Urban Archives | The birth of Rouyn and Noranda: a mining story

An Aerial Photograph of the Rouyn Mining Village in 1926.

At the time of this photograph, in the summer of 1926, Rouyn’s mining community had just been incorporated into a village municipality. You can see that the many […]

A few log cabins on the southwest shores of Osisko Lake

Starting in the winter of 1923–1924, the first log cabins were built around Osisko Lake. For its first inhabitants, this lake made it easier to get around and allowed […]

Du Portage and Perrault Streets in Rouyn

The corner of Du Portage and Perrault Street around 1926. The stumps have not been fully cleared from the lots and the streets yet, and several buildings are […]

Several Buildings Once Located in the Short-lived Village of Mercier

In Mercier, there were a few places of residence, Arthur Desrochés’ restaurant, a general store and a dormitory.

The Albert Hotel

Located on Principale Street in Rouyn, Albert Hotel was administered by Albert Coutu and his wife Elisa for a long time. On November 11, 1938, a fire broke […]

The Bellevue Hotel in the Early Days of Rouyn

The Bellevue Hotel was built in the early days of Rouyn and was located on Taschereau Street. In the background, left of the hotel, you can see the […]

A Sauna in Rouyn, 1926

In the middle of the 1920s, people from Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) arrived in the Rouyn township. Many worked in mines, but some them owned […]

Vantage Point of the Rouyn South Church with Rouyn and Noranda in the background.

On July 22, 1938, Louis Réhaume, the Bishop of the Diocese of Hailbury, entrusted the Immaculée-Conception Parish of Rouyn South to the fathers of the Oblates of Mary […]

Noranda City in 1939

In the late 1930s, Armand Senécal was a travelling salesman for the Salada Tea Company and visited several mining towns in Abitibi. He took the opportunity to shoot […]

Rouyn City in 1939

In the late 1930s, Armand Senécal was a travelling salesman for the Salada Tea Company and visited several mining towns in Abitibi. He took the opportunity to shoot […]

A Portion of Rouyn South Before it was Annexed to Rouyn City

In 1938, the Rouyn South community was composed of squatters: people living illegally on land owned by the provincial government or the mining companies. This situation was condoned […]

Noranda’s Beit Knesset Israel Synagogue

The Noranda’s Beit Knesset Israel synagogue, visible in the middle, does not have any distinctive features that make it stand out except for the Star of David on its […]