Welcome, I hope your visit to Quintessence is a memorable and magical experience. This piece of property on Lac Tremblant holds many wonderful memories for me and my family and perhaps your stay here will start some special memories for you.
My parents, Tom and Nancy Clagett, first came to Tremblant at the invitation of Joe and Mary Ryan in the winter of 1941. They arrived at the train station in the old Mont-Tremblant village on Lac Mercier where they were met by sleigh and horses to be taken to Mont-Tremblant Lodge. Their vacation was such a magical experience that they vowed to return. World War II and the start of their family delayed their return until 1954. For six years we stayed at Mont-Tremblant Lodge for two weeks over New Years and two weeks in March.
In 1960, Mary Ryan sold this property to Tom and Nancy and they built their vacation home. Tremblant had become part of their soul. Their new house was named “Sans Sabots” because Nancy preferred walking around her home in bare feet. Their new vacation home replaced their boat, which was called “The Barefoot Girl.”
“Sans Sabots” became a welcoming home to many friends and guests of the Clagett’s. Ernie McCullogh’s ski school was always invited to an open house party on Christmas afternoon. The men’s Canadian Ski Team had a home away from home each year when they arrived at Tremblant to take part in the prestigious Quebec Kandahar race. Friends of the Clagett’s from Washington, D.C. and elsewhere found themselves invited to “Sans Sabots” to share the ambiance and mystique of Tremblant. Diplomats, politician, journalists were among the many guests who stayed at “Sans Sabots”. “Sans Sabots” became the Lac Tremblant home of the Tremblant water ski group. Some of these water-skiers went on to become part of the water ski show at Expo 67 in Montreal. July 4th always found the Clagetts putting on a fireworks extravaganza to celebrate American Independence Day. Labour Day weekend found the Clagett’s organizing an armada of boats from the south end of Lac Tremblant to travel up the lake to the falls on the Cachée River for a picnic.
Nancy and Tom Clagett enjoyed their friends and their children’s friends. They always opened the doors of “Sans Sabots” with their gracious hospitality. Quintessence has now replaced “Sans Sabots”, but I hope that each of you will experience the magical spell of Tremblant and the continuation of the warm welcome and gracious hospitality that this special place on Lac Tremblant has always given to its friends and guests.
Judy Clagett McLennan
