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

 

VAUDREUIL BAY AND CITÉ-DES-JEUNES CAMPUS

Way of the cross and Joachim-Génus House (formerly Valois House). © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Partial view of the Maison-Valois Park. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Administrative and cultural center of the Cité-des-Jeunes campus. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Lévis-Sauvé sports center (left) and the administrative and cultural center (right). © Sébastien Daviau – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Side-view of the Centre de formation professionnelle Paul-Gérin-Lajoie of the Cité-des-Jeunes campus. In the foreground, the work of artist Yves Louis-Seize created in 2001, titled Turbidite. © Sébastien Daviau – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.
Occupation of land along Vaudreuil Bay in 1867. Details of the map drawn up by H.S. Sitwell and W.F. Drummond, Contoured plan of Vaudreuil, Canada East, surveyed in 1865-1866, 1867. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Collection numérique/Cartes et plans.
Former cultural center of the the Cité-des-Jeunes campus in 1970. The building’s conception is attributed to architects Louis-Joseph Papineau, Michel-Robert Leblanc and Guy Gérin-Lajoie. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, E6,S7,SS1,D702117.
Centre de formation professionnelle Paul-Gérin-Lajoie (formerly Institut de technologie de Vaudreuil) in 1970. Its plans were drawn by architect Jean Ouellet. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, E6,S7,SS1,D702120.
École secondaire de la Cité-des-Jeunes, Vaudreuil pavilion (formerly École Secondaire Régional de Vaudreuil) in 1970. The building‘s plans were drawn up by architect André Marchand. © Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, E6,S7,SS1,D702121.
A new addition on campus, the Brind’Amour school (elementary). Built in 2014, this school’s plans were drawn up by architect Frédéric Leclerc (Leclerc associés architectes). In the foreground, the work of artist Francine Larivée, titled Amalgame. © Bernard Bourbonnais – Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2017.

Interesting places nearby

Bordered by the Vaudreuil Bay (Ottawa River), this sector is located in the heart of Vaudreuil-Dorion. From the 18th century onwards, its tenant’s responsibilities were agriculture and livestock farming. Located between the villages of Vaudreuil and Dorion, the land was home to a large number of seasonal residences (summer homes, cottages, and Arts and Crafts houses)1. Its landscape was greatly modified with the construction of the Cité-des-Jeunes campus from 1963 to 1966. Urbanist Jean-Claude LaHaye (1923-1999) was entrusted with the overall plan of this huge school complex. Renowned architects were hired (André Marchand, Paul Goyer, Jean Ouellet, etc.) to design the many buildings that are part of this innovative campus2. A few years later, because of its beautiful views of the Ottawa River and Lake of Two Mountains, municipal authorities built the Maison-Valois Park. They also acquired and restored the Joachim-Génus house (Valois house) in 1972. This desire to encourage public access to the shores of Vaudreuil Bay continued as beach volleyball courts and a skateboard park were installed in the Paul-Gérin-Lajoie Park (2014)3.