80th Anniversary of the 1946 Air Tragedy
Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 2 p.m.
Matane Historical and Genealogical Society
The Société d’histoire et de généalogie de La Matanie and the Société d’histoire de la Haute-Gaspésie invite the public to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the emergency landing made by James R. Hartley on the ice, somewhere off the coast of Saint-Ulric or Matane, in December 1946.
This event led to an incredible survival story involving passengers stranded on drifting ice floes in the St. Lawrence River. Fortunately, six of the seven passengers were rescued, thanks to the intervention of a pilot from New Brunswick and individuals from Mont-Joli, Cap-Chat and Petite-Vallée. At the time, this story attracted the attention of several Quebec and North American media outlets.
Program highlights:
- Accounts of the events, illustrated with photographs and newspaper articles from the period;
- Presentation of a trophy bearing pilot James Raymond Hartley's name to representatives of his family;
- A look back at the rescue carried out by Captain Edgar Jourdain and sailors from Cap-Chat;
- Presentation of artifacts related to the rescue in Haute-Gaspésie;
- A look back at the rescue carried out by families from Petite-Vallée;
- Special guest Alan Côté, who composed a song in memory of this spectacular rescue;
- An opportunity to share memories and stories from the families of survivors and rescuers.