Bay-Comeau

Bay-Comeau is a city of the Quebec, located in the regional Municipalité of county of Manicouagan and in the administrative area of the Coast-North.

History

Bay-Comeau was named thus in the honor of Napoleon-Alexandre Comeau, geologist and naturalist of the Coast-North. Approximate population of the east city of 23.000 people, 30.000 inhabitants by counting the surrounding villages.

First stammerings

The indigenous presence innue and Montagnais E on the territory bordering current Bay-Comeau goes back to nearly 6.000 years. Immense territory forest, the Manicouagan is a rich area by its diversified fauna, which makes it possible to the Amerindians to thrive thanks to the hunting of the wolf-sailors, bears, beaver, mooses and more in north, of cariboux. Moreover, the river Manicouagan offers an important fish dock and the river with the English in is with salmon.

In the neighborhoods of the year 1000 (approximate date), the explorers Viking S are interested in the Coast-North and the area of the river Manicouagan. Temporary traces of installations are discovered close to Bay-Comeau, which will inspire the name of the concession of hockey junior of the city.

In 1535, Jacques Cartier note the existence of the river Manicouagan but qualifies the country of dangerous, the sand banks created by this river and the Rivière with the Bustards being unfavorable to navigation. The only colonists interested by this area are the smugglers of furs and the missionaries, in search of evangelization of the Amerindians. The should be awaited XIXe century so that the first establishment permanent of the Manicouagan (Godbout, to 50 km in the east of Bay-Comeau and Point-with-Bustard, to 20 km in the Bay-Comeau west) settle.

A first fallen through project

In 1873, Jos Roller and a group of men go to the river Manicouagan, interested by the forest potential of the area within the framework of the construction of the railroad in Nova Scotia. The sawmill of the “Manicouagan & English Bay Export” thus sees the day in 1898.

However, as of 1900, the difficulties emerge. Various forest fires devastate the installations and the tides carry sometimes the reserves of wood. In 1907, after several years of difficulties, the factory closes its doors and the workers leave in direction of Godbout. In 1920, the remaining buildings are destroyed and in 1936, what is called today the Old Station is nothing any more but ruins.

The Manicouagan project

As of 1911, the chairman of the board of the Chicago Platform, the colonel Robert Rutherford McCormick, proposes the construction of a paper factory which would be the property of the newspaper, a first. Settling initially in Ontario and strong of this success, McCormick supports the foundation of several coastal villages north of which those of Shelter Bay in 1920 and of Franquelin, in the Bay-of-Cedars, in 1920 also. In 1922, following the difficulties of the First World War, a forest report/ratio of the area located around the rivers Manicouagan and with the Bustards is positive.

But the competitors emerge at the horizon, so that the evening of the January 30th 1923, McCormick signs the lease of the forests of the bank east of the river Manicouagan for the sum of 6.000$ per annum. The project packs many influential people of which Québécois the Prime Minister Louis-Alexandre Taschereau.

The initial phase of the project envisages the construction of a hydroelectric stopping on the Rivière with the Bustards. The site of construction of the first will give rise to a village, Fall-with-Bustard. This project ends in 1930. The second part touches the construction of the quay to the handle with Comeau, site selected for the construction of the future factory of paste and paper. This quay is also supplemented in 1930. However, large the economic Krach of 1929 delays work and the establishment of other installations. It will be necessary to wait 1934 so that the project takes again life…

Beginnings

The April 12th 1936, the Jean-Brilliance wets the anchor in the handle with Comeau. Then begin the construction of the factory of paste and paper of the Quebec North Shore Company. The quay is rebuilt with new and the current primitive structure is supplemented as of this year. Town of company, which will be Bay-Comeau is strictly reserved to the workers. Buildings primitive and temporary are built close to the site of construction of the factory, which will give rise to the future commercial artery the Room , currently known by the name of LaSalle Place. Quickly, hospital, living room of barber, shoe manufacture, cafeteria and hutments emergent. The factory and the warehouse also take form. The December 25th 1936, the first roller of paper is produced with the factory of the QNS.

Construction was with the honor in 1936. The situation differs in 1937 which sees the true birth and foundation from Bay-Comeau whose letters patent are delivered the May 20th 1937. The first true houses are built as well as the building Arcade, first commercial building of the city. At the end of this year there, several buildings are already built on the avenue the Room and several houses form the avenues Champlain, Laval, Hébert, Frontenac, Wolfe, Cartier, Dollard and Montcalm. In 1938, the church Saint Andrew & Holy George and the presbytery Anglican as well as the Boisvert hospital and the Comeau Manor are built. The religious life is ensured by the arrival of the Sœurs Holy-Cross the beginning of the year 1940.

Throughout the years 1940, Bay-Comeau will take expansion. The Second world war will have little impact on the working Bay-Comeau life. However, in 1943, one creates the Company E of the 2nd battalion of the Fusiliers of the St. Lawrence to Bay-Comeau. Explosions are sometimes audible with broad of Bay-Comeau and certain ships of escort will disappear at the time of what will be called the “Bataille of the St. Lawrence”. In April 1943, Bay-Comeau will pour 305.000$ in the countryside of the Bons of the Victoire. In addition to the war, a gigantic forest fire threatens Bay-Comeau in 1941. Fears are large, but the June 25th, the fire changes direction. In September 1943, the city is connected by road way to the remainder of the province. The bells of the new Holy-Amélie church (Catholic) sound the news of the end of the war and the arrival of the new bishop of new the diocese of the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, Monseigneur Napoleon-Alexandre Labrie.

Birth of a twin city

In 1946, Mgr Labrie seeks the ideal place to build a hospital and a seminar and a place where to install its évêché. The municipal authorities and of QNS propose the site of the Dry Mount to him, but Mgr Labrie rather chooses to settle close to the ruins of the Old Station, with the Amédée river. The authorities leave him freedom settle there, but by specifying to him that it will have, with those which will follow it, to ensure of themselves the development of this area.

Thus in 1949, Mgr Labrie founds the town of Hauterive to a few kilometers in the Bay-Comeau west. This city will take a face more commercial than Bay-Comeau. The regional Hospital of Hauterive (today of Bay-Comeau), the Seminar of Hauterive (today the Cégep of Bay-Comeau) is born thus, follow-up a few years later of the cathedral Saint-Jean-Eudes, the whole near the Joliet boulevard.

In 1951, one starts the construction of the McCormick stopping on the river Manicouagan, close to the mouth of the Fleuve the St. Lawrence. This stopping with the capacities much larger than necessary will show the energy capacities of the area.

“Boom” of the years 1950 and 1960

This immense energy capacity pushes British investors to form the Canadian British Aluminum, a company centered towards the aluminum and which begins from the alteration work of a new factory a little in the east of the factory of QNS. The work, initiated in 1955, makes it possible the first tanks to enter in action in June 1958. Bay-Comeau knows a fulgurating expansion.

Moreover, the Cargill Grain between concerned in 1959. The large cereal one undertakes the construction of grain silos, thus benefitting from the natural harbor site of the handle with Comeau.

The emergence of these two new companies makes increase the population bay-comoise quickly. The districts Holy-Amélie and Saint-Name-of-Marie take expansion whereas a new district, the Saint-Georges, is born close to the new alum works.

Finally, Hydro-Quebec announces new work on the river Manicouagan. The building work of the hydroelectric stoppings of Manic 2 and Manic 5 takes their take-off in 1958.

Recession and fusion

If years 1950 and 1960 were very advantageous with Bay-Comeau, the situation becomes complicated in the years 1970 and 1980. The economic recession beats full sound following different the oil crises and the various building sites of Hydro-Quebec suffer from it.

Seven stoppings and hydroelectric stations will be set up until the end of the years 1970 in what is called the Complexe Manic-Bustards. Big industries supplement their work of new constructions and restorations of old. Certain municipal infrastructures are replaced, such as the entertaining center, destroyed in 1969 and replaced as of 1971. Bay-Comeau is still prosperous, the trade is resplendent. Without forgetting the binocular Hauterive: the situation, though less prosperous, is also excellent.

As of 1967, one thinks of the fusion of the two twin cities. However, the two separate cities of hardly five kilometers are rival and mentalities are opposite. Bay-Comeau is a rather industrial city, more prosperous, whereas Hauterive is a city centered on the trade and benefitting less from the industrial parks. The Bay-Comeau population is against a possible fusion (90% of the population in 1976) whereas those of Hauterive are favorable to such a measurement. These divergences of opinions even will modify gives it political provincial in the area since the Parti Québécois Rene Lévesque with the capacity is in favor of fusion.

Monday November 30th 1981, Jacques Léonard, Minister for the municipal Businesses, files in the bill 37 which forces the fusion of the two cities. The Bay-Comeau mayor, Henry Léonard, savage opposing to this fusion, announces that “the war is declared! ” The deputy Lucien Lessard refuses to move back and the June 23rd 1982, fusion is adopted without referendum.

This fusion will cause a political struggle between the former mayor of old Bay-Comeau, Henry Léonard and the dolphin of the former mayor of Hauterive, Roger Thériault.

It is finally at that time that the Bay-Comois Brian Mulroney will be elected Prime Minister for the Canada in 1984.

Maturity

The end of the year 1980 and years 1990 bring a consolidation of the assets without real advance for Bay-Comeau. The competition between the two old binoculars continues but watch of the signs of breathlessness.

Paper QNS will change name and owners on several occasions, passing to the Quebec and Ontario then with Donohue for finally being begun again in hand by Abitibi-Consolidated. Many restorations are carried out.

The alum works CBA as for it will pass between the hands of Metal the Canadian Société Reynolds and of American the Alcoa. The Bay-Comeau alum works, following the enlargings of the end of the year 1980, becomes one of most important in the world.

SME multiply on the Bay-Comeau territory. Other projects are born: the Theater is built with the beginning of the year 1990 and forest the Kruger settles with Ragueneau close to Bay-Comeau. CÉGEP of Bay-Comeau is renovated as well as the hospital.

One should not forget to mention the crisis of BPC of 1989, stored in the Bay-Comeau north following the large Saint-Basile-the-Large fire of , after an initiative of the government of Robert Bourassa. The storage and the destruction of this dangerous waste will last eight years and the saga will end in 1997.

Finally, years 1980 and 1990 will see the appearance of several projects and events cultural and sportsmen: the Symposium of Bay-Comeau, restorations of the Holy-Amélie church, the Plays of Quebec, the arrival of a team of LHJMQ, the Drakkar of Bay-Comeau, etc

Decline

Like the majority of the Quebec municipalities with a primary economy centered on the forest and other heavy industries, Bay-Comeau faces défits of size since the end of the year 1990. The crisis of the market of the sawlog already caused a temporary setting with feet of a hundred worker at the summer 2006 with the Sawmill Manic and the state dying man of the market of the newspaper threatens in the medium term the activities of paper Abitibi-Consolidated. As regards the alum works Alcoa, it tried without success with beginning of the year 2000 to sign an agreement with Hydro-Quebec to obtain a block of hydro-electricity to reduction, requirement according to the company to modernize the original part of the factory which finished its service life. The fall in the birth rate and especially the exodus of young people towards the metropolis (Montreal) or them centers more urbanized such as Quebec are factors which harm them also in the future of the municipality and of the services which are offered there.

Economy

The Bay-Comeau area is industrial. Aluminum is an important sector of its economy, an alum works of Alcoa, is installed there. The production of hydroelectricity is important there thanks to the river Manicouagan which counts 4 hydroelectric stoppings of which the stopping Manic 5, called stopping Daniel Johnson , which is most dam with multiple vaults and buttresses in the world. There are also the Outarde complex, and more recently Toulnustuc which are located in periphery of the city. The forestry development is also a major sector of its economy. The Bay-Comeau area offers many tourist attractions like the ecotourism, the kayak, of the hundreds of tracks of motoneige, the hiking, an infinity of lakes and landscapes which cut you the breath to each turning. More the big city of Manicouagan is also a major commercial axis of the East of Quebec.

Other information

The former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is originating in this city. Bay-Comeau is with the intersection of the road 389, which gives in particular access to Fermont, and of the road 138 which crosses Quebec along the Fleuve the St. Lawrence. The city is the host of events like the festival of the truck-drivers and a provincial test of race motorized on ice as well as an International festival of Film. It was recently discovered that the bays surrounding the city had become a migratory place for the Requin of Greenland, a species which had never been observed in life before. The Québécois film the Turbulence of the fluids was made to Bay-Comeau; the director of film, Manon Briand, is originating in the place besides.

Representations federal and provincial

Bay-Comeau belongs to the federal district of Manicouagan to the Parlement of Canada and the district of Rene-Lévesque to the National Assembly of Quebec.

Municipalities bordering

Sources

historical Company of Coast-North, " Bay-Comeau, 1937-1987" , Scandinavian Editions, Quebec, 1987.
FRENETTE Pierre, " Bay-Comeau, update 1987-1997 of Bay-Comeau 1937-1987".
Repertory of the municipalities of Quebec
Commission of toponymy of Quebec
municipal Businesses and areas - regional charts

External bonds

Site of the municipality
Chart of the city
Drakkar (LHJMQ)
Bay-Comeau the cégep
Theater of the city
Site of information on the discovery of the Shark of Greenland
boreal Center of the St. Lawrence
Time Site of tourist information
of the cross bar
International festival of the Film Movies
Weather of the city
Personal site comprising several photographs (English)
Observation guided of the black bear
Newspaper the Full Time Day
of the nautical cinema
Club
the radio of Manicouagan
Site containing several bonds relating to the tourist attractions
Natural park
Alum works Alcoa
the symposium of painting
Festival of the truck-driver
Private school Jean-Paul II

Évêché

Diocese of Bay-Comeau
Cathedral Saint-Jean-Eudes
Archdiocese of Rimouski

Random links: