Cléricy

You are currently in the center of the village at Cléricy Park, which is at the heart of the community life of the neighborhood. This park, equipped with children's playgrounds, picnic tables, and public restrooms, is the perfect spot for a refreshing break. You will also find the Balbuzard, a meeting place for social and community activities built by and for the local residents!

Taken at the west entrance of the village, the photo above shows an overview of the village with the church located on a promontory. It disappeared from the landscape in 2013.

Today, Cléricy is known for the dynamism of its population and is distinguished, among other things, by the cultural activities organized in its area. Enjoy your stop in the village to take a walk and explore its streets while heading to the riverbank to admire the rapids.

Photo source: BAnQ

View of the village of Cléricy in 1941.

Photo source: BAnQ

The first bridge over Rapid No. 3 of the Kinojévis River in 1938.

Photo source: BAnQ

En 2018, une édition anniversaire de la descente en radeaux sur la Kinojévis a été organisée pour souligner les 40 ans de la première édition. L'évènement fut des plus réussis et ce sont entre 8 000 et 10 000 spectateurs qui se sont déplacés pour aller regarder les différentes équipes affronter les rapides de la Kinojévis dans leurs radeaux de fortune!  

Photo : Stefya Gilbert

Born in New Brunswick but having made Cléricy her home for many years, Jocelyne Saucier is undoubtedly one of the leading authors of Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Since 1996, she has been a finalist numerous times for prestigious Canadian literary awards. With her novel And the Birds Rained Down published in 2011, she successively won the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie, the Prix littéraire des collégiens, the Prix France-Québec, and the Prix Ringuet awarded by the Académie des lettres du Québec, to name just a few.

Photo credit: Ariane Ouellet

This artwork depicts the Kinojévis River, a waterway where many settlers engaged in log driving. The wood, transformed into planks and boards at the sawmills of Cléricy, was then transported using carts and horses and was used, among other things, for building settlement houses. During that time, in the 1940s, men would gather and work together to build the houses of the first settlers, who would then help others in return.

Artist: Marie-Anna Allen 

Year: 2016

Materials: Acrylic on UHD panel 

Marie-Anna Allen is a native of Cléricy. She lived there until 1963 and returned in 2001. A retired teacher, she took painting classes in 1998 with René-André Baillargeons.

1925: commencement of operations at the Frontenac, Cléricy, Copper Hill, Bouchard, and Continentale mines

1927: CIP establishes the Dépôt-Cléricy at the junction of the Rouyn railway and the river from Taschereau

1935: founding of the Saint-Joseph-de-Cléricy parish by the first settlers from Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, who settled in the region thanks to the Vautrin plan

1938: extension of the road to Noranda

1946: arrival of telephone service

1950: electrification

1951: forest fire ravaging over 100 km2

1974: protest to keep the village school open and successful outcome

1978: municipalization

1983: construction of the fire service garage

2002: merger with other municipalities of the MRC