The Municipality of Sainte-Flavie has always valued the preservation and development of its architectural heritage.

In 1992, the municipality acquired the Old Presbytery as a means of protecting and preserving this part of our cultural heritage. The Centre culturel du Vieux Presbytère was created with this in mind and now houses the Galerie d'Art (Art Gallery) and the library. This building has an important place in our history and the people responsible for its restoration wisely respected the original structure. In the past, over 150 years in the service of the church, it was home to 17 priests and vicars, and it is one of the oldest presbyteries in the Lower Saint Lawrence.

In 1999, the process of acquiring the tithe barn was begun.

In 2002, title to the tithe barn was officially transferred to the Municipality of Sainte-Flavie. It was moved and restored in the fall of 2003 and first opened its doors to visitors in the summer of 2004. Visitors can tour the tithe interpretation centre and learn about the customs of the old-time farmers. There is also a paleontology museum.

» Exhibits from June 23 to September 23, 2007 / Download brochure

In the summer of 2008, the 11th edition of Artistes en Fête will run from July 28 to August 5. This event brings together painters and other visual artists who show their work at the Galerie d'Art du Vieux Presbytère and in the basement of the Sainte-Flavie church. Everyone is welcome to come and see the exhibits and demonstrations as well as participate in the many activities. You will enjoy the beauties of Sainte-Flavie as you walk around the outdoor circuit where the artists set up to work outside from Monday to Wednesday.

Prizes will be awarded to the artists as well as to members of the public who have participated in the popular vote. Everyone is invited to take part in the scarecrow contest.

The tithe barn in Sainte-Flavie is truly a cultural treasure, not only for its history but also for its functionality, its rarity and its architectural style. According to information in the archives, it was built around 1857.

Tithes

Originally, the tithe was a tax in kind. The parishioners felt that it was their sacred duty to contribute so that the priests would not be subjected to the hardship of toiling in the fields.

The Tithe Barn

The building was originally constructed for storing the various grains that local farmers cultivated on their land.

In the Province of Québec, the resident priest was freed from working on the land and so was able to devote himself fully to the spiritual and religious care of his flock. To this end, the latter were obliged to pay a tithe equivalent to every 26th bushel of grain harvested: this was a bag weighing from 30 to 60 pounds (for wheat, 60 pounds).

The tithe barn is open every day from the end of June to the month of September, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for an adult, $3 for a student and there is no charge for children 12 and under.

The ticket price includes the tour of the Tithe Barn and the Paleontology Museum as well as the guided tours.

Web site : www.histoirequebec.qc.ca/publicat/vol7num2/v7n2_2gr.htm

The museum's exhibits provide the visitor with a close look at 420-million-year-old fossils, mainly from the Silurian Period. Exhibits include trilobites, brachiopods, cephalopods and fossil imprints of other organized bodies. There are also specimens from chalk beds dating from the end of the Mesozoic age as well as samples from later eras. For added interest, the site also exhibits dinosaur remains, sections of fossilized trees, petrified plants and fragments from various other animals.

For rockhounds, the display includes 400 specimens from all over the planet. A feast for the eyes and the heart, it is a treasure house of incredibly beautiful shapes colours and textures. Visitors will also be able to see fossilized shells identical to those found today on the beaches at Sainte-Flavie, La Mitis, the Lower Saint Lawrence, the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec and other countries.

The Paleontology Museum will take you on a trip through time and space.

As you follow Route 132, make a stop in Sainte-Flavie and treat yourself to the Route des Arts de Sainte-Flavie, a superb art destination.

Visit the many boutiques and art galleries showing works by regional artists and artisans.

» La Route des Arts / Download brochure