Citroën Autoclub Canada 2026 Maritimes Fall Tour
By George Dyke….
The East Coast of Canada beckoned members of Citroën Autoclub Canada, who decided that a fall tour of the Maritimes would be the best time to enjoy the region.
On September 22, 8 cars and 16 people set out from Toronto on a route that first took us along country roads to Ottawa, then into the Laurentian mountains region of Quebec to visit Rik Dehaen at his Citroën repair and restoration shop in St-Alphonse-Rodriguez. From there, we traveled to Trois-Rivières and on to Quebec City. Continuing along the north shore to Saint-Siméon, we crossed on a ferry to Rivière-du-Loup, drove across New Brunswick to St. Stephen, and continued to Saint John. There, we took a ferry across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia, and headed on to Halifax.
From Halifax, we traveled to Sydney and around Cape Breton Island on the Cabot Trail. Taking another ferry over to Prince Edward Island, we cruised around the island a bit and enjoyed Charlottetown before heading along the Gulf of St. Lawrence coast of New Brunswick and all around the coast of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. Finally, we took the south shore road to Montreal and made our way back to Toronto.
It was quite a bit of driving and a true test of our classic Citroëns!
Tour Participants:
- Victor & Maria Alksnis
- Vesna & Damian Damjan
- George & Marijke Dyke
- Gordon Linkletter & Fanny Gragor
- John & Tracy Meurs
- Roger Sintubin
- Jeff Teerlinck
- Luc Teerlinck
- Roland Voegele
- Irena & Robert Zmyslowski
Luc Teerlinck (Jeff’s dad) flew in from Belgium along with Roger Sintubin (Luc’s brother-in-law). They had heard how wonderful Eastern Canada is, and riding in Jeff’s fully restored (in Belgium) 1967 DS21—which Jeff imported last year—presented the perfect opportunity to see the region in style!
The other vehicles on the trip were five 2CVs, an Ami 6 Break, and a Nissan Figaro (a two-door car manufactured by Nissan in February 1991 for the Japanese market that bears a striking resemblance to a Citroën Bijou). Victor, the owner of the Figaro, actually owns two Bijous, but as neither is currently roadworthy, he affixed a sticker to the rear of his Figaro that read: “I identify as a Citroën Bijou.”
The weather for the entire trip was sunny, except for the Nova Scotia portion, where it rained during our rest day in Halifax, the drive to Sydney, and our trip around the Cabot Trail. Even so, it was perfect timing to experience the vibrant autumn colors that made the journey spectacular.
View an extensive photo gallery of the trip here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD7TjL
Days 1 & 2: Heading East through Ottawa & the Laurentians
Although getting out of Toronto was a traffic nightmare, we were soon on country roads taking us north toward Peterborough and on to Ottawa. Tracy had made provisions for us to have a “tailgate picnic” lunch each day, packing a literal deli in a cooler and travel bag that we could replenish with quick stops at local grocery stores. Combined with bathroom breaks at the many Tim Hortons along our route, we were well-prepared to reach our planned hotel destinations each day.
Our first night’s stay was in downtown Ottawa—another city that proved it’s best to avoid rush-hour travel. Once settled in, we made our way over to Nox Eatery, a downtown sports pub where we managed to secure free parking (no mean feat in Canada’s capital, which is notorious for parking challenges!).
On Day 2, we originally planned to leave Ottawa by traveling through downtown, over the bridge to Hull, and on to the Gatineau Hills. However, given our traffic experience the previous afternoon, we decided to avoid morning rush hour and traveled east to cross into Québec at Hawkesbury. From there, we doubled back along the North Shore of the Ottawa River to Montebello for our lunch break to enjoy this wonderful little town.
We then headed north toward Mont-Tremblant and took some challenging back roads over to Rawdon, where we stayed at a charming motel on the edge of town equipped with a fire pit. After dining downtown at Resto-Bar La Queen, we sat around a bonfire at the motel, marveling at the stars and quiet country life.
Day 3: A Mechanical Glitch & Québec City
Upon arrival at the motel that afternoon, John mentioned that the steering in his and Tracy’s 2CV had gotten progressively stiffer over the last few hours—not a good sign, and an indication that a weak frame might be putting pressure on the steering rack.
Fortunately, I had made plans for our group to visit Rik Dehaen, a Citroën specialist located about 20 minutes north of Rawdon, which was our first stop after breakfast on Day 3.
Rik put the 2CV on his lift and, as we suspected, the frame showed previous repairs that had given way. It was definitely not safe for the rest of the trip, but Rik had a spare frame in decent shape and offered to work on the car over the winter so it would be roadworthy again by spring.
Since their 2CV was out of commission, we managed to locate a rental car in Trois-Rivières, about 90 minutes away along our route to Québec City. We packed John and Tracy’s luggage and lunch supplies into the remaining Citroëns (there was no room in the Figaro!), and with Tracy and John squeezing in with Roland, our convoy got them to Trois-Rivières. There, they rented a Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which came in very handy later in the trip!
That evening in Québec City, Victor and Maria went off on their own to have a 20th-anniversary dinner in a lovely restaurant in Old Québec where they had enjoyed their honeymoon dinner years ago. The rest of us had a marvelous dinner at FaX on Avenue Maguire—a trendy street frequented mostly by locals rather than tourists. After dinner, we took the DS21, my 2CV, and Irena and Robert’s Ami 6 for a tour of downtown Québec City, catching some amazing photo ops with the Château Frontenac as a backdrop.
Days 4 & 5: Crossing to New Brunswick
On Day 4, we headed along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River from Québec City to catch the mid-day ferry at Saint-Siméon, crossing over to Rivière-du-Loup on the south shore.
Once through Québec City traffic, we encountered the first of many steep hills our cars would have to conquer. The first hill, just beyond Beaupré, was a doozy and a clear sign that we needed to be prepared for serious downshifting if we wanted to make our booked ferry crossing.
The one car in our group most compromised on hills was Irena and Robert’s Ami 6 Break. Not only did it have the original 602 cc engine fed by a single carburetor, but when they started out from Toronto, it already had a engine knock that made most of us suspect something serious was wrong (though Robert mentioned he had rebuilt the engine and the valve timing was spot-on). They soldiered along, but the car was very slow on hills and the engine noise sounded like standing next to a machine press.
After a relaxing ferry crossing, we encountered even more challenging hills leaving Rivière-du-Loup as we made our way to Edmundston, New Brunswick, for the night. Knowing we’d be gorging on seafood along the Atlantic coast, some of us decided to eat Indian food at Rani’s Kitchen in landlocked Edmundston. It proved to be a great choice; the food was delicious and the service exceptionally friendly.
On Day 5, we crossed the world’s longest covered bridge at Hartland and made our way to the charming town of St. Andrews on the Bay of Fundy, overlooking the US border. This historic town is a National Historic Site of Canada, retaining many characteristics of a typical 18th-century British colonial settlement, including its original grid layout, market square, and classical architecture. After attempting to dodge the potholes and eroded sides that appeared to be typical of New Brunswick’s secondary roads, which the suspension of our Citroëns managed to absorb with aplomb, we stopped for photos at The Algonquin Resort St. Andrews by-the-Sea, checked out Market Wharf pier, and enjoyed a lovely seafood dinner at The Gables overlooking the bay.
An Unfortunate Breakdown & Onward to Nova Scotia
After dinner, we scooted over to our hotel in Saint John, where we planned to catch the ferry across the Bay of Fundy to Nova Scotia first thing the next morning. However, on this leg to Saint John, the Ami 6 had endured enough torture and finally gave up the ghost about 20 km from our hotel.
After roadside attempts to get it running failed (it would start and rev, but had little power and couldn’t idle—and it wasn’t a plugged idle jet), we decided to tow it to the hotel. Using a tow strap Victor conveniently had packed in his Figaro, we attached the Ami 6 to John and Tracy’s rental Toyota. The convoy arrived at the hotel parking lot around 10:30 PM. After 90 minutes of troubleshooting fuel lines, points, and the ignition coil, we determined the Ami was completely inoperable and needed to be transported back home to Mississauga.
After some deliberation, Irena and Robert decided to forgo the rest of the tour. They stayed an extra day in Saint John, where they managed to score a great deal on a U-Haul truck that needed to be returned to the Toronto area. With help from some local residents, they arranged a flatbed trailer, winched the Ami onto it, raised the platform to match the truck bed, rolled the car inside, and secured it for transport. They headed home and safely reversed the procedure back in Mississauga.
While an unfortunate end to Irena and Robert’s trip, breaking down where they did was far less troublesome than having the Ami 6 expire somewhere along the remote Cabot Trail! Once back in Mississauga, Robert dismantled the engine and discovered the rocker shaft had broken at one of the head mounts.
He has ordered parts and hopes to be back on the road soon.
Discovering Nova Scotia & Cape Breton
As for the rest of us, after driving off the Bay of Fundy ferry in Digby, Nova Scotia, we briefly stopped at the Maud Lewis Replica House, a small reconstructed version of folk artist Maud Lewis’s famously painted cottage.
We then headed over to Lunenburg to relax and shop for a couple of hours. We were fortunate to watch the Bluenose II schooner sail into the harbor after a day on the water, and we even got to board the vessel for a walk around the deck. Although a nor’easter was heading our way, the day remained dry and turned quite sunny later on.
To cap off the afternoon we visited Peggy’s Cove—another must-see Nova Scotia destination—before driving into Halifax, where we spent a day relaxing. Jeff, Luc, and Roger visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on the waterfront, while others toured the Halifax Citadel or shopped downtown.
The following day, we set off for Sydney, driving along portions of the scenic Atlantic coast before heading up through Antigonish and over to Cape Breton Island. There, we stopped to explore the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, gaining a great appreciation for his incredible life and achievements well beyond inventing the telephone. That evening in Sydney, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at Governor’s Pub & Eatery before setting out the next morning on our adventurous loop around the Cabot Trail.
The Cabot Trail, PEI, & The Gaspé Peninsula
Light rain and fog obscured some of the famous, breathtaking vistas on the Cabot Trail, but despite the weather, the route provided plenty of driving excitement—including a few steep grades that forced the 2CVs down into first gear! Other than a few roadwork sections, we were fortunate to drive its twists and turns smoothly, especially since portions of the trail had been washed out by heavy rain just weeks prior.
We completed the Cabot Trail loop, left Cape Breton Island, and reached New Glasgow for the night, enjoying another fabulous meal at Tilly’s Kitchen. In the morning, two local Citroën owners—JF Jacob (who owns a 2CV Charleston he bought in Ontario last year) and Calvin Hayman (with his 1973 D-Super)—joined us at the hotel and accompanied us to the Prince Edward Island ferry. JF crossed with us, and we enjoyed a great chat about Citroëns before he returned to New Glasgow.
The rest of us toured PEI and spent the night in Charlottetown, walking through the city in the late afternoon and dining on seafood at Lobster on the Wharf.
The next morning, Victor, Maria, Tracy, John, and Marijke went shopping in the quaint village of Victoria, while the rest of our group checked out a sandy beach on the north side of the island. We then visited a potato farm owned by Gord Linkletter’s family. Gord grew up there, so it was special to drop in and say hello before reuniting with the Victoria group.
We crossed the Confederation Bridge back into New Brunswick, snapped photos with the giant lobster statue in Shediac, and enjoyed more fresh seafood at Chez Léo near Shediac Bridge.
We then followed a scenic Maritime coastal road up to Bathurst for the night, where we were pleasantly surprised to find a gem of a restaurant called Joey’s in what seemed to be city with little to offer other than fast-food.
The Final Stretch Home
The next day delivered perfect autumn weather, with bright sunshine highlighting the fall foliage on the mountains as we made our way along the shoreline to Percé on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula.
Jeff, Luc, Robert, Roland, Marijke, and I stopped just shy of Percé at Microbrasserie Pit Caribou to enjoy their award-winning craft beer, while the others proceeded to Les Trois Soeurs hotel overlooking Percé Rock. Following a recommendation from Gord and Fanny, we enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner in the hotel’s dining room.
Morning brought another clear day, giving us a great photo opportunity with Percé Rock behind our cars before we set off toward Gaspé.
The drive was every bit as challenging as the Cabot Trail, climbing over mountain crests and looking down on coastal villages like an aircraft on descent. Passing through one town facing a steep hill on the far side, we accelerated to get a running start—only to spot a police car! The officer kindly rolled down his window and waved us through with an understanding gesture, knowing what our vintage cars were up against.
We stopped at a lookout point where Jeff launched his drone for incredible aerial shots, then returned to the water’s edge along a road carved directly out of the shoreline cliffs. We covered an impressive 590 km that day, traveling through Matane and Rimouski before reaching our hotel in Rivière-du-Loup. Once again throwing caution to the wind regarding our waistlines, we enjoyed dinner at Resto-Pub L’Estaminet.
The next day, we arranged to drop John and Tracy’s rental car off back in Trois-Rivières. We managed to squeeze their luggage into Gord’s, Damian’s, and my 2CVs, while John and Tracy rode with Roland for our overnight stay in Brossard (on Montreal’s south shore). Jeff, Luc, and Robert went into Old Montreal for dinner, while the rest of us dined locally at Casa Grecque for some Greek cuisine. After dinner, Marijke and I loaded Tracy and John into my 2CV, while Vesna and Damian took theirs into Montreal to view the skyline from the Westmount Lookout and cruise down to see Notre-Dame Basilica lit up at night.
On our final day, we changed plans and took the direct highway back to Toronto instead of country roads, with Tracy and John riding as passengers in Roland’s 2CV. We made it home with only one minor hiccup: the ignition switch on Jeff’s 1967 DS21 had slowly rotated over the course of the trip, and during a gas stop near Port Hope, the power leads finally slipped off. We removed the dashboard fascia over the speedometer to re-seat the wires and tightened the switch to ensure power wouldn’t cut out on the short drive remaining.
All in all, it was a marvelous adventure that everyone thoroughly enjoyed—even with the minor setbacks of a wounded 2CV frame and a retired Ami 6!
Our thanks go to Gord Linkletter who helped in mapping out the route and provided our driving itinerary, Fanny Gragor for preparing trip bags for each car, and Tracy Meurs for her lunch effort to keep us all alert and well fed on the road each day.