Histo Inc. (https://archiv-histo.com/web_assets/publications/Dionne/017%20-%20Dionne,%20J-C%20-%20Les%20divers%20metiers%20de%20la%20navigation%20exerces%20par%20des%20residents%20de%20l'Ile%20d'Orleans%20(1666-1930).pdf).

• Jean Leclerc, "Les pilotes du Saint-Laurent. Gardiens du Fleuve," Magazine Continuité (https://www.magazinecontinuite.com/les-pilotes-du-saint-laurent-gardiens-du-fleuve/).

• Jean Leclerc, "Pilotes du Saint-Laurent : le fleuve dans le creux de la main," Magazine Continuité, (89), 33–36, 2001, digitized by Érudit (https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/continuite/1900-v1-n1-continuite1053739/15769ac.pdf).  

• "Pilote," Glossary portal of the Centre national de ressources textuelles et lexicales (https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/pilote).

• Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, "Pilotage sur le fleuve Saint-Laurent," Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec (https://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=125&type=imma).