The Centre d'interprétation multiethnique

The Rawdon train station played a significant role in the municipality’s development in the early 20th century. Inaugurated in 1910, it linked Rawdon to Montréal, facilitating the transport of goods and passengers. 

Source: Société d'histoire de Rawdon, Germain Magnan

This rail link boosted the local economy by enabling the export of forest and agricultural products to urban markets.

Rawdon's Forestry Industry

In Rawdon, the forestry industry has been predominant since the early 19th century. Local forests, rich in species such as white pine, elm, oak and maple, provided high-quality building materials. These woods were processed in local sawmills, such as the one built by Philémon Dugas on the Rouge River, mainly for the construction of homes for the local population. Lumber, especially white pine, was the most popular building material produced in Rawdon.

A New Tourist Destination

The train station also encouraged tourism, making the region more accessible to city-dwellers in search of nature, summer and winter alike. In the 1950s, the popularity of skiing was such that a special train for skiers was announced! It reached Rawdon on Friday evenings and returned to Montréal on Sunday evenings, ensuring memorable outdoor weekends. 

The Line's Closure

In April 1956, the boom in road transportation, improved road infrastructure and increased use of cars and trucks reduced dependence on rail transport. This trend led to a decline in the number of passengers and the volume of goods carried by rail. Faced with this drop in demand, the railway companies deemed the Montréal-Rawdon line unprofitable, which led to its closure in 1957. This decision reflected a broader transformation of transportation modes in Québec and Canada during this period. It is a safe bet that today, this train would once again be all the rage for Montréal tourists! 

Many artists have lived in Rawdon and drawn inspiration from it to create works that tell the story of life in the region. Their work is a precious testimony to the cultural mix present in Rawdon. The CIM has always worked to showcase the art and crafts of artists who have come to settle in Rawdon. 

As part of the 75th anniversary of the Village of Rawdon, author and journalist Gérard Brady published the impressions of Maria Levtchouk, who is credited with creating the CIM: 

“It’s not by chance that we became your fellow citizens, but because we chose to be. We’re proud, no doubt, of our origins and respectful of our cultural heritage, but we’re also very happy and proud to be Canadian, and I’d like to say how much we love Canada and our native-born fellow citizens, who have received us with such hospitality and kindness,” says Maria Levtchouk. 

Polish artist Zbigniew Lewicki was born in 1920. A survivor of the Kolyma Gulag, he lived in Rawdon during the latter part of his life, until his death in 1960. His drawings, which are at once narrative, moving and tragic, act as a testament to a man who left us too soon.  

The Centre d’interprétation multiethnique(CIM) presented an exhibition of his work in Novembre 2023. This watercolour shows a cottage on Rectory Garden Road as it once was. 

Source: Courtesy of the Lewicki Family

This building has been home to the Centre d'interprétation multiethnique since 1988. Through an annual program of public concerts, exhibitions, lectures and activities, the organization is supported by a committed board of directors. A cultural hub for Rawdoners of multiple ethnic heritages, the Centre is the brainchild of the Levtchouks, a Lithuanian couple who were busy celebrating the habits and customs of Slavic countries, notably with exhibitions in the basement of the Catholic church, then at Mont-Pontbriand.

Before becoming a venue, the building you’re looking at was a rooming house. In Rawdon, as in other developing urban areas, many private owners rented out rooms to teachers, single people or visitors who frequented the region on an occasional or seasonal basis. Do you see the windows upstairs? They illuminated the rooms of tenants who, in some cases, returned every summer. Sharing the common spaces, the tenants saw this as an opportunity to be housed at a lower cost, while taking part in a community spirit reminiscent of home. European families often made a fresh start by renting rooms or building small cottages, as was the case for Polish and Hungarian families on the shores of Rawdon lakes. These people joined in Rawdon’s cultural, social and community life for the duration of a summer. Many would later choose to settle in the region permanently. Here, in the 1930s, one Elisabeth Rothdrum rented out her rooms.