Beyond the road: Chibougamau

In a box at the Saguenay Historical Society, there was a collage album, found by chance. Paul Tremblay had gathered photos, notes, newspaper clippings to tell the story of his trip to the land of copper.

The 30-year-old journalist immortalizes the Chibougamau of 1939 which he visited, when nearly a thousand people gravitated to the mining camp. Before the war emptied it of its inhabitants. Before a permanent road ended the isolation of the region.

In a box at the James Bay Historical Society, proofs of this same trip were found. Better yet: there is an interview with Paul Tremblay, almost 80 years old, remembering his stay in Chibougamau.

"Leaving Chicoutimi on Sunday evening, with Mr. Antoine Dubuc, manager of the Saguenay-Québec telephone company, we arrived in St-Félicien at 11:30 a.m. The snow-mobile of Mr. Armand Levesque, road works director, is waiting for us at the station."

"On Monday morning, the sun is radiant; nature is adorned as if to take us on a superb journey. As soon as we get up, we will inspect the place. We are in the middle of a construction site."

"There is the building for the engineers and ministry staff, the store, the office of the Chibougamau Development Co. Ltd., the garage, the forge, the sheds, the kitchen and the dormitories for approximately 150 men."

"[...] approximately 800 men are currently working on the Chibougamau road, but there will soon be 1200 to 1500."

"[T]he men went hunting while the women worked. They make moose mittens, snowshoes and other objects with unparalleled skill. Around us, hanging on the wall, snowshoes, an axe, a saw, a rifle, a few utensils. Around us, hanging on the wall, snowshoes, an axe, a saw, a rifle, some kitchen utensils, some food in a corner and 5 to 6 inches of fir branches on the ground."

"As all the bridges are not yet finished to get to Obalski and the tractor has not yet “broken” the winter road further than Dorés Lake, we are making this journey with dogs."

"We cross Lake Gabriel, Lake Caché and the bay of the same name. And we also arrive in Obalski for lunch, after passing the Chibougamau Properties camps on Caché Lake. At this location, there is only one guard at the moment."

"In Obalski, there is a pretty, very welcoming little village. Around ten camps including kitchens, depots, dormitories, hangars, etc."

“We see the tall chimneys of the Obalski mine. [...] all the machinery we see was transported by tractors and planes in March and April 1937, and that the mine operated throughout the summer of 1937 until the end of October of the same year."

“We return to the small village enchanted by what we had seen. Around 4 o'clock, we leave to go to Mr. Coulombe's house, about 2 miles from Obalski. This Mr. Roméo Coulombe, from Loretteville, is a game warden in Chibougamau and correspondent for La Presse. He is home to the telephone exchange for the Chibougamau–Saint-Félicien line."

"We have barely arrived when Mr. Antoine Dubuc hastens to inaugurate the Chibougamau-Saint-Félicien line and asks to speak to Chicoutimi. This attempt having been most fruitful, he ventured to speak in Quebec. The result was even more surprising, because Mr. Dubuc spoke in Quebec just as well as in Chicoutimi."

"[Mr. Coulombe] tells us that he got married in Chibougamau and that it was the first and only marriage in this region. [...] He had Father Caillé, from Parent in Abitibi, come by plane, who blessed the marriage. The fathers of both spouses also came by plane."

"We also learn that Mr. Coulombe's sister, who is married to Mr. Laurent Lafont, prospector from Chibougamau, had the first baby in Chibougamau. Already 4 months old, he is doing well and seems to want to make a good prospector."

"Because of air transport, which is very expensive, everything is very expensive in this region. It costs $1.75 to $2 per day to feed a man, $3.50 to $4 per day for a horse and $10 per month to feed a dog."

"As dogs provide the best means of transportation in Chibougamau, all the prospectors and locals have two, three and even four, which is very expensive. Sugar sells for $13 a bag and potatoes for $8, and everything else is to match."

"The mine is located on the edge of Dorés Lake, in Cedar Bay. The beginnings of this mine, one of the largest in this entire mining region, date back to 1928 or 1929, when Glad McKenzie dug a 19-foot shaft."

"The latter, which employed approximately 75 men at the time of operations, began operating the mine in 1933 and ceased operations in 1937. As soon as the road is completed, this mine will resume operations."

"Our journey is over. We return to Saint-Félicien after having covered a distance of more than 300 miles by snow-mobile, on excellent paths, and without any difficulty, while in no hurry."

"It is obvious, from everything we have seen, that this region is destined to become the great mining center of the province of Quebec."