Looking for a new project and wide-open spaces, Dany Torchy, an event promoter from the Québec region, learned in 2020 that a rather unusual castle was for sale in Escuminac's Pointe-à-la-Garde sector, in Gaspésie.
Jean Roussy, the castle's designer and creator, had devoted nearly 40 years of his life to it, about 30 of them spent building it, and had announced his intention to sell at the beginning of 2020. As fate would have it, he died a few months later from a long illness, leaving his life partner and several family members in mourning. His estate therefore decided to put the Château Bahia property up for sale.
Jean Roussy, creator of Château Bahia, died in 2020.
During a first visit in October 2020, Dany Torchy, who was then living on Île d'Orléans, fell in love with the place. He convinced his friend, Mickaël Retailleau, a Montréal-area expert in car and motorcycle interior design, to join the venture. "When we saw the castle, we immediately saw its potential," he said. In the end, they convinced the family to sell them the castle and another residence built on the 170-acre property, at the end of a 600-metre road deep in the forest. The family was looking for kind-hearted people who would continue the founder's work.
Château Bahia was built over 16 summers without a precise plan, as its creator admitted in a 2020 Radio-Canada interview shortly before his death. He had converted the roadside house into a youth hostel, where he welcomed young travellers, offering them accommodation in exchange for help with construction.
"At first, I decided what we would do," Jean Roussy recalled. "Then, after a while, it was the castle that told me what was missing or what needed to be added."
Dany Torchy and Michaël Retailleau believe they will be able to play the role of finishers, while continuing the mission the founder of the inn set for himself. The owners also plan to name a tower in honour of Jean Roussy, who spent 7 long years juggling the idea alone, suppressing the rational voice that would have told him, "It's impossible."
Since 2021, the new owners have had to face the COVID pandemic, like everyone else. This has delayed planned work in certain sections of the castle, which blends styles from medieval to baroque. The interiors of both buildings are also filled with images of castles from around the world that Jean Roussy had visited. The partners also want to carry out work to bring the castle's interior up to date. They hope to eventually decorate the castle's facade with flags.
Currently, visitors stay in the small castle (the five-storey tower just behind the main building) and in a few rooms in the main building, for a total of 10 rooms. Seven have private bathrooms, while three share a common bathroom. You're guaranteed a peaceful, comfortable stay. This isn't the "castle life" often compared to the luxury of certain hotels, but the welcome is warm, not to mention the view from the top of the tower over the surrounding area and Baie des Chaleurs.
While they are well aware that maintaining the property is a substantial task, the scale of the challenge is far from frightening the newcomers. The trio's dream is now to make the place accessible year-round and share it with Gaspésiens. They are also counting on a website redesign and new promotional campaigns in the region and beyond.
The partners are fully committed and also aim to make the Château Bahia inn a genuine cultural hub, featuring the work of Québec artisans and organizing performances. A big top tent set up in the back courtyard has been hosting evening shows with musicians and other performers since 2022, particularly in June, July and August.
They also hope to revive the ballroom as a dining room for meals prepared by their chef, in a "surprise" format, with limited but original menus.
In 2021, the mayor of Escuminac welcomed the arrival of these new entrepreneurs, calling it excellent news for the municipality of about 521 people, since the activities of Château Bahia will contribute to the area's vitality. He noted that the Château Bahia inn is now the municipality's only hotel accommodation.
Finally, it's worth noting that the castle's name was chosen in honour of a Véronique Sanson song, and the new owners decided to keep it.
Auberge du Château Bahia
chateaubahia.com
152, boulevard Perron
Pointe-à-la-Garde (Escuminac), Qc
(418) 330-1991