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Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
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James Stoness
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
View of Lake St. Jean
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James Stoness
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
Val Jalbert homes
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Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
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James Stoness
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
Trapper cabin
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James Stoness
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
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Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
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James Saper
Val-Jalbert, Quebec
By James Stoness
When the ‘company’ pulls out of a ‘company’ town, often the town changes from thriving to ‘ghost’ as people move away, the buildings decay, and eventually nature reclaims the land.
It was a different story with the small community of Val-Jalbert where along the beautiful shores of Lake St. Jean, in the Province of Quebec, there is a townsite hidden among the trees and hilly terrain. It was developed at the start of the 1900’s for the pulp and paper industry. The mill is kissed by the spray of Ouiatchouan Falls dropping from a height of 72 metres, higher than Niagara Falls.
This company town was a town with comforts that made other towns envious. The homes were well built, had running water, and electricity, all this in the early 1920’s. And yet the end came in 1924. The company laid off the workers. People left. The site remained vacant for many years following the usual route for abandoned towns.
Then came the miracle. A dream took root. “Let’s preserve this place,” came the call. In 2009 the Quebec Provincial government forwarded a grant of $19.7 million dollars to refurbish the town, hoping this would attract tourists to the area. It certainly did that.
Now your visit to the historic village can be combined with a camping trip where you can enjoy a campsite in the 182-site campground nicely situated among the trees. You might want to join the guided tour on the trolleybus, which winds among the roughly 40 period homes and learn about the workers and their lives in the town. The tour takes you past some of the impressive homes.
It was early September when we were there and the leaves were turning, and falling, and the fresh smell of the leaves on the ground was invigorating. It was a beautiful time of the year. The trail from the Visitor Centre leading to the old buildings required climbing 115 steps, which was not too bad as we went slowly. It brought us onto a flat area with several rows of identical homes. Actors in period costumes occupied several of these homes showing us the country life of an earlier period in Canada. Perhaps not surprisingly, the furniture in some of the rooms resembled those of our parents. The cream separator, used to separate the cream from fresh cow’s milk, was in the kitchen and I clearly remember my grandfather offering me a turn at the handle. I remember it was very hard to get the separator spinning and you had to keep up the pressure to maintain its speed. I also fondly remember the old kitchen wood stove that provided comfortable heat on the raw days in the fall and winter, and from which emanated delicious aromas.
Some of the homes have not been repaired, and are left to show what would have happened across the entire village if some forward looking people had not led the charge to preserve it. A steep descent in the trail led us to an open area near the mill where we could see magnificent plumes of water cascading over the falls. It would be really fierce in the spring during the winter snowmelt.
Part of the old mill has been cleared of rubble to reveal some old equipment and you can follow a self-guided tour. There is a new investment of $1.2 million to improve the way you learn about the mill and the area, which includes a spectacular display in the grinding room showing the falls and the history of the mill.
You can stop and use the restaurant facilities for some lunch, and then walk around the bottom of the falls exploring. Then it’s time to explore above the falls. You can ride the cable car, or poke along slowly climbing the 764 steps. We rode up, and walked down. Good idea!
At the top is a long boardwalk that leads to the upper Maligne Falls. Along the way you pass a small wooden cabin of the type trappers and woodsmen would build for temporary stays in the woods. It was small, easy to build, probably easy to heat, and tough enough to withstand bear attacks, or worse, that of the devilish wolverine… well known for getting into so called inaccessible cabins.
Heading down you see great views across Lake St. Jean. Down below you may see farmers tending to their fields.
Instead of camping you can immerse yourself in the ambiance of the old town by staying in a comfortable bedroom above the old general store, right in the centre of town. There are also rooms available in some of the other old homes.
Then in the morning, you could slip over to the Restaurant du Moulin for breakfast, and for supper enjoy a full meal of local flavours including a nice roast and tender vegetables.
Those responsible for the restoration of the town have also created entertainment in the form of theatrical shows, plus an old fashioned photographer’s studio where you can record your family’s visit to Historic Val-Jalbert.
A visit to Val-Jalbert is a great way to spend a relaxing day, and get lots of fresh air, and exercise, at the same time. A lot more is in store if you have the time. Lake St. Jean has many places of interest to visitors. For more information on events and accommodations, start planning your vacation at www.valjalbert.com.