Located on the Ottawa River, Île-du-Grand-Calumet was for many years the meeting place of the Algonquin people. During the French Régime, Calumet Island, like the rest of the Ottawa River, was a link in the western route to the Great Lakes (via the Mattawa River, Lake Nipissing and the French River up to the Georgian Bay).
The missionaries, fur traders and soldiers who used the western route portaged through Calumet Island to avoid one of the roughest sections of the Ottawa River. As early as 1613, Champlain made his way up the Ottawa River to Morrison Island, domain of Tessouat, Chief of the Algonquins.
The portage trail on Calumet Island was the setting for the Cadieux epic, a legend recounting the tale of "coureur de bois" who gave up his life to save his family from attacking Iroquois. A monument in honor of Cadieux was erected at the entrance of the village.
The missionaries, fur traders and soldiers who used the western route portaged through Calumet Island to avoid one of the roughest sections of the Ottawa River. As early as 1613, Champlain made his way up the Ottawa River to Morrison Island, domain of Tessouat, Chief of the Algonquins.
The portage trail on Calumet Island was the setting for the Cadieux epic, a legend recounting the tale of "coureur de bois" who gave up his life to save his family from attacking Iroquois. A monument in honor of Cadieux was erected at the entrance of the village.
Jean Cadieux, born at Boucherville on March 12, 1671, youngest son of Jean Cadieux and Marie Valade, was a coureur des bois from 1695 on. In May 1709, when attacked by the Iroquois on Calumet Island, he sacrificed himself in order to let his travelling companions escape by running the Seven Chutes Rapids. Remaining alone on Calumet Island, he died of his injuries and exhaustion. When found, he held in his hand a sheet of bark on which he had transcribed a death chant, known asLa Complainte Cadieux. Its opening stanza is as follows:
Petit rocher de la haute montagne, (Little stone of the high mountain,) Je viens ici finir cette campagne! (I come here to finish this campaign!) Ah! doux échos, entendez mes soupirs (Ah! sweet echoes, hear my sighs) En languissant, je vais bientôt mourir! (Languishing, soon will I die!) This legend is still kept alive and commemorated by the island's inhabitants. |
Calumet Island was erected as a township in 1846, with F.X. Bastien as mayor. The first chapel was built in 1843, followed by the first church built by Father Groulx in 1847. The church was replaced by the existing stone church in 1869. Ste. Anne's Parish is undoubtedly the oldest parish in the county.
Lead-zinc occurrences had been discovered on Calumet Island in 1893. New Calumet Mines began production in 1943. The maximum output of 840 tons per day was reached early in 1953 at which time employment figures stood at 435 people. The mine was shut down in 1968.
Today, those "roughest sections of the Ottawa River" that the explores tried to avoid are enthusiastically ridden by tourists. Three whitewater rafting companies - Equinox Adventures, Esprit Rafting and Aventures Outaouais - take adventurers down the Rocher Fendu rapids, known as the best whitewater rapids in Eastern North America.
Lead-zinc occurrences had been discovered on Calumet Island in 1893. New Calumet Mines began production in 1943. The maximum output of 840 tons per day was reached early in 1953 at which time employment figures stood at 435 people. The mine was shut down in 1968.
Today, those "roughest sections of the Ottawa River" that the explores tried to avoid are enthusiastically ridden by tourists. Three whitewater rafting companies - Equinox Adventures, Esprit Rafting and Aventures Outaouais - take adventurers down the Rocher Fendu rapids, known as the best whitewater rapids in Eastern North America.
In 2003, the Township Municipality of Grand-Calumet became the Municipality of Grand-Calumet, and on December 22, 2007 changed its name to the Municipality of L'Île-du-Grand-Calumet.
Parish: St. Anne City: Grand-Calumet MRC / equivalent Territory: Pontiac Diocese: Pembroke Opening registers: October 1846 History: Served as a mission until 1846. Until recent years, a priest lived there since 1847. The records of the parish open on October 16 1846. Canonical erection: September 22, 1840. The territory of this parish includes all of Grand Calumet Island. The municipality of Grand Calumet Island was erected under the Act 8 Vict.Chap. 100, sanctioned on May 14, 1847. |
L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet reçoit sa pompe-citerne Pierce 2013
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Fiche technique du camionChâssis :
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MUNICIPALITÉ DE L’ÎLE-DU-GRAND-CALUMET MUNICIPALITY
8, Brizard, Île-du-Grand-Calumet Qc J0X 1J0
t.: 819-648-5965
f.: 819-648-2659
Mayor: Pierre Fréchette
Director general: Lisa Dagenais
Building inspector: Robert Carle
ldagenais@mrcpontiac.qc.ca