Alcyon, A Pinch of the Magdalen Islands

The Arseneau family of Havre-aux-Maisons, has found a way to bottle the essence of the Magdalen Islands, one crystal at a time. Under the name Alcyon, they’ve been transforming the surrounding seawater into delicate, hand-harvested fleur de sel, capturing the purity of the Gulf in every flake.

At the heart of this venture is Elisabeth Arseneau, co-founder and passionate advocate for sustainable, small-batch production. With every harvest, she and her family draw from the cold, mineral-rich waters of the Gulf, relying on sun, wind, and patience to produce their fleur de sel. The result is a salt that’s as much about place as it is about flavour. It’s crisp, clean and deeply rooted in the unique « merroir » of the Magdalen Islands.

I spoke with Elizabethe just before she boarded the ferry back home for the summer, where another season of saltmaking was about to begin.

This conversation was originally aired on Breakaway, on CBC Radio One July 14th, 2025.

Видео Alcyon, A Pinch of the Magdalen Islands канала Allison Van Rassel