Roland-Benoît Jomphe (1917–2003) was a

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

poet from the Minganie region of Quebec.

Early life

He was born at Pointe-aux-Esquimaux in what later became the town of

Havre-Saint-Pierre Havre-Saint-Pierre () is a municipality located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Côte-Nord region, Minganie RCM, Quebec, Canada. History In 1857, a group of Acadian families arrived, in 1872, the Parish of Saint-Pierre-d ...

. His father was a fisherman.

Career

Jomphe became a fisherman like his father and many of the town's founders. From 1944 to 1948, he was the manager-secretary of a fishermen's cooperative. With the arrival of

QIT-Fer et Titane QIT-Fer et Titane (QIT from its old name "Quebec Iron and Titanium") is a Canadian mining company located in Quebec. The company operates an ilmenite (titanium oxide ore) mine at (aka Lake Tio) in northern Quebec, and in the southern Quebec mu ...

in 1948, many fishermen left their trade to become miners. In 1950, Jomphe became a sacristan (sexton) of the Parish of Saint-Pierre (St. Peter) which is operated by the Eudists. In 1967, he became Secretary-Treasurer of his municipality. In these roles, and with his boat and his local knowledge, he made it his task to promote the beauty and qualities of his region to citizens and visitors, giving over 400 presentations both at home and afield and writing poetry. He often took travelling priests and bishops to visit the neighbouring islands of the Mingan Archipelago. During this time, he began to name the limestone monoliths which are a prominent feature of the limestone islands of the archipelago. He photographed and catalogued them in an album. Jomphe's poetry was included in the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

production, "Le Voyage au bout de la route", directed by

Jean-Daniel Lafond Jean-Daniel Lafond (born August 18, 1944) is a French-Canadian filmmaker, teacher of philosophy, and the husband to the former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, making him the viceregal consort of Canada during her service. Biography Lafond w ...

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

has mounted a permanent exhibition "Tribute to Roland Jomphe" at the Havre-Saint-Pierre Reception and Interpretation Centre of the

Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve or Mingan Archipelago Heritage Site bathes in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the administrative region of Côte-Nord, in Minganie RCM, Havre-Saint-Pierre municipality, facing Anticosti Island ...

. This centre is located in the Portail Pélagie-Cormier Terminal building at the Port of Havre-Saint-Pierre. He died in December 2003.

Honours

*Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

, 1981 *Member of the North Shore Order of Merit (L'Ordre du Mérite nord-côtier), 1982 *Knight of the

National Order of Quebec The National Order of Quebec ( French: ), also known as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Governor Jean-Pierre Côté granted royal assent to the (Natio ...

, 1987

Works

* ''De l'eau salée dans les veines'' (1978), Léméac, Montréal. * ''Sous le vent de la mémoire'' (1982), Dominique Cormier, Havre Saint-Pierre. * ''Aux îles de Mingan'' (1984), Environnement Parcs Canada. * ''A l'écoute du temps'' (1983). * ''Amour et souvenance'' (1985). * ''Sur le rivage de la vie'' (1986). * ''Iles de Mingan ou de chez nous'' (1986). * ''Confidences des îles'' (1987). * ''A l'ombre d'un village'' (1988).

References

External links