Identity on the Land

In countries where the exploration of natural resources is closely tied to human settlement, such as Canada and the United States, company towns have left their mark on the landscape, culture and collective psyche of generations. They are adjacent to manufacturing facilities, plants, dams, oil and gas fields, and mines.

This exhibition, produced by the Société d’histoire du Lac-Saint-Jean and its museum institution, L’Odyssée des Bâtisseurs, invites visitors to discover how companies across the country designed their towns and, in doing so, expanded territorial frontiers. As such, they became model towns and forerunners of urban planning. The exhibition reveals how giant companies were able to create ideal living environments for workers and their families, while forging feelings of pride and belonging in residents.

As part of its stop in Valcourt, the exhibition features an exclusive section developed by the Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier. Titled Valcourt: A Model Town Project, it highlights Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s commitment to providing his factory workers with good living conditions, while also tracing the urban development of the city of Valcourt, now recognized as the “snowmobile capital of the world”.

This exhibition was produced by the Société d’histoire du Lac-Saint-Jean and its museum institution, L’Odyssée des Bâtisseurs, in partnership with the Canada Research Chair on Urban Heritage, with financial support from the governments of Canada and Quebec, and the city of Alma. It includes a section added by the Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier.