Deep
underground, in the heart of the forest, on the river shore-equipment and machinery,
tools and tales of hard work.
Creation
From
massive factories to modest workshops, industrial buildings mark the face of Quebec.
Their environment: raw materials and water at hand, local
and potential markets, ample labour and housing close by.
Expertise
Once
inaccessible to outsiders and now abandoned, many industrial sites recall their
former heyday and showcase the know-how and expertise of craftspeople and specialists,
in demanding (and sometimes surprising) fields of work.
There
are profiles of entrepreneurs, from Price to Bombardier, Dubuc, Simard and Berliner,
but also of workers, the proud labourers who in large part made the exploitation
of local resources possible. They have stories to tell of mines, forests, metals,
transportation, pulp and paper and textiles.
Progress?
Science
and technology applied to day-to-day and economic life raise the inevitable question
of what progress we have made, how and at what cost.
Today,
we are taking steps to preserve and showcase Quebec's industrial heritage: through
research, conservation, interpretation and access to hikers, cyclists and pleasure
boaters.
Facts:
As of the late 18th century,
little industrial centres sprang up outside of Montreal, linked by railways and
many canals. After all, Quebec is 18% water!
In
the 19th and 20th centuries, towns and neighbourhoods grew around these
industries.
In 1970, Quebec's industries began declining,
as the Lachine Canal closed and thousands of kilometres of track and canals were
abandoned.
