Born in 1846, Charles-
Alfred Roy (known as
“Desjardins”) could truly be
called a 'self-made man'. At
the age of 13, he started
work on a ship as a sailor,
but put an end to his
seafaring life at the age of
17 following the drowning
deaths of his father and two
| of his brothers. Back on
land, he found work in a
clock factory, and two years
later bought the business
from the owner. He moved
into the production of
agricultural machinery in
subsequent years, and by the
end of the century, Charles-
Alfred was a
| multimillionaire. This was a
rare accomplishment for a
French-Canadian during this
time, especially for one
living far from a large urban
centre.
This Community Memories
exhibit explores the life of
this industrialist, whose
impact on the history of the
| municipality of Saint-André
de Kamouraska is still seen
today.
|