If buildings could speak… - A historical and architectural tour of Vaudreuil-Dorion

 

Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx House

House of Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Birthplace of Canon Lionel Groulx (1878-1967). © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
The house in winter. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
The 150 chemin des Chenaux, in winter. In the forefront, a reproduction of the original waycross built by the Groulx-Émond family in 1934. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2009.
Detailed plan of the Vaudreuil Bay (1865-1866) and the home of Noël Campeau (circled in red) purchased in 1869 by Léon Groulx. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Contoured plan of Vaudreuil, Canada East, surveyed in 1865-6.
Birthplace of Lionel Groulx, around 1900. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Lionel-Groulx Fund.
The Groulx-Émond family on the porch of house on des Chenaux, summer 1900. Last row, from left to right, Onésime Boyer, Guillaume Émond, Philomène-Salomé Pilon, and Lionel Groulx; first row, sitting on the left, Albert Groulx, at his side is his half-brother, Honorius Émond. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Lionel-Groulx Fund, P1/A,65
The house on des Chenaux in 1997, before its restoration. © Michel Bélisle - Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 1997.
Canon Lionel Groulx on his property of des Chenaux in 1960. In the background, the Lake of Two Mountains. Photograph taken during the filming of Pierre Patry’s documentary, Le Chanoine Lionel Groulx, historien. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, P697,S1,SS1,SSS17,D13.15.
Canon Lionel Groulx in front of his cottage in Les Chenaux in 1960. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, P697,S1,SS1,SSS17,D13.31.

place LES CHENAUX

Current name Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx House (Maison du Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx)

Original vocation Private residence

Address 150 chemin des Chenaux, Vaudreuil-Dorion

Construction date Between 1860 and 1865

Architect, Firm or Contractor Unidentified

Architectural type Rural flat-roofed - two storey house (1860-1940)

Status Private property; site du patrimoine de la Maison du Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx recognized by the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion on September 6, 2005

THE YELLOW HOUSE OF LES CHENAUX

Facing Vaudreuil Bay (Ottawa River)1, this splendid wood two-storey house was Lionel Groulx’s place of birth (1878-1967)2. Priest, historian, teacher and writer, Canon Lionel Groulx was an important figure in Québec history. Many of his writings (Les Rapaillages, Mes mémoires, and Ma mère) tell of his early years in Les Chenaux at the turn of the 20th century3. Built prior to 1865, the house was bought by his father Léon Groulx (1837-1878) in November 18694. It remained in the Groulx-Émond family for over a century before its sale in 19995. New owners undertook a four-year major restoration. On September 6, 2005, the house and its grounds were recognized as an heritage site by the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion6.

Test your knowledge

Which school did Lionel Groulx’s mother attend as a child?

Before Birthplace of Canon Lionel Groulx, around 1900. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Lionel-Groulx Fund.

After Birthplace of Canon Lionel Groulx (1878-1967). © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.

People

Lionel Groulx (1878-1967)

Originally from Vaudreuil, Lionel Groulx (1878-1967), through his teaching and writing, contributed to the transmission of Québec's history and the development of the intellectual community at the beginning of the 20th century.

References

  1. To facilitate reading and to respect Vaudreuil-Dorion’s historical development, the text in this heritage tour uses the names of Vaudreuil or Dorion for events prior to 1994, year in which the cities merged. 

    Also, when citing this heritage tour, please do so as follows: Sébastien Daviau, Jean-Luc Brazeau, and Édith Prégent. If buildings could speak. A historical and architectural tour of Vaudreuil-Dorion. Vaudreuil-Dorion, City of Vaudreuil-Dorion / Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017, <https://www.circuitvd.ca>, accessed [insert date].

  2. Site du patrimoine de la Maison-du-Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx and La Maison du Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx’s files. Consulted May 19, 2017 on the Répertoire culturel du Québec website, <http://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca>.

  3. Lionel Groulx. Les Rapaillages. Vieilles choses, vieilles gens. Montréal, Printed from Le Devoir, 1916, Lionel Groulx. Mes mémoires. Montréal, Éditions Fides, 1970, 4 tomes and Lionel Groulx, « Ma mère », L’Action Nationale, vol. LVII, no 10, June 1968, p. 876-888.

  4. M. not., Dieudonné Brûlé, November 19, 1869, no 614. Accessed May 19, 2017 on the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec website, Collections numériques, Archives des notaires du Québec, <http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/notaires/index.html> and Contoured plan of Vaudreuil, Canada East, surveyed in 1865-6 [document cartographique] / under the direction of Lieutt. H.S. Sitwell, R.E. and under the superintendence of Lieut. Col. Wm.F. Drummond Jervois, R.E., C B. Accessed May 19, 2017 on the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec website, Collections numériques, <http://services.banq.qc.ca/sdx/cep/document.xsp?db=notice&app=ca.BAnQ.sdx.cep&id=0000321527>.

  5. Bureau de la publicité des droits de la circonscription foncière de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, registration number 341508, m. not. not., Chantal Lamarre, May 27, 1999. Sale by Pierrette Émond, retired, residing at 150 chemin des Chenaux, to Diane Belleville.

  6. Madeleine Desmarais, « Le couple Hénault reçoit le Prix du mérite patrimonial [du Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges]. Une maison, une âme [maison du Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx]. La conservation du patrimoine : une question de vision », Journal Première Édition, Saturday November 16, 2002, front page and p. 3 and Site du patrimoine de la Maison-du-Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx and La Maison du Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx's files. Accessed May 19, 2017 on the Répertoire culturel du Québec website, <http://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca>.