Born during the Second World War, Joan Archambault grew up on the shores of Victoria Lake before moving to Madawaska. She was a frequent guest on the 10,000 acre estate of one of Canada's richest tycoons; she helped fight a forest fire that nearly destroyed her home,  she worked with her grandmother, a part-time undertaker, and when Joan wasn't down at the river swimming or fishing,  she was often jamming with a rockabilly band.