TOURISM >> CULTURE AND PATRIMONY >> COVERED BRIDGES

Discover our heritage by visiting the covered bridges that stand proudly in the rural areas of Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

The covered bridges of Quebec stem from the creation of the Ministry of Colonization and Mines in 1890. At the time, people needed to find an efficient means to extend the life of timber bridges, which would rot too quickly. Hence the ministry set off on the mass production of Town-style covered bridges for which structure improvement were made, resulting in the construction of sturdier and very typical covered bridges. The addition of vertical beams and reinforced metal rods produced a style known as Elaborate Town or Quebec Town. This style was widely and remarkably used throughout Abitibi-Témiscamingue, to the extent that Quebec had 1,000 covered bridges in 1958. Today, there are only 84 covered bridges left, including 6 in Abitibi-Ouest and 4 on the territory of Beaucanton, Villebois and Val Paradis.

Some people call them "red bridges" because of the scarlet jacket they wear to be seen from very far, even in the wildest snowstorm. Others prefer to use the words "colonisation bridges" or "Great Depression bridges" if built in the 30s. Finally, the title of "courtship bridges" is quite reminiscent of a period where covered bridges would be a refuge place for an entire generation of youth looking for privacy.

During your stay in Abitibi-Ouest, discover the rich past of those historical monuments. All of them are still in use. If you go to Nepawa Island, remember that the covered bridge was built 1946 and is the only one in Quebec to link an island to mainland. The 53-metre structure is the longest covered bridge of Abitibi-Ouest.

Northwest of La Sarre, there are two red bridges in rang de la Calamité: Calamité Bridge and Leclerc Bridge. Walk or drive across Molesworth Bridge in Macamic, Levasseur Bridge in Authier-Nord and Petit-Quatre Bridge in Clermont.