Alain Bilodeau was inspired by historical Acadian vessels to build a one-of-a-kind model ship to help raise funds for the Clare Health Centre Foundation. Although there was little information such as images or plans about the Saint-Jehan available, Alain utilized his vast knowledge of model ship building and his research of similar ships from the 17th century to create beautiful details. The overall construction of this three-mast ship was done to scale as accurately as possible.
With more than 30 years' experience as a passionate model builder, Alain's reputation precedes him. He prides himself on the attention to detail and accurate scale he brings to each of his completed projects. Alain has built more than 40 model ships for various clients. His customers have included a collector from the USA, A.F. Theriault & Son, other shipyards in Halifax, St. John's and Gaspé, as well as fishermen and other individuals. Recently, he had the honour of constructing three model ships of both the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus from the Franklin Expedition for Jim Balsillie of the Arctic Research Foundation.