
Baie-Comeau and its history
Colonel McCormick and Mgr Labrie or Baie-Comeau and Hauterive
In the 1910s, Colonel Robert Rutherford McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune (and later
the New York Daily News), was a major American industrialist. Wishing to cut production costs by building his own newsprint mill, he turned to the Manicouagan River's timber reserves to supplement his supplies.
In 1937, after months of construction, a real town took shape: Baie-Comeau! By the end of the year, there were already over a hundred houses, a church, even a hotel... and of course: a paper mill!
At the end of the 2nd World War, the bells of Sainte-Amélie church heralded the end of the war and, in April 1948, Monseigneur Napoléon-Alexandre Labrie founded the town of Hauterive near the Amédée River. He built a hospital, a seminary and established his bishopric. A twin town is born!
Electricity and aluminium at the heart of economic life
A few years later, the hydroelectricity and aluminum industries also found a home in the surrounding rivers and our deep-water port.
Hydro-Québec began construction of a series of new dams... The now-famous name “La Manic” would stick to the Manicouagan region for generations to come. It's sure to inspire many, including Georges Dor...but it's never a dull moment for us locals!
In 1957, new energy capacities attracted Canadian British Aluminium. It opened a plant (later known as Canadian Reynolds Metals and then Alcoa) in Baie-Comeau, and established the Saint-Georges district near the port.
Birthplace of Brian Mulroney
Baie-Comeau is also the birthplace of Canada's 18th Prime Minister and one of the city's most illustrious ambassadors, Brian Mulroney. Born in 1939, he was one of the pioneering families who settled in Baie-Comeau in its earliest days. As a child, he even sang for Colonel McCormick.
Today, a great man and a personality honoured by several countries and prestigious institutions, and a champion of many humanitarian causes around the world, he is a source of pride for us all. In fact, a bust of him stands opposite the town hall.
Forced merger and friendships
In 1982, Baie-Comeau merged with its neighboring town, Hauterive. It wasn't without friction, but fortunately, despite a friendly rivalry that served as a pretext for a few jokes, we residents of the Marquette (original Baie-Comeau) and Mingan (Hauterive) sectors get along just fine today!
At the dawn of the 2020s, our town has a population of nearly 20,000, and is one of the North Shore's leading economic players.
A show to celebrate our past
To learn more about our past, this summer we're presenting a large-scale show entitled Baie-Comeau, d'aventure et de culture. It recounts a host of anecdotes linked to our unique and surprising history. A magical, colorful musical evening awaits!