A disturbing mystical festival in Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard

The event, for which more than 350 people expressed their interest on the page Facebookoffers dance, yoga and elevation of the divine matrixdepending on the event schedule.

The latter is also relatively cryptic. The event offers the revival of Atlantis by ancient Egypt through spiritual activities, from July 28 to 31.

Among these activities are a celebration by the egyptian light bodya molecular integration of superpowersa energy connection to tribes [sic] of the whole world and the construction […] of the 5D pyramid.

Ticket prices for the festival range between $78 and $375. Certain packages on the platform Eventbrite are already sold out, according to Artélixir, the promoter of the event.

The place where the Horus Fest will take place is also kept secret, but residents of Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard suspect that the participants will converge on private properties in the Neigette sector, out of sight.

A “grey area”

Citizens have questioned the mayor of Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard, Francis St-Pierre, about this festival, but he claims not to have the power to supervise the festivals.

The municipal code of Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard does not regulate the organization of festivals on its territory, which opens the door to promoters wishing to hold a major event there. The organizers are, however, required to comply with applicable municipal regulations, particularly with regard to nighttime noise.

Nevertheless, residents opposed to the holding of this event fear that it will flout municipal regulations on noise and fire safety. For example, the Municipality prohibits excessive noise after 11 p.m., but musical concerts are scheduled until 4 a.m., depending on the schedule.

Developers must also comply with the regulations of the Régie du bâtiment, which provides for a series of measures concerning open fires. The Horus Fest indeed provides for a fire show the evening of July 30.

According to residents, the event doesn’t belong here. They feel aggrieved by the organization, which would have misled the Municipal Council as to the nature of the event, particularly with regard to the number of participants, the schedule of the event and the sale of tickets.

For his part, Mayor Francis St-Pierre confirms having held two meetings with the organizer of the event, Guillaume Tourangeau. Representatives of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the fire department of the MRC were also present at these meetings.

The mayor of Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard, Francis St-Pierre, deplores the fact that the organization was not transparent, in particular on the number of participants and the sale of tickets (archives).

Photo: Radio-Canada / Julie Tremblay

Mr. St-Pierre says he was informed of the festival through citizens. The elected official deplores the lack of transparency of Artélixir.

” It’s really the gray area that people are worried about. I would have liked to have had clear answers to clear questions, but the City Council did not. »

The mayor specifies that the organization would have guaranteed him the presence of security guards and sanitary facilities on the premises.

An agreement remained a dead letter

To compensate for its lack of regulation in terms of festivals, the Municipal Council has proposed a written agreement to the promoter of the event as well as to one of the owners who will host the festival on its vast land.

The agreement provides for a commitment to respect the regulations in force, particularly with regard to nighttime noise and fires, which are prohibited on the territory of the Municipality.

In the agreement, of which Radio-Canada obtained a copy, Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard called on Artélixir to submit a copy of the event schedule to the Sûreté du Québec and, in general, respect all regulations, both municipal and governmental.

However, neither Artélixir nor the owner have yet acted on this agreement. It was unsigned at the time of publishing these lines.

What’s more, although participants are invited to camp on the site, Camping Québec, which comes under the Ministry of Tourism, points out that the organization does not hold any permit to hold its campsite. The price of the tickets does however include accommodation costs, according to the description of the event on Eventbrite.

In addition, the organization emphasizes that swimming will be possible, especially for washing. This was planned for Lake Norbert, part of which is the property of the Métis-Neigette Forestry Group.

The latter refused to authorize Artélixir to allow festival-goers to bathe in the lake. Nevertheless, the activity is still on the menu of the festival. Other bodies of water are present in the area.

The festival will take place in a forest area, near the Neigette sector.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Edouard Beaudoin

Artélixir, as well as its founder, Guillaume Tourangeau, did not respond to interview requests from Radio-Canada. The Sûreté du Québec did not want to comment on this case, but confirms to be aware of the file.

Another festival in 2021

This is not the first appearance of this kind of festival in Bas-Saint-Laurent.

In 2021, another festival organized by Artélixir took place in Kamouraska. For this edition, called Valknut Fest, the organizers invited participants to a week under a theme viking – celtic – druidic.

An employee of the Municipality of Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska confirmed the holding of the said festival, but indicated that at the time, she had not received any complaints from citizens.