Industrial Heritage – Company Towns

Lac-Saint-Jean, a hub for company towns

Urban development around Lac Saint-Jean was heavily influenced by large-scale industry in the early 1900s. Of the 11 company towns established in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region between 1903 and 1956, six are located in Lac-Saint-Jean. It’s no surprise that the region is known as Quebec’s capital of company towns.

As you travel around the lake, you can discover and visit several of these architecturally rich towns that have left their mark on industrial history.

• Val-Jalbert, 1901 (final plan established in 1915). Parent company: Ouiatchouan Fall Co.
• Saint-Amédé-de-Péribonka, 1903. Parent company: Péribonka Pulp Company.
• Isle-Maligne (Alma), 1924. Parent company: Alcan.
• Riverbend (Alma), 1925. Parent company: Price Brothers.
• Dolbeau (Quartier des Anglais), 1927. Parent company: Lake St. John Power and Paper Co. Ltd. in 1927
• Chute-des-Passes, 1956. Parent company: Alcan.

All of these municipalities were built by large companies.

Today, most of these towns form neighborhoods distinguished by their heritage, architectural, and urban planning value.

Isle-Maligne and Riverbend stand out for their English-influenced architecture and their curved streets (circular layout). L’Odyssée des Bâtisseurs has created walking tours to explore these two company towns, which today form neighborhoods of Alma. For more information: https://www.odysseedesbatisseurs.com/planifiez-votre-visite/autres-activites/

The Anglais neighborhood in Dolbeau-Mistassini is characterized by its many townhouses, narrow streets, and immaculately white homes featuring architecture influenced by vernacular and Anglo-Saxon styles. The Maria-Chapdelaine Historical and Genealogical Society offers a walking tour to explore this neighborhood with its unique charm. For more information: http://histoiregenealogie.ca/

The most notable company town is undoubtedly Val-Jalbert, now a ghost town. Often compared to the city of Boston, Val-Jalbert was considered a model of modernism. This industrial hamlet, nestled in a traditional rural setting, stood out for its wooden homes equipped with running water, electricity, and bathrooms. Val-Jalbert is a must-see destination during your stay in Lac-Saint-Jean. For more information : https://www.valjalbert.com/fr

Source : Riverbend splendeur et déclin d’une ville de compagnie (1925-1962), Dany Côté, Société d’histoire du Lac-Saint-Jean, 1995, 232 p.