Historic Locations

Papineau Regional Municipality

Thurso

1 - United Church of Thurso
2 - Saint-Jean-Évangéliste Church

Plaisance

3 - Heritage Interpretation Centre of Plaisance
4 -Plaisance Falls Historical Site
5 - Coeur-Très-Pur-de-Marie Church

Montebello

7 - Château Montebello
8 - Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Church
9 - Manoir Papineau c. 1848 -1850 National Historic Site of Canada
10 - Papineau Chapel
11 - Former Train Station

Papineauville

6 - Sainte-Angélique Church

Fassett

12 - Saint-Fidèle Church

1 - United Church of Thurso
- Église Unie de Thurso
c. 1875

161, rue Fraser, Thurso, Québec

The church was constructed in 1875, in the town of Thurso Québec, which is in the region of the Outaouais. The exterior walls are brick and the roof is covered with sheet metal, and the interior walls are made of plaster.  

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2 - Saint-Jean-Évangéliste Church
- Église Saint-Jean-L’Évangéliste
c. 1894-1896

350, rue Victoria, Thurso, Québec

This Catholic Church was built by architect, Victor Roy between the years 1894 - 1896 in the town of Thurso, Québec. The exterior walls are made of stone and the roof is covered with asphalt shingles. The interior walls and ceiling are made of plaster.  The property also houses the presbytery, community hall, monuments, caves and there is a Calvary cemetery.

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3 - Heritage Interpretation Centre of Plaisance
- Centre d’interprétation du patrimoine de Plaisance
c. 1904

276, rue Desjardins, Plaisance, Québec

The old presbytery houses the Heritage Interpretation Centre.  Exhibits reflect the history of the area and the three different locations of the village, including the Algonquin Indian village, the Village of North Nation Mills and the current Town of Plaisance, which was founded in 1900. Artefacts unearthed at several archaeological excavations in the area are on display.

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4 -Plaisance Falls Historical Site
- Lieu historique des chutes de Plaisance

100, chemin Malo, Plaisance, Québec

The Plaisance falls also known as the falls from Sault-de-la-Chaudière Falls or Mill are located 5 kilometres north of the village of Plaisance, on the Petite-Nation River. The Falls were an economic factor that influenced the decision to establish the North Nation Mills village in the nineteenth century. The Falls reach 25 meters in height.

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5 - Coeur-Très-Pur-de-Marie Church
- Église Coeur-Très-Pur-de-Marie
c. 1901

281, rue Principale, Plaisance, Québec

This church was constructed in 1901 by architect J.H. Rouleau. The exterior walls were made of brick and the roof was covered with sheet metal. The interior walls were made of composite wood product.

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6 - Sainte-Angélique Church
- Église Sainte-Angélique
c. 1902-1903

292, rue Papineau, Papineauville, Québec

Sainte-Angélique Catholic Church was built in 1902-1903 according to the plans of Casimir St-Jean, a Montreal architect who was inspired by classical Romanesque forms. The Church is adorned with paintings from Toussaint-Xénophon Renaud, responsible also for the stained glass and the overall decoration of the church. The artist Joseph St-Charles did the painting representing the four Evangelists and of the Eternal Father on the church vault. The paintings of Mary and Joseph at the lateral altars and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane at the high altar were created by St-Charles. The church was restored in 1996 thanks to the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec and the generosity of the local community.

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7 - Château Montebello
c. 1930

676, rue Notre-Dame, Montebello, Québec

Constructed in 1930 on Louis-Joseph Papineau’s former domain, Château Montebello is the largest log structure in the world.  This famous edifice originally housed a private hotel belonging to a select club, the Seigniory Club.  Ten thousand red cedar logs from British Columbia and the United States and 3, 500 workers were needed for the construction and development of the Château.  The Earl of Bessborough, Governor-General of Canada from 1931 to 1935, was present at the inauguration of the Seigniory Club only three months after the beginning of construction. In 1970, Canadian Pacific Railway Hotels acquired the star-shaped edifice.  From that time on, the building, also famous for its hexagonal fireplace, became accessible to the general public and took the name of Château Montebello.

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8 - Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Church
- Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours
c. 1895-1896

545, rue Notre-Dame, Montebello, Québec

Son of Henri Bourassa, a Québec politician and founder of Le Devoir in 1910, Napoléon Bourassa drew the plan for this beautiful church. Artist, sculptor, novelist, as well as architect, he built the church in the shape of a Latin Cross in 1894. As the priests of the parish did not appreciate the elegant proportions and original architecture of this masterpiece, Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Church was repeatedly transformed throughout the years.

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9 - Manoir Papineau
- National Historic Site of Canada
- Lieu historique national du Canada
c. 1848 -1850

500, rue Notre-Dame, Montebello, Québec

The Manoir-Papineau was built between 1846 and 1850 on cape Bon-Secours.  Louis–Joseph Papineau (1786 – 1871), one of the leaders of the Patriots’ rebellion (1837 – 1838), lived in the imposing stone building from 1850 to 1871.  He built his residence according to the Loire châteaus which he saw during his exile in France (1839 – 1845).  This construction which reminds us of the neo-classical villas was influenced by many architectural styles.  When Papineau died, his son Louis-Joseph-Amédée inherited the dwelling.  In 1929, it was sold to an American, Harold M. Saddlemire.  Designated as an historic site by the Canadian government in 1975, the Manoir-Papineau is one of the priceless legacies of la Petite-Nation.

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10 - Papineau Chapel
- Chapelle Papineau
c. 1853 - 1855

516, rue Notre-Dame, Montebello, Québec

A small grey stone chapel topped with a log cross, stands along the path leading to the Manoir-Papineau.  It is the funeral chapel of the Papineau family, constructed in 1855 according to the “rustic Gothic” style.  It was rebuilt in 1933 because it was falling into ruin.  The mortal remains of Louis-Joseph Papineau, of his spouse, Julie Bruneau (1795 – 1866) and of many of their descendants lie in this religious temple.  A small exhibition displaying the objects and furniture used for religious ceremonies adds to the interest of the building.

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11 - Former Train Station
- Ancienne gare de Montebello
c. 1930

502, rue Notre-Dame, Montebello, Québec

Montebello’s former railway station was constructed in 1931 from logs left over from the construction of Château Montebello and has a similar architectural design.  The railway station played an important role in local economic development as the arrival point of passengers and goods.  It was closed in 1981 and moved to its present site in 1989.  Today, it houses a tourist information centre as well as an interpretation centre recounting the history of rail transportation in la Petite Nation.

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12 - Saint-Fidèle Church
- Église Saint-Fidèle
c. 1917 - 1919

rue Principale, Fassett, Québec

At first, religious services were held on the school premises and then in a small wooden chapel constructed in 1909. This chapel soon became too small for the growing population of parishioners and construction of a new church began in 1918.  Built according to the plans of the architect Charles Brodeur from Hull, Québec, the building costs added up to $33,850. It was covered with beautiful grey stone provided by the Fassett Lumber Company.  Consecrated in 1919, the Church has beautiful round windows and a steeple crowns its front square tower.  As in many French-speaking towns, the imposing structure of Saint-Fidele Church dominates the village of Fassett.

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