Pierre Paul Paulin’s photo
St. Catherine’s Foundation and Champlain Street, southeast corner, today
The valve room on Champlain Street
Image courtesy, City Archives of Montreal
At the corner of Champlain Streets and Sainte-Catherine Est, workers are driving stakes for piping work on the main conduit pipe, which will be 48 inches long. The valve compartment is installed under the road. This installation is used for good circulation of water from the canal in the area. Other valve rooms in the city are above ground, but this one is not. ” safety first Can we read in English on the wooden fence? It is clear that occupational safety standards have evolved since the days of these workers. In fact, most groups of workers are tolerated, but their lobbying tactics are causing enormous tensions with employers, particularly the city of Montreal. But without belts and helmets, on seemingly primitive scaffolding, these workers could be seriously injured. On January 22, working outside certainly won’t be easy…there is snow on the beams. “Be careful not to slip, Maurice!”
IN LEBLANC ET GUYOT
Image courtesy, City Archives of Montreal
Mr. Leblanc has run a hardware store on this street corner since the mid-1920s, and he doesn’t live in the same building as many dealers. Leblanc lives on Rue Saint-Denis, while his partner, Guyot, lives on Rue Christophe-Colomb, much further north. Her beautiful painted ad showcases a stellar product that isn’t very popular these days: lead paint. With this branding, Leblanc and Guyot are undoubtedly the custodians of Canada Paint’s star brand, “Elephant White”. Canada Paint is a company located in all major Canadian cities. In Montreal, it has a huge factory along the Lachine Canal. It is used since ancient times, then lead was popular in paints, especially in oils, to give whiteness and opacity. This heavy metal is now banned in household paints because it has been discovered that it can cause damage to the nervous system, especially in children.
May 1929: We are drained … and Lebanon has changed as a partner!
Image courtesy, City Archives of Montreal
After a year and a half, the valve chamber must be dried. The water pump and drain are installed directly on the road. Since the equipment is not yet municipal, a subcontractor is used here. Therefore, the contract was executed by L. & L. & Co. , whose pump seems to do its job, which is to empty the water that has accumulated in the valves. Removable, allows temporary access to fixtures under the track. About a dozen men of all ages are curious to know how this machine works. One of them might be Monsieur Leblanc, the hardware store, which always sells chisels at the next window. He also changed partners this year. Théo Saumur, who lives in La Petite-Patrie, replaced Mr. Guyot. LeBlanc and Saumur remained in business together until 1938. At that time, Théo Saumur opened a parking garage on Mont-Royal Avenue East. Times are changing!
