Forges du Saint-Maurice

The Saint-Maurice River flows from the Laurentians to meet up with the St. Lawrence at Trois-Rivières. The flow of water rushing down 444 metres from the mountains has powered Canada’s oldest industrial community between 1730 and 1883. The Forges du Saint-Maurice produced iron cannonballs, stoves, and agricultural tools for the rapidly growing colony.

The iron master’s house was constructed in 1737 after a French ironmaster arrived to take advantage of the ore that was deemed to be of excellent quality. Most of the skilled workers came from Burgundy in France, and this is reflected in the architectural style of the house. The building housed the ironmaster, administrative offices, and warehouses. It was abandoned in 1883 when production stopped. When it closed, it was the oldest functioning blast furnace on the continent. The current building was constructed in 1990 as a heritage centre on top of the old foundations.

The cellars were underground and the best-preserved original part of the house. Unsurprisingly, villages with ironworks were at increased risk of being burned down. Essential supplies such as food and merchandise were stored here to keep it safe from the heat and flames of the blast furnace.

The ironworks had a reputation for producing high-quality iron, so much so that even foreign competitors started to copy Saint-Maurice’s trademark. Managers published ads in newspapers to warn the public about the “less durable” imitations in 1840.

At its peak, 453 people lived and worked in the 30 odd structures in the village. The blast furnace was powered by a water wheel that activated two bellows to keep the flames hot. Villages worked 12-hour shifts to keep the furnace running at all times to produce cast iron.

Today, only underground foundations remain as much of the village was salvaged for building materials to help rebuild Trois-Rivières after the fire of 1908.