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It was in 1987. Nicole Grégoire, Albert Cummings and Claude Bourque were dreaming of a popular festivity… familiarly-oriented, and free. At the time, they couldn’t imagine that by creating the Magdalen Islands’ sandcastle building contest, they were going to witness the birth of such a remarkable tradition. Now the contest is still going strong, 36 editions later, and the sand at the Bout du Banc beach has seen a great deal of people.

The 15th of august of 1987. That was the date of the very first edition of the contest. The event gathered more than 1000 visitors that year. And two years later, it was already 10 times more popular! The contest has been growing each year since and by 1993, it was already a major tourist attraction for the Islands. It was in 1993 that the original organizers passed down the torch and converted the contest into an actual corporation.

And here we are, 38 years later, and this event still represents the peak of tourism in the summer time. With over 15 000 visitors and 500 builders, the Concours des Châteaux de Sable des Îles de la Madeleine is now the biggest amateur contest of sandcastle building in the world!

Blond sand, salty waters, small and big hands alike and a whole lot of smiles… these are the ingredients for happiness on the Magdalen Islands!