(The Sun, Jocelyn Riendeau)
At the time, vacationers created a small artificial lake by building a dam on the Nelson River. The Val-Saint-Michel “lake”, located along Pie-XI Boulevard, is very popular for swimming and canoeing.
Welcome to the ultimate 1930s relaxation spot!
On July 1, 1933, The Sun publishes a very laudatory article on Val-Saint-Michel on the front page. It is a question of “laughing residences”, “clean and pretty”. We praise “pure” air. We swoon with admiration for the “beautiful roads”.
By the way, The Sun mentions that Val-Saint-Michel has all the modern “comforts”. Imagine! There is electricity there and even — hold on! — the telephone!
For those who are bored of “civilization”, the newspaper also specifies that eight trains per day connect the village to Quebec. All this at a price “similar” to that of the tram! Phew! Are you reassured?
On site, relations are sometimes tense between “vacationers” and permanent residents. Cottage owners want to keep taxes low. In 1933, the 400 “vacationers” of Val-Saint-Michel even separated from the nearby village of Saint-Gérard-Majella.
Val-Saint-Michel will remain a “summer village” for a long time. A place where you don’t mess around with your tax bill. In 1958, citizens refused to allow the municipality to borrow to build an aqueduct network. Three quarters of owners opposed it in a referendum.
Over time, the old resort will lose some of its luster. During the 1960s, cheap land and weak municipal regulations attracted very poor people. The Quebec government declares that the sector is “underdeveloped”! Sometimes banks are even afraid to lend money to build a house there!
In 1974, Val-Bélair was born from the merger of the towns of “Bélair” (the former Saint-Gérard-Majella) and “Val-Saint-Michel”. A new city which is the subject of much mockery. The magazine Croc repeats that the residents keep watch on their steps in the company of their faithful “Ski-Doo”.
He who laughs last laughs best. In 1961, the future town of Val-Bélair had only 3,919 inhabitants. It will soon experience the rapid development of the suburbs of Quebec. In 2001, the population exceeded 22,000 people.
Today, you have to make an effort of imagination to imagine Lake Val-Saint-Michel, along Boulevard Pie-XI…
Sources: The Sun and Bernard Poirier of the Haute-Saint-Charles Historical Society.
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