Aluminerie Alcan (now owned by Gestion Rémabec) in La Tuque, circa 1942.
La Tuque boasts extensive renewable natural resources and its development plan focused on logging and the hydroelectric potential of its waterways. The first families to settle permanently in La Tuque quickly contributed to creating a shared wealth that generated employment.
White birch being transformed into wooden sticks.
When World War II began in 1939, Canada contributed to the war effort by producing weapons and materials. The Aluminerie Alcan factory opened in 1942 in La Tuque. The munitions factory, which specialized in casting aluminum for the military, closed its doors at the end of the war in 1945.
In 1947, visionary mayor Omer Veillette formed an industrial committee to help La Tuque reach new heights. In 1948, the Montréal company Saint-Maurice Furniture, a Woodhouse subsidiary, opened a furniture factory. It provided jobs for 150 men until its closure three years later. At the end of the 1940s, the textile industry also gained a foothold with the opening of Saint-Maurice Knitting Mills, which specialized in the manufacture of nylon stockings. During the same period, Cosmo Underwear, a subsidiary of the Toronto company Silk Knit, opened a lingerie manufacturing facility here. Both companies closed their doors during the 1960s.
Business is good at WestRock, a global leader in the manufacture of carton for packaging and the food sector for over a century. At the height of production, the company’s 475 employees produced over 40 million carton cups and 15 million pizza boxes every day. Did you know that the factory produces gluten-free carton made from cornstarch for Starbucks coffee cups? You might well have carton manufactured here in your home in the form of a box, case or container for clementines, beer or Quebec strawberries.
Industries John Lewis has been a jewel in Groupe Rémabec’s crown and a cornerstone of La Tuque’s economy since 1979. Every year, the 150 employees transform white birch into 7 billion wooden sticks used for frozen treats and corn dogs and as coffee stirrers. It’s no surprise that the company is the biggest producer in North America and one of the world’s largest.
The tourism industry has also contributed in a significant way to La Tuque’s economic development. There’s no better way to forget a war or pandemic than by having fun.
