In the summer of 1951, Jean-Paul Lemieux stayed in Port-au-Persil, in the Charlevoix region, where he worked alongside Goodridge Roberts and the then very young Edmund Alleyn. As noted by Guy Robert, “a spirit of friendly camaraderie brought the trio together, transcending generational boundaries, and served as a powerful stimulus for Lemieux.”

The artist himself later emphasized the importance of this encounter:
“I had invited Goodridge Roberts to spend the summer months with us in Port-au-Persil. I had always greatly admired this painter, and I must say today that I owe it to him that I did not fall into a dangerous negativism. Through his aesthetic example, more than through his encouragement, he helped me regain confidence in myself.”

These remarks, collected by Gilles Corbeil and later cited by Marie Carani in Jean-Paul Lemieux (Publications du Québec, p. 53), attest to the profound impact of this period on Lemieux’s artistic development.