Val Jalbert, Quebec

On Tuesday, we set out to drive around Lac St. Jean. The highlight of our day was a visit to Val-Jalbert, a restored lumber mill town of the early 20th century. Val-Jalbert was first established in 1902, a true “company town” built just to accommodate the mill employees and their families.


At its peak in the early 1920’s, the town’s population was just over 900. Quebec being a predominantly French-Catholic province, the town had one school run by Catholic nuns, and the Catholic church in town loomed large in its influence on the citizens.
An economic downturn closed the mill in the late 1920’s, but the mill, downtown, and employee houses have been either preserved, restored to their 1921 status, or left standing in ruins. Interestingly, the town’s homes were equipped with electricity and running water in 1902 – 25 years ahead of the majority of Quebec.