Plaque(s)

Description of Historic Place

Canada is located in Magog’s lower town, in Quebec, between the Magog River and the main road. The ruins of a railroad track, which once serviced the site, border the area. This major complex includes some 20 buildings divided into three functional sectors: the spinning sector, the printing sector and the administration sector. The oldest red-brick buildings are typical of the industrial architecture at the turn of the 20th century, whereas the more recent ones have windowless walls clad in sheet steel. Official recognition refers to the buildings on their footprint at the time of designation.

Heritage Value

Magog Textile Mill was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989. It is recognized because:

• it played an important part in the consolidation of the cotton industry as the only 19th century mill where the entire process of spinning, weaving, bleaching and printing was carried on at one site; and,

• it was the only print mill in Canada until 1899.

The Magog Textile and Print Company was founded in 1883 on the banks of the Magog River. In the spring of 1884, the plant printed the first pieces of cotton in the country and will be the only mill in Canada that printed cotton until 1899. After several mergers and management changes, it became Dominion Textile in 1905. The industrial complex expanded with the addition of new buildings throughout the 20th century. This expansion was made possible in part by the growing workforce. During the 1930s, while an economic crisis was raging across the country, Dominion Textile continued its expansion, accounting for about 80% of Magog’s manufacturing jobs. Textile workers in Magog joined the labour movement, forming unions and organizing multiple strikes. Dominion Textile continued to modernize its industrial facilities while pursuing new international markets, despite the decline of the textile industry in Quebec that marked the second half of the 20th century. The print works closed in 2008, followed by the spinning mill three years later. Since the facility’s closure, several buildings are now used for commercial and professional purposes.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, June 1989, December 2005.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this site include:
its location in the lower town of Magog, Quebec, between the Magog River and the main road in this district of the city;
the relationship between the site and the river, which remains evident and reflects the industry’s early dependence on hydraulic power;
the complex consisting of several buildings laid out according to three distinct functional sectors, namely, the spinning sector, the printing sector and the administration sector, as well as the continuing relationship between these buildings;
the site as a whole as a 19th-century industrial complex that continues to reflect the evolution and growth of the mill over time and the various functions of spinning, weaving, bleaching and printing;
the architectural features of the oldest buildings, namely, their red brick exterior walls and numerous segmented-arch sash windows adorned with lintels, typical of the industrial architecture at the turn of the 20th century;
the numerous changes and additions that were made over the years and that reflect the site’s significant evolution;
the railroad remains still present on the site.