Lajeunesse-Lavigne General Store

Built in the years following 1865 by Charles Lajeunesse, who had acquired the land from the Honourable Édouard Masson, this building was Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson’s one-of-a-kind general store for close to 110 years. Jean-Euchariste Lavigne took over the store in 1922 and ran it until 1974. Getting on in years, Mr. Lavigne told his friends Doctor Champlain Charest and painter Jean-Paul Riopelle that this heritage building was for sale and would probably end up as a motel.

The pair acquired the building and launched the va-nu-pieds, a popular restaurant that would later become the Bistro Champlain in 1987. World-renowned for its wine collection, fine cuisine and cultural influence, the bistro is a fixture in the tourism, heritage and culture of the Laurentians.