History of the Town of Chibougamau
In 1651 the District of Chibougamau became a part of the history of Canada. This was a result of stories recounted of the region, by a Jesuit missionary Father Albanel who had explored the area, in the company of the Montagnais Indians.
After 1760, to about the middle of the XIX Century, there was no further mention that Chibougamau existed.
Upon completion of many expeditions, it was discovered that Chibougamau was a territory rich in hunting, fishing and fur-trading. The legend has it that the word Chibougamau signifies the meeting place of Northern Indians and place of sharing between them.
In 1870, the Director of Geological Research in Canada, the geologist James Richardson, came to Chibougamau. In a report he drafted he mentioned the meteorological richness of Chibougamau. The report highlighted the geological ground structure, and the discovery of copper, initiating the curiosity and interest of prospectors, geologists and the adventurers. This was how important explorations came about in a territory little known.
In 1903, Peter McKensie, a fur-trader, came upon Richardson’s report. Enthused by its contents, he came to Chibougamau and prospected, discovering copper samples of high quality which he reported to mineralogical specialists in Quebec. One year later, Joseph Obalski, Inspector for Quebec Mines, decided to take a chance after having seen the quality specimens. He wrote to the Minister of Mines, bringing his attention to the District of Chibougamau with its high mineral content.
A while later, in 1910, the "Mines Commission of Chibougamau" was instituted. A geological map was charted and a report, noting the unfavourableness of building a road, was published. This report diminished interest towards Chibougamau and brought a slowdown in the development of mining.
World War I erupted, cancelling any major exploration for the next four years. But after the war, renewal occurred. Many prospectors and mining engineers explored the ground in order to discover lodes of copper, silver, iron, lead, zinc, gold and asbestos. Many new companies were created and they were sending their minerals into St-Felicien.
Then the "economic crash" arrived in 1929. The town of Chibougamau was vacated in a few days. The town would be ignored until 1934 when the people’s interest in the town reappeared. The population suddenly climbed and again became a rendezvous of the mineral exploiters. The Chibougamau district grew; however in 1938, money was scarce, prospectors left and the companies closed down.
The factors for the non-development of Chibougamau were the isolation of the area, and the lack of communication. In 1945, the Government of Quebec started the construction of 150 miles of road joining Chibougamau to St-Felicien. In 1950, the road was finished and the exploration restarted. After the construction of this road, the encampments of those constructing the road became the first houses in Chibougamau.
In the years following 1951, mining expansion continued and continues to expand today. From 1952 onwards, transport companies appeared, and thanks to the road construction the logging industry gained importance.
Prospecting, staking out claims, and exploration of the region were pursued. In 1953, the Opemiska Mine in Chapais commenced production followed two years later, in 1955, by the Campbell Mines in Chibougamau. The booming economy enabled the area to move towards obtaining municipal independence.
September 1st, 1954, Chibougamau became a municipal corporation. Its mandate encompassed 1,000 square miles of territory north of Lake Chibougamau as well as to the west.
Around the year 1957, in order to encourage mining development which appeared to be slowing down, the construction of a dirt logging road was agreed upon. It would contribute to mining exploration and favour municipal autonomy for Chibougamau.
During the period 1962-1966, foundations were built for a new church (Reine-du-Rosiare), a new Town Hall, a recreational center and during this same period the Chibougamau Hospital started operation.
1964 proved to be a boom year for copper and exhausted the known reserves in the Chibougamau area.
The beginning of 1966 indicated a year for improvement; repairing that which had been built too fast and investigating those services still needed in Chibougamau.
In 1972, the paving of the road from Chibougamau to Chapais was completed. The work on the road from Chibougamau to St-Felicien was still in progress; however, as each year passed the work drew nearer to the end.
The asphalt completion of the road was projected for 1975. Needless to say municipal leaders and citizens fought bitterly against a Government which really did not understand the real needs of Chibougamau.
Chibougamau, in 1972, had attained a maturity that left no doubt about its future. It would prosper steadily over the next few years in spite of the cyclic nature of its economy.