Hauterive, an ancient town in the Mingan sector of Baie-Comeau, comes back to life through the pages of They were once Hauterivea historical work by Robert Garon. The author tells the story of this community built on courage, cooperation and resilience, traits that marked its first inhabitants.
For Robert Garon, the idea for this book was born from a simple observation: no work documented the history of Hauterive.
“I wanted to tell the story based on the citizens who lived in the city. I myself grew up in Hauterive, before leaving for my university studies,” he explains.
It thus traces the beginnings of the municipality, around 1948, when the territory was only a vast forest. The first inhabitants had to show courage to settle on sandy lands, often without aqueducts or sewers. “People were a little bit self-sufficient, each on their own,” underlines the author.
Cooperation and resilience
The history of Hauterive is also one of great solidarity. Between 1948 and the 1950s, two major phases of development marked the city: first the plateau, with streets like Boulevard Blanche, and then the colony, including the Saint-Sacrement district. In the latter sector, marshy lands have been transformed for agriculture, a great challenge for the newcomers.
Despite the difficult living conditions, the solidarity between families was exemplary. “Several families lived in the same house while their own house was delivered. Sometimes there were two or three families living in the same house. It lasted at least for a good ten years, if not a good fifteen,” says the writer, who sees it as a lesson for the current housing crisis.
A collective project
To write his book, Robert Garon called on the collective memory of citizens. Thanks to the Facebook page Hauterive only beautiful memorieshe collected testimonials and photos, sometimes with up to 200 responses per publication.
“That led me to frequent the Société historique de la Côte-Nord a lot to check if what they were telling me really corresponded to the reality of things. But at the same time, history is not just facts, it is also memories,” he explains.
The book, which covers the period from 1948 to the merger with Baie-Comeau in 1982, is much more than a simple historical account. For Robert Garon, it is a starting point to awaken memories and open discussions.
“I am convinced that when people read the book, they will remember memories, it will awaken memories of facts in them,” he adds, already thinking about writing a second version.
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