The old Saint-Jérôme station
A building of great historic value
A meaningful connection for the Laurentians
The old Saint-Jérôme station is the first to appear in the Laurentians when the train operated by the company Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental first departed in 1876. At the time, travelers stepped off the train and into a private home acting as a station.
The current building was constructed in 1897 by the company Canadian Pacific, which had acquired the network five years earlier to meet the increasing demand. Among the growing numbers of travelling salesmen, businesspeople and first tourists coming from Montreal, there were eventually skiers drawn by the trails, slopes and the Laurentians’ landscape’s beauty.
An elaborate architecture
The station’s elaborate architecture is a testament to the importance of the railroad in the development of the Laurentians. It became a reality thanks to the perseverance of priest François-Xavier Antoine Labelle, nicknamed “the King of the North”. For this visionary who was saddened by the exodus of French Canadians to the United States because they had trouble making ends meet, the railroad was the only way to retain them.
Known for his tenacity, Curé Labelle made every effort to convince various stakeholders to support his project.
“Emigration is ruining us. Are we trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it? There is a hole in our country; look no further than my compatriots who trickle down to the States.”
- Curé Labelle
Several train-related developments
He delivered this speech after the community wood-gathering mission he organized in 1872, at a time when Montrealers were experiencing a firewood shortage during an exceptionally difficult winter. He took this opportunity to convince elected officials to fund the railroad between Montreal and Saint-Jérôme. It would be crazy not to!
The new link made it possible to transport firewood to the city and, to the priest’s delight, to send supplies to settlers in the Laurentians. With the train came the postal and telegraph services, and the village cores developed around the stations.
VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
Located in the old station. Open from May to October.