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Salaberry-de-Valleyfield - At the Heart of Industrial History in Canada

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield - At the Heart of Industrial History in Canada

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield - At the Heart of Industrial History in Canada
Aerial view of a textile mill complex with three water towers and smoke stack in full operation. (detail)

Montreal Cotton

Drawing representing an aerial view of the Montreal Cotton Co. and Saint-Charles River, c. 1900. (detail) Françoise Bisaillon and Louis Pothier Derome Collection.

Montreal Cotton

The Birth of a Giant

In 1874, the Montreal Cotton Co. was planning to build an immense manufacturing complex. Attracted by the site’s hydropower potential, investors decided to establish the spinning mill in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The Saint-Charles River was diverted for the purpose of electric power generation.

Aerial view of a textile mill complex with three water towers and smoke stack in full operation.

Drawing representing an aerial view of the Montreal Cotton Co. and Saint-Charles River, c. 1900.
Françoise Bisaillon and Louis Pothier Derome Collection.

The architects designed buildings of monumental proportions, somewhat resembling a medieval castle with crenellated towers and bridges to the mills. The first part of the factory was completed in March 1877, and the last, in 1898. State-of-the-art equipment was imported from Great Britain and the Montreal Cotton Co. produced its first piece of fabric in May of that year.

Building the factories
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TRANSCRIPT

Aerial view of Montreal Cotton factory.

In 1877, the Company built four spinning mills using grey limestone rock from nearby quarries.

Cotton spinning machines.

While the equipment was imported from England, the interior architecture was of American influence.

Other machines spinning cotton.

The load-bearing walls were made of stone, the beams and jambs were heavy timber,

Inside the factory, near windows.

and the floors were hardwood-covered planks. Support columns every three metres were equipped...

Interior of factory with indications showing fire escape.

...with fire hoses to make sure every corner could be covered.

3D model of the plant.

The spinning mills were given nicknames over time. The “Old Montreal Mill” became “La Vieille” because it was the oldest structure. The southernmost building was called “South Mill”, and the “Louise” building was named after Queen Victoria’s daughter. “Empire” was homage to England and, finally, the last facility to be built was named “Gault”, after one of the founders and company president, Andrew F. Gault.

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