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The communities
of Val-Paradis, Villebois and Beaucanton are located
at the southwestern doorway to the James Bay territory,
right at the edge of the 49th parallel. The first settlers
who colonised the region crossed the Turgeon River aboard
a barge called La Rosanna, a replica of which still
stands at the entrance of Villebois. This land, the
home of famous nurse Blanche Pronovost (daughter of
Émilie Bordeleau, "Les Filles de Caleb"),
consists mainly of farmland and forest. It contains
a wealth of heritage in a beautiful setting of green.
Covered Bridges
Mostly all old bridges were built with roofs to prevent
premature aging and thus, save on construction costs.
In addition to their primary function they also served
as meeting places and sites for posting notices. Today,
covered bridges are part of our heritage. Built with
local materials in the traditional Town style, the Maurice-Duplessis
(1943), Pionniers (1948) and des Souvenirs (1954) bridges
all span the Turgeon River. The Taschereau bridge (1943)
crosses Leslie Brook. The Val-Paradis, Villebois and
Beaucanton bridges are still in excellent condition
and can be crossed in a car, on bike or on foot. Their
wooden structures are engraved with love messages written
by young couples seeking a place to hide from indiscrete
onlookers.
The Great Fire of Perron Township, the Erratic
Blocks and the Saint Joachim Parish
In 1997, a major fire swept through the township of
Perron and almost burned down Val-Paradis. You can walk
(wear a good pair of running shoes) or cycle through
this large burned out area and observe the process of
regeneration taking place in the forest. Then, as you
go through a patch of forest spared by the fire, you
will discover strange formations of erratic blocs, waterfalls
and builtin lakes - a stunning reminder of the ancient
passage of glaciers! The Saint Joachim catholic church
was built in 1948 and is one of the rare buildings in
Québec erected in the Dom Bellot architectural
style. Paul Bellot, a Benedictine monk born in Paris
and exiled to Canada, gave his name to this style recognisable
by its sharp angled windows. Today, this historical
monument, built of fieldstone and carved granite, is
the pride of Beaucanton.
For further information on Beaucanton, please contact
us by phone at :
(819) 941-4331
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