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Pétanque in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Six federated clubs around Lac Saint-Jean and along the Saguenay river, one of the largest groups in Quebec. A village of a thousand people here built eighteen terrains and then hosted a World Championship on them.
Six federated clubs sit around Lac Saint-Jean and along the Saguenay river, the third-largest group in Quebec after the South Shore and Lanaudière. A village of a thousand people here has eighteen pétanque terrains.
That park hosted the men’s World Championship in 2018, the first held in North America in 43 years.
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Six federated clubs
The six clubs
Coordinators and numbers come from the federation’s 2026 club registry. Calling ahead matters, since seasons are short and dates move.
| Club | Where | Coordinator | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club de Pétanque Desbiens | Desbiens | Herman Lalancette | 581 816-0122 | Plays on the eighteen-terrain park that hosted the 2018 World Championship |
| Club de Pétanque Chambord | Chambord | Sylvie Cloutier | 418 342-6559 | Neighboring municipality on the lake’s south shore, operating separately from Desbiens |
| Club de Pétanque Alma | Alma | Diane Tremblay | 418 668-7856 | The second-largest city in the region after Saguenay, on the lake’s eastern shore |
| Club de Roberval | Roberval | Chantale Tardif | 418 275-1532 | West shore of Lac Saint-Jean. Tardif is also the regional coordinator |
| Roule ta Boule St-Fé | Saint-Félicien | Raynald Gagnon | 418 679-3317 | West shore, north of Roberval, in Le Domaine-du-Roy |
| La Boule Saguenéenne Sénior | Arvida, Saguenay | Éric Dion | 418 548-0966 | Indoor boulodrome on rue Nelson. The federation’s 2026 calendar placed the Canadian youth championship in Saguenay in April |
One quirk in the paperwork. The registry files the Desbiens club under Chambord rather than Desbiens, which makes it easy to miss.
They are separate clubs in neighboring municipalities, each with its own coordinator.
Eighteen terrains
The Desbiens park
An eighteen-terrain pétanque park sits in a village of about a thousand people.
How it came about
In 2011 a Desbiens volunteer asked then-mayor Nicolas Martel to build some pétanque terrain. The municipality built eighteen.
It was an unusually large commitment for a village that size, and it changed what the region could host.
Proving it
The Coupe du Québec came to Desbiens in 2016 and drew close to 600 players. That established the park could handle a serious field.
Two years later it was hosting a world championship.
September 2018
The 2018 World Championship
The bid
Desbiens reached the final round against Benin and Vietnam, and won with the support of 39 of 48 countries. Then-mayor Martel led both the bid and the organization.
Premier Philippe Couillard, then the member for Roberval, announced $115,000 from the Quebec government in April 2018.
The championship
The 48th Men’s Triples World Championship ran from September 13 to 16, 2018. Organizers expected around 500 participants from 48 countries, and the mayor later said players came from more than 40.
France beat Morocco 13-7 in the final. Senegal and Tunisia, the two losing semi-finalists, both received bronze.
France’s Dylan Rocher won the precision shooting title, beating Madagascar’s Taratra Rakotoninosy 57-47 in the final.
Putting it in context
Reporting at the time called it the first World Championship in North America in 43 years. That holds for the men’s event, and only for the men’s event.
| Year | City | Championship | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Quebec City | Men’s Triples | The first World Championship held anywhere in the Americas |
| 2002 | La Tuque | Women’s Triples | Also the first Women’s Precision Shooting championship |
| 2005 | Longueuil | Junior Triples | With the third Youth Precision Shooting championship |
| 2018 | Desbiens | Men’s Triples | The first men’s Worlds in North America since 1975 |
All four have been in Quebec. No other country in the Americas has hosted one.
The other record
The championship weekend also produced a Guinness World Record: the largest tourtière ever made, twelve meters long and just over 960 kilograms.
Thirty people cooked it over embers for about eighteen hours in Desbiens, and between 3,500 and 4,000 people ate it.
May to September
Season and winter play
Outdoor
Club play runs roughly May through September, weather permitting, and each club sets its own dates. Confirm by phone before traveling any distance.
In 2018 the mayor said the Desbiens park held regional competition every Sunday, so call the club to confirm current play.
Indoor
La Boule Saguenéenne Sénior runs an indoor boulodrome at 1782 rue Nelson in Arvida, a sector of Jonquière.
The federation’s boulodrome list also names venues in Alma, Chambord, Roberval and Saint-Félicien, so ask the nearest club about winter play.
Next door
Baie-Comeau and the Côte-Nord
Where and when
The Club Bouliste de Baie-Comeau plays indoors at the boulodrome of the Centre sportif Alcoa, on the Côte-Nord east of the Saguenay fjord. Its published season runs from mid-October to mid-May.
Adults play at 1pm four days a week: friendly games on Mondays and Thursdays, a league on Tuesdays and a tournament on Sundays. Tournament entry is $10 for members and $15 for others.
The juniors
The club runs a mini-boulistes program for elementary pupils and a junior league for secondary students, Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, at $25 a year. The 2026-27 courses start on October 13.
Its junior team won the Canadian championship in Joliette in 2025 and represented Canada at the Junior World Championship in Isla Cristina, Spain, that October.
Background
Why this region
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean punches far above its population in Canadian pétanque, and the reasons are municipal rather than accidental.
Municipal investment
Small municipalities here have built and maintained pétanque terrain as ordinary recreation infrastructure. Desbiens is the clearest case but not the only one.
That gives six clubs permanent places to play, which is what keeps them going year after year.
A share of the national picture
Six of the 38 clubs on Pétanque Canada’s national list are here, about one in six, from a population of about 285,000.
When the men’s Worlds returned to North America after 43 years, it came here rather than to a major city.
Common questions
Questions about pétanque in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
How many pétanque clubs does the region have?
Six on the federation registry, spread around Lac Saint-Jean and up the Saguenay river. Only the South Shore and Lanaudière have more.
For a region of this size it is a striking number, and it is why Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean carries more weight in Canadian pétanque than its population suggests.
What happened at Desbiens in 2018?
The 48th FIPJP Men’s Triples World Championship, played September 13 to 16 on the village’s eighteen-terrain park. France beat Morocco 13-7 in the final.
France’s Dylan Rocher also won the precision shooting title, beating Madagascar’s Taratra Rakotoninosy in the final. Senegal and Tunisia took bronze.
Was that the first World Championship in North America since 1975?
The first men’s championship, yes. The women’s Worlds came to La Tuque in 2002 and the junior Worlds to Longueuil in 2005, both in Quebec.
So 2018 broke a 43-year gap in the men’s event specifically, not in world championships generally.
Why does a village of 1,000 people have eighteen pétanque terrains?
A Desbiens volunteer asked the mayor to build terrain in 2011, and the municipality went considerably further than asked.
The park hosted the Coupe du Québec in 2016 with close to 600 players, which is what made the World Championship bid credible.
How did Desbiens win the bid?
It beat Benin and Vietnam in the final round, with the support of 39 of 48 countries. Then-mayor Nicolas Martel led the bid and organized the event.
The Quebec government contributed $115,000, announced in April 2018 by Premier Philippe Couillard, then the member for Roberval.
Is there anything to see there now?
The eighteen-terrain park is still there, and the Club de Pétanque Desbiens remains on the 2026 federation registry. Call the club to confirm current play.
The region also set a Guinness World Record during the championship weekend for the largest tourtière, a twelve-meter pie of just over 960 kilograms.
Can I play in winter?
Outdoors, no. The season runs roughly May through September and each club sets its own dates.
La Boule Saguenéenne Sénior has an indoor boulodrome at Arvida on rue Nelson, and the federation’s list also names indoor venues in Alma, Chambord, Roberval and Saint-Félicien.
Do I need to speak French?
The region is almost entirely francophone and most club coordinators work in French first. Anglophone players are welcome all the same.
A phone call in French will go more smoothly, so it is worth having a few words ready. Our glossary covers the vocabulary.
Which club should I contact first?
Whichever is nearest. The six are spread right around the lake and up the river, so the closest one is usually the practical answer rather than the largest.
Every club on the list above has a named coordinator and a direct phone number, and calling ahead matters here because schedules are seasonal.
Elsewhere in Canada
The other Canadian regions
Quebec holds nearly every federated club in the country. These are the other regional scenes.
Know a group around the lake we have missed?
Municipal terrain here often has regulars with no club attached. Send the details.
Pétanque, once a month
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Overview
- Federated clubs: six
- Main outdoor venue: Desbiens, 18 terrains
- Worlds hosted: 2018 Men’s Triples
- Countries competing: more than 40
- Indoor venue: Arvida, rue Nelson
- Recent event: Canadian youth championship, April 2026
- Outdoor season: May to September
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