Emile was born in Saint-Boniface in the spring of 1955.
“At the age of nine in what we now call the Nopiming Park, my father had told me “Don’t go on the island there is a Native there and he will eat you” well as soon as I had the opportunity in the canoe I went, soon I was sitting near the man but not too close, he handed me a small black stone and I took out my pocket knife and started doing what he was doing, carving soapstone, after an hour or so, he held his hand out, and I placed the rock I was working on in his hand, he looked at the rock, and chucked it in the lake, he then gave me another rock this one was softer. An hour or so later he held out his hand again, this time I shook my head meaning NO, I sat with this man each afternoon and for some days, not a word was ever said. TO LEARN TO CARVE IS A FEELING. My first piece sold at the age of 21 that was 37 summers ago.
That was the beginning to what has been a lifetime of carving stone and I have never looked back.”
