La Pulperie de Chicoutimi: more than a museum, a site, a park

Posted on Aug 05

By pierre perreault

With more than a century of history, La Pulperie de Chicoutimi is now considered one of the major historic sites in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. It features an extensive collection of 26,000 objects documenting the region’s history and heritage; six exhibition galleries, two built to the technical standards of leading Canadian museums and able to host internationally renowned exhibitions; the Maison du peintre Arthur Villeneuve; meeting rooms; a documentation centre; a substantial collections storage facility; interpretive trails; and a gift shop offering regional products.

In 1896, the founders of the Compagnie de pulpe de Chicoutimi laid the first stone of what quickly became a true empire. More than a century later, the former facilities gave way to another major undertaking: La Pulperie de Chicoutimi / Musée régional.

Pulperie Chicoutimi

After its glory days and flourishing business, conditions began to worsen in 1921. The market had changed, and prices fell drastically. All its expansion projects had left the company in debt. In March 1924, the Compagnie de pulpe de Chicoutimi liquidated all its assets. Despite a major restructuring, falling orders and prices led to the mills’ permanent closure in 1930.

Saved from demolition in the late 1970s, the old buildings were gradually restored and now contribute to the site’s tourism and cultural role.

Pulperie Chicoutimi

Unfortunately, on Thursday, July 18, 1996, a major low-pressure system formed over the Great Lakes. Over 48 hours, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean received 150 to 280 mm of rain, compared with a normal monthly average of about 125 mm. The downpour came on top of the 120.5 mm already recorded since the beginning of July, which had saturated the ground, filled reservoirs and increased the flow of several rivers. All the conditions had converged for a catastrophic flood, a true deluge.

The raging water destroyed century-old stone walls, landscaping, interpretive installations and service infrastructure. Within hours, years of restoration work at La Pulperie de Chicoutimi were undone; only the walls and red roof remained. The damage was severe and required major reconstruction.
Thanks to the determination of local and regional leaders, support from several levels of government and, above all, a deep commitment to reviving this remnant of the region’s industrial and historic past, La Pulperie de Chicoutimi reopened in June 2002.

Danny Cloutier, who has been the Musée régional’s communications director for 15 years, recalls that the effort to preserve painter Arthur Villeneuve’s house was the catalyst for the project. The merger of two organizations promoting the Saguenay region led to the creation of the Musée régional La Pulperie de Chicoutimi. In November 1994, after years of negotiations, the painter-barber’s house left its foundations on rue Taché and made its way to La Pulperie de Chicoutimi.

Pulperie Chicoutimi

The spectacular move stirred passions across Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, with some calling it a scandal and others a stroke of genius. Moving the house 1.4 kilometres was a major challenge intended to protect Villeneuve’s work: in the late 1950s, he had covered every wall with singular frescoes portraying his city, his region and his vision of the world. The Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal devoted a retrospective to him in 1974, and in 1993 the Canadian government recognized his house as a national treasure.

Today, La Pulperie de Chicoutimi has become an essential visitor attraction in the regional tourism sector and even in Québec. No wonder its promotional slogan is ‘More than a museum: a site, a park!’ In the heart of downtown Chicoutimi, now part of the city of Saguenay, the historic visitor complex occupies a vast park beside the rivière Chicoutimi, crossed by walking and interpretive trails.

Pulperie Chicoutimi

La Pulperie and its museum are open year-round. They welcome groups and can host special events or children’s parties in rooms with a variety of settings.

Finally, the foundation supports, in various ways, the protection, preservation, development, marketing and promotion of the Corporation du Musée du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean’s sites, including La Pulperie and the Poste de traite de Chicoutimi. It also helps enrich the museum’s collections and acquire artefacts from the old pulp mill.

Pulperie Chicoutimi