Living to the Beat of Machines
Since the end of the 19th century, industrial development has redefined Canadian lives to the rhythm of machines and work shifts. Enormous sums have been invested in mechanization for mass production. Around 1870, entrepreneurs started large-scale manufacturing ventures across Canada. These factories could quickly meet the population’s latest demands; towns grew into cities and agricultural lands became industrial parks.
![Two women in uniform in front of a spinning machine. The one on the left is holding a full bobbin in her right hand.](images/deux_jeunes-travailleuses-two_young_workers.jpg)
Two young Montreal Cotton Co. employees, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, c. 1945.
Maheu-Rochon Private Collection
Pushed by this wave, the textile industry took root and soon became a core segment of the Canadian economy. The offspring of industrialisation, the Montreal Cotton Co. was one of the first and largest cotton factories in the country. You are invited to follow this company’s history and discover how it shaped the destiny of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
Montreal Cotton
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TRANSCRIPT
The industrial revolution reshaped 19th Century Canada. New-type industries entered into the fray...
...and forever changed Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. In 1873, the city’s convenient geographical position and powerful river flow sparked...
...interest among a number of investors who decided to establish...
...a major spinning mill operated by the Montreal Cotton Co.
It became the largest textile facility in Canada.
With intertwined labour and family environments, Montreal Cotton and its role players...
...spun an unusual story, a legacy that must be handed down and preserved.