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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
Two women in uniform in front of a spinning machine. The one on the left is holding a full bobbin in her right hand. (detail)

Site Presentation

Two young Montreal Cotton Co. employees (detail), Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, c. 1945.Maheu-Rochon Private Collection

Presentation

Living to the Beat of Machines

Since the end of the 19th century, industrial development has redefined Canadian lives to the rhythm of machines and work shifts. Enormous sums have been invested in mechanization for mass production. Around 1870, entrepreneurs started large-scale manufacturing ventures across Canada. These factories could quickly meet the population’s latest demands; towns grew into cities and agricultural lands became industrial parks.

Two women in uniform in front of a spinning machine. The one on the left is holding a full bobbin in her right hand.

Two young Montreal Cotton Co. employees, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, c. 1945.
Maheu-Rochon Private Collection

Pushed by this wave, the textile industry took root and soon became a core segment of the Canadian economy. The offspring of industrialisation, the Montreal Cotton Co. was one of the first and largest cotton factories in the country. You are invited to follow this company’s history and discover how it shaped the destiny of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

Montreal Cotton
Video clip
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TRANSCRIPT

Lithograph of the factory next to the water.

The industrial revolution reshaped 19th Century Canada. New-type industries entered into the fray...

Photography from the factory to the canal with bridge across the river.

...and forever changed Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. In 1873, the city’s convenient geographical position and powerful river flow sparked...

Inside the spinning room with employees at work.

...interest among a number of investors who decided to establish...

Vintage logo of the Montreal Cotton Company.

...a major spinning mill operated by the Montreal Cotton Co.

Group photo of factory employees.

It became the largest textile facility in Canada.

Factory workers exiting at the end of the day.

With intertwined labour and family environments, Montreal Cotton and its role players...

Woman operating a loom.

...spun an unusual story, a legacy that must be handed down and preserved.