Railway

Expropriation by an amendment

In 1911, the government takes a right of expropriation by an amendment to the Indian Act. In the same year, he applied this provision to Pointe-Bleue and gave James Bay & Eastern Railway the necessary ground for the railway to join Roberval in Saint-Félicien.

« Yes, it was the train that was taken to go to Roberval, we no longer took the horse,
$ 0.25 to go Roberval and Saint-Félicien...it was cheap..» ( Elder of Mashteuiatsh).

Railway

The railway will have a major impact on the landscape. Already split in two by the road, the lots of rank A, are now divided into three sections. Two barns, a house, the chapel and the powder keg of the Hudson's Bay Company had to be demolished or moved to  allow passage of the train. Only the school and the Indian agency are removed from the railway lot. 

The government sees the passage of the train as a new opportunity to integrate the Ilnuatsh with the modernity and the allochthonous society rather than a retreat in favor of the sedentarization. 

«Well, it was helping a little bit, at that time there were no machines there, there were nothing but horses in those days. It was another means of transport. » (Elder of Mashteuiatsh).

«The mail came by chariots, ah yes ! For a long time the mail came by train. Then a man was appointed and took the mail bags, then would take them to Madame Merry » (Elder of Mashteuiatsh)

Extract of
Heritage Circuit on Ilnu’s Path

Heritage Circuit on Ilnu’s Path image circuit

Presented by : Société de développement économique Ilnu

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