From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 09 of 36
The Saint-Maurice ironworks
1738
In 1738, the blast furnace at the Saint-Maurice ironworks was lit near Trois-Rivières. Workers heated iron ore to make cast iron. The workshops made stoves, pots and other objects.
Look together
Which objects have the workshops made?
An idea to try
Find five metal objects in the house and ask your child what we would do without them. Talk about what comes out of the ground.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The ironworks project began in 1730, but its blast furnace was first fired on August 20, 1738. The enterprise’s founding must therefore be distinguished from this equipment’s operation. Ore, charcoal and skilled work made it possible to produce cast iron and manufacture objects.
The illustration simplifies an industrial workshop; it is not a technical plan. Look for finished objects away from the hot metal.
Sources and context (4)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Parcs Canada — Lieu historique national des Forges-du-Saint-Maurice
- Roch Samson — Les Forges du Saint-Maurice : les débuts de l’industrie sidérurgique au Canada, 1730-1883
- Parcs Canada — Les Forges du Saint-Maurice : le fer
- Parcs Canada — Plan directeur des Forges-du-Saint-Maurice
Source review: 2026-09-19. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.