Wednesday May 17 2017 – For more than a year now, a committee made up of members of Patrimoine Trois-Rivières and Appartenance Mauricie Société d’Histoire Régionale have been working on producing a book of historical photographs of the city of Trois-Rivières. As part of the cultural development agreement, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the City of Trois-Rivières are contributing financially to this project.
The history of the city of Trois-Rivières has been the focus of several publications in recent years. The publication of a book of photography reflects this desire to help publicize and disseminate the history of Trois-Rivières. The purpose of this volume is also to develop a feeling of pride and belonging among the citizens towards their city.
This volume will highlight the evolution of Trois-Rivières from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. It will consist only of photographs supplemented by short texts. Several topics will be addressed, such as industry, the labour market, education, sports, commerce, transportation, religious life, leisure, changes in the built environment and culture. For all the photographs published, particular attention will be paid to the representation of human activities. Photographic research will be guided by two elements: first, ensuring equitable representation of all sectors of the city according to their historical significance and, second, presenting original photographs. The authors are not excluding the publication of known photographs, which will be presented under a new light. Special attention will be given to the layout, particularly to computer graphics which will stand out with its creativity. The authors will consult several archives, including the archives of the Séminaire de Trois-Rivières, BAnQ Trois-Rivières, the Centre Interuniversitaire d’Études Québécoises, the city of Trois-Rivières and the Nouvelliste to name a few.
The team consists of scholars in history as well as individuals specializing in communication and visual arts. The research will be conducted primarily by young graduates in history who will have the opportunity to acquire work experience related to their studies. The committee will solicit the public’s collaboration by inviting people to comb through their family archives and submit their photos for possible publication in the volume. In addition, the production team will organize a photo competition to invite the public to immortalize images of the current city, the most beautiful of which will serve to illustrate the end of each chapter.
This book will be produced and published under the honorary chairmanship of Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port of Trois-Rivières. As Mr. Boivin explains: “This project will depict the rich history of Trois-Rivières and make forgotten memories accessible. The port has played a major role in the city’s history and thus it was normal for us to contribute to the publication of this book of photography”.
The launch date is scheduled for November 2018. The book will printed in 3,500 hardcover copies on glossy paper. This prestigious volume will include 250 pages of photographs on the history of Trois-Rivières.