Alain Pigeon, who is originally from Rimouski, Quebec, is the owner oftherenowned Montreal bed and breakfast Alexandre Logan 1870. Nobody could have guessed that Alain, who studied aeronautics and worked in the field for many years, would one day own a B&B. “My career in aeronautics ended abruptly,” he explains. “I was based in Saudi Arabia and the company I worked for went bankrupt.” He submitted over 200 resumes when he returned to Quebec, including to Bell Canada, who then offered him a job. He became the director of various departments, including those dedicated to self-employment and human resources, and worked there for about 10 years.
“A friend of mine had always loved real estate; we share that attraction to hallmark homes,” recalls Alain. “We saw this house for sale, a really beautiful neo-Victorian house built in 1870 and located on the corner of Alexandre-de-Sève and Logan. We bought the house in 1999 and then took the time to renovate. This house had potential; we restored its prestige and kept its aged look.” While looking for a new job where he could help people, Alain decided to open the B&B and received his first visitors in April 2000.