Road Building, Road Tripping

The first automobiles appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Of course, only the wealthy can afford them: in 1906, there were only 167 registered motor vehicles in the whole province of Quebec. Dirt roads did not encourage the development of this industry. In 1912, the Lomer Gouin[1] government decided to remedy the situation and passed the Good Roads Act, aimed at macadamizing and gravelling roads.

Laganière & Houde tarmac roller, circa 1920.

That’s all it took for some people to see the great potential that this industry held! Only two years later, in 1914, Charles-Hubert Laganière, Émile Houde, Émile Guilbault and Louis Trottier, four Grondines entrepreneurs, founded a road-building company: Compagnie Laganière et Houde.

Snow clearing, circa 1936-1937.

Specializing in macadam, the company built Route 2 from Grondines to Deschambault, then extended its reach by developing the road network from Quebec City to Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets.

As roads became more and more practicable, the automobile quickly became the preferred means of transportation. Its use increased in the 1920s, but the real boom came in the 1930s. Those were the heydays of the Compagnie Laganière et Houde.

Two women driving a truck by Paul Guilbault, circa 1932.

In 1928, Émile Guilbault sold his part of the company. The following year, his son, who shared his father’s entrepreneurial spirit, bought a Rugby truck and started hauling freight. He transported milk from farmers in the county to dairy factories in Quebec City, and drove back to the village with his truck full of merchandise.

Paul Guilbault Inc. 50th anniversary truck, Grondines, 1979.

Paul Guilbault was a visionary and banked on the roads his father had helped build. From his small garage on the slope of Grondines, he created a business that is the pride of the region. Even today, although the company has left the village, Transport Guibault trucks criss-cross the province.

Easier transportation in the early 20th century also meant more travellers on the roads. The hotel industry expanded everywhere, including in Grondines. Les Jardins des Alliés, a fine establishment, attracted travellers from Quebec, Ontario and the United States. The Mont Vernon Hotel, the Mont Vernon Cabins and the Bonsoir Motel were also very popular. Then came the highway, which diverted hurried travellers from the village[2].

Couple in front of the Mont Vernon hotel, circa 1940.