A short story within a larger one

In books and articles about Québec’s manufacturing sectors in the 20th century, you will never see Contrecœur’s name.  Next to large industrial centers such as Montréal and Québec, this little town located on the St. Lawrence River’s south shore can easily go unnoticed.  Nonetheless, in Contrecœur, the shoe industry impacted many lives.  For some, the factories represented their family’s livelihood, for others, casual employment or their first professional experience that opened doors to the labour market.  There are also some for whom this industry rhymed with several decades of labour, but also with deep, enduring friendships.

During your visit, several people who were personally involved in developing this local industry will come and share their memories with you.  It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to Léopold Hamel, Claire Papin, Marcel Charron, Marguerite Cormier, Gilles Tétreault and Joe Bichai.

The Contrecœur shoe, a family story (captions available in both FR and EN) – View this video with a transcript (EN)