GENERATIONS proposes a perspective on the industry from a human point of view and through a series of generational portraits.

Following a call to the public launched in many regions of Quebec, unique testimonials from 10 different families were recorded. These stories, told by everyday heroes and public figures, raise the curtains on a past of sweat and hard work, as well as pride and passion.

Throughout this quest, the Boréalis’ team was able to collect captivating testimonials from some of the pioneers of Québec’s paper industry, such as the KRUGERS (Kruger Inc.), the LEMAIRES (Papier Cascades Inc.), the PERRONS (Normick Perron Inc.) and the PRICES (Abitibi-Price Inc.). Focus will also be placed on six working families and their larger-than-life stories. At the end of the journey, five paper producing regions were visited: Mauricie, Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Just in front of GÉNÉRATIONS’ branding image sign hangs a chain of paper dolls; a symbol that was passed down through many generations and that still exists in our children’s kids’ crafts. Perfect symbol of the family, the chain of paper dolls represents the generations featured in the exhibition. The intense black and white contrast reminds us, among other things, of the combination of social classes featured through the exhibition. This contrast supports the timelessness of the topics presented and highlights the complexity of the feelings experienced. The yellow, for its part, represents the signage system that plants have been using for decades.

GENERATIONS will travel…

Thanks to the funding received through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Museums Assistance Program (MAP), the exhibition GENERATIONS will travel to Eastern Canada. Its first stops are in the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick, for which the museological content was adjusted (interviews, families, visual elements and artifacts).

Through this project, Boréalis positions itself as a Québec leader in terms of industrial memory-based heritage.