Grondines-Station

Don’t be fooled by how quiet the 3rd Line is today; there was a time where it was bustling with activity!

Grondines train station, circa 1900.

By the mid-19th century, the railroad was expanding across the country. Railway stations sprang up in the regions, spurring economic activity and regional development.

In 1871, the North Shore Railway began surveying the land with a view to build the “Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Railway,” a northern railroad. Just six years later, in 1877, trains were running at Grondines.

Former sawmill of Scierie Laganière, Grondines, circa 2021.

The railroad became an economic driving force, and for the Laganière sawmill, having Grondines-Station just a stone throw away was the perfect opportunity. Built by Félix Laganière and his son Joseph, the sawmill enjoyed its heyday under the management of third-generation descendants Napoléon and Ulrich. Business was so good that a second mill was built at Pied de la Montagne in Saint-Casimir. The Laganières produced crossties for railway construction and took advantage of their proximity to the Grondines train station to ship lumber all the way to England. However, the rising wages and the advent of low-cost plywood put an end to the business in the late 1950s.

Enjoy this interview with a translated transcript :“Interview with Réjean Laganière”.

The completion of the railroad in Grondines led to the opening of a post office on the 3rd Line. Paul Paradis, Grondines-Station’s first postmaster, took up his post on April 1, 1889. However, from the 1960s onwards, the vitality of the 3rd Line declined. Aline Rivard, the last postmistress, finished her last day on the job on April 29, 1961. From then on, the postal service was concentrated in the village proper.

Hotel Marcotte in Grondines, 1906.

The train also brought an influx of travellers. This phenomenon also benefited villages further north, such as Saint-Casimir, Saint-Thuride and Saint-Ubalde. The Hotel Marcotte, just a few steps away from the station, offered a roof to those who were passing through Grondines. It was probably the first establishment of its kind in the village.

The development of the road network in the early 20th century led to a decline in rail transport, and the station closed in the early 1960s.