Mariners’ Island was born from a simple yet striking observation: the knowledge tied to fishing in the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory is slowly disappearing. Once prosperous thanks to the abundance of cod, this isolated region now faces the consequences of the moratorium and the challenges of sustainability. Yet the sea remains at the heart of the cultural identity of its fourteen villages, connected to one another more by water than by road.

At present, the only fisheries school in Québec is located in Grande-Rivière, Gaspésie—a place nearly inaccessible for many communities of the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory. Hence the idea of an ambitious project, deeply rooted in the region: a mobile fishing school that unites tradition and innovation.

The project is based on a hybrid structure: a fixed pavilion, built on stilts in Vieux-Fort—a symbolic village at the end of Route 138—and a school-boat capable of navigating between villages during the summer, then docking in winter to become a place of learning and gathering. This model respects the rhythm of fishermen’s lives, freeing their summer season and focusing training from August to March.

The architecture of the fixed pavilion, perched on stilts facing the Gulf, symbolically extends the road toward the sea. A covered public square opens beneath the building, inviting gatherings. The pavilion maintains a strong relationship with the school-boat: proportional dimensions, a retractable gangway, and circulation reminiscent of a ship’s deck. The project also distinguishes itself through its materiality: a copper cladding, patinated in the green of lichens, marked by salt-laden winds and the passage of time. Mariners’ Island thus becomes a true bridge between generations, a living homage to the sea, and a model of resilience for coastal communities.

Mariners’ Island is much more than an educational project. It is a response to geographic isolation, a physical and cultural link between villages, a platform for transmission and resilience. Through this floating school, an entire territory is redrawn, learning to tell its story differently—on the water, at human scale.