[page 05] The weekly press Nelson Fecteau It is well known that over the years newspapers are born and die. However, a newspaper can only be published and continue to be published if it has a sufficient number of readers. In his book /Villes et régions/, without being an absolute, the geographer Jean-Paul Martin set the demographic threshold for the appearance of a weekly at 2120 inhabitants. Between 1884 and 1914, only 26 localities published a newspaper. The development of the economy, urbanization, industrialization and improved means of transport were factors that contributed to the improvement of living conditions at the beginning of the 20th century. The ever-increasing literacy of the population will also contribute to the emergence of the weekly press both in Thetford Mines and throughout the province. At that time, one could hang a qualifier, a label to each of the weekly newspapers. Many even claimed this label: liberal, conservative, independent, worker, union and many others! Over the years, weekly newspapers devoted themselves more to information, and political allegiances gave way to financial imperatives. Advertising sales became the nerve of war, and the support or non-support of merchants and advertisers soon gave credence to everything. Starting in the 1960s in particular, weekly newspapers in the Thetford Mines area existed, particularly in the importance of their advertising content. When the newspaper /Le Mineur/ in 1910 was published, the population of the town of Thetford Mines was 6969. Le Mineur is a liberal bi-weekly led by J-H Lemay. In 1915, it became /Le Canadien/, it has a circulation of 1,750 copies for 1,498 families. From November 1937 to June 1955, for nearly 18 years, three weekly newspapers co-existed at Thetford Mines. In the early 1940s, /Le Canadien/, /Le Mégantic/ and /Le Progrès de Thetford Mines/ had a circulation of approximately 6750 copies for 2500 families residing in the town of Thetford Mines. In the early 1970s, we found ourselves once again, but very briefly, with three weekly newspapers at Thetford Mines. /Le Progrès/, /l’Or Blanc/ and /le Courrier Frontenac/ competed for readership and the advertising revenue base. Due to time and space requirements, dealing with print media in the Thetford Mines area has forced us to make choices. We chose not to address the daily press despite the fact that early in the early 20th century Thetfordians could read a lot of news from Thetford Mines in /La Gazette (Megantic County)/, /Le Soleil/, /La Tribune/, /L’Action catholique/ and /L’Action/. Publications such as /Le Benjamin/, /le [page 06] Cantonnier/, /Le Reflet/, /L'Arrivage/, /Liaison/ and how many others would also have deserved our attention. So we focused our roundup on /Le Mineur/, /Le Canadien/, /Le Mégantic/, /Le Progress de Thetford Mines/, /Le Thetford/, /Le Carillon/, /Thetford Dimension/, /L'Or Blanc/, /Le Courrier Frontenac/, /La Mine d'Information/, /L'Hebdo en Région/ and /Le P'tit Journal/. Without being exhaustive, this overview will help give you a nice overview of what the regional press has been like over the last century. Le Mineur 1910 - 1915 In all likelihood, /Le Mineur/ was the first regional weekly newspaper to be published at Thetford Mines. A bi-weekly of Liberal allegiance, it was published from 1910 to 1915. June 20, 1914 /Le Mineur/ was published by the Publishing Company Le Mineur Incorporated. Mr. J.-H. Lemay was the director and Mr. J.-C. Won was the manager. By 1913 it had already had a print run of 2000 copies. The only French-Canadian newspaper published and distributed throughout Mégantic County, it primarily handles local and regional news and occasionally devotes certain articles to important national and international events. /Le Mineur/ is published on Saturdays. It has 6 pages out of 7 columns. The cost of the annual subscription is $1 in Canada and $1.50 in the United States. It can also be purchased at the number at a cost of 2 under the copy. [page 07] The content of the newspaper /Le Mineur/ compares with that of the newspapers of the time. Although mining is very important at Thetford Mines, agricultural life plays a major role in the regional economy. It is therefore not surprising to be able to read the chronicles /Farm page/ and /Life in the fields/. The activities of the three levels of government, both federal, provincial and municipal, are treated, as are some international news stories grouped under the heading /De partout/. Popular literature is not left behind. Readers can follow a soap opera and read stories. /Les Martyrs/ of F. de Châteaubriand and /La Rançon de l’honneur/ Serge Davril are examples. The judicial chronicle, the social diary and the railway schedule of Quebec Central are topics that come back number after number. /Attractions féminines et choses mondaines/ is another column that will be added over the years. At that time, as now, advertising occupied an important place in the newspaper, a quarter of the 28 columns of the /Le Mineur/. Miracle cures, business cards and product offerings from local merchants monopolize the space devoted to advertising. The red pills for weak and pale women, Moro Pills, Gin Croix Rouge, St-Michel wine and Minard liniment were the star products of the time. [page 08] As for business cards, they provide a partial idea of the professional life of the time and the identity of characters who will make the history of Thetford Mines including the notary Ernest Carreau, the lawyers Pacaud and Taschereau as well as Sam Deschamps and the doctors J. E. Lacerte, J. E. Beaudet and B. Delage. On March 2, 1914, in the edition of Volume 4, number 1, the management of the Miners committed to maintaining the 6 pages of its publication and stated that the day is not far away when /Le Mineur/ will appear twice a week. It states that the newspaper will remain the bond between bosses and workers and traders and employees. Started in 1914, the First World War is also the subject of a number of news. Some unusual news is also reported in /Le Mineur/ such as the electrocution death of four Russians in the Black Lake area in the May 23, 1914 edition. It reports that Ivan Paduik climbed into a pole of St. Francis Electric Co. to try to power his home. He was struck down by an electric shock. Attempting to rescue him, Nicolas Michauk, Alex Stizowda and Theodore Stizowka suffered the same fate! Three of them were fathers. [page 09] On May 30, 1914, /Le Mineur/ launched an editorial competition. The winner will be awarded $1. On June 13, 1914, a major publicity insert reported that the world's largest circus had come to Thetford Mines on June 20. Howe's Great London Circus offers an almost unimaginable program: 1000 people, 40 jesters, 5 brass bands, 2 elephants, 30 wild animal cages and 500 horses! Surprisingly, neither the Next May 30 edition nor subsequent editions mention the circus's time at Thetford Mines! On February 4, 1914, an insert attracted the attention of readers. It reads: "Notice heresafter given to you that a special general meeting of all the shareholders of the Publication Company Le Mineur de Thetford Mines is convened for Friday, February 12, 1915 at one o'clock in the afternoon at the office of that company for the purpose of submitting to the interested parties the proposal to sell that workshop. Let us not fail to be present. By order of Thetford Mines Minor Publication Company." The summons is signed by the manager, Mr.C. Bélanger. On Thursday, March 4, 1914, readers of the newspaper /Le Mineur/ learned that the Thetford weekly had changed direction. Under the motto Justice and Peace, the new management declares that it will make more room for local news and information from the City Council. "If it is not possible for a newspaper to live here, it is not good news for the city, but if everyone wants to put their own money into it and support us by giving us their orders, it is not only a weekly newspaper that Thetford Mines should have but a daily newspaper," writes Alfred Frenette in /Le Mineur/. Before proceeding, Mr. Frenette points out that for the past four years he was a workshop manager at the Three Rivers Printing and Building Company. "The reason we didn't announce these changes earlier is because we wanted to be able to fill all our orders quickly and without reply," he says. /Le Mineur/ ceases operations in May 1915. On June 17, 1915, the newspaper Le Mineur de J.-H. Lemay gives way to the newspaper /Le Canadien/ under the direction of Mr. Lemay. Alfred Frenette. Installed at Thetford Mines in 1915, he acquired /Le Mineur/ which he radically transformed and gave it a new name, /Le Canadien/. [page 10] Le Canadien 1915 - 1965 According to Beaulieu and Hamelin in La Presse Québécois from its origins to the present day, Volume Fifth, 1911-1919, The Canadian was born in 1915 from union struggles at Thetford Mines. While it seems audacious to make such an assertion, one thing is certain, The Canadian fought a fierce battle against the instigators of the first general strike in 1915, Nicolas Kachook and John (Ivan) Chaprun, who formed a union that was attached to the Central Council of Trades and Labour. The response was not long. Kachook and Chaprun were executed on October 27, while the Catholic Union of Asbestos Miners at Thetford Mines was born on November 1, 1915. The Canadian promoted this union and published numerous texts denouncing socialism and international union. The founder of the Canadian, Alfred Frenette, had been involved in trade unionism at Trois-Rivières. He had been president of the Union of Press typographers and secretary of the General Council of the Catholic Workers' Corporation. He moved to Thetford Mines in 1915. He acquired Le Mineur and was actively involved in the founding of a Catholic union. Replacing Le Mineur, the first issue of Le Canadien appeared on June 17, 1915. Mr. Frenette entrusted the editor of the new newspaper to Mr. Frenette. Romeo of Varennes whom the people of Thetford Mines and the region knew more about for his acting skills in the theatre. The newspaper was completely transformed. The Canadian secured the support of the clergy. In fact, Father David Gauvreau-Pettigrew was entrusted with writing the labour column. [page 11] The first issue read: "Nothing will escape us because there is now someone who spends his time entirely in the interest of our newspaper in order to inform our readers. Those who have read Le Mineur will soon forget this by reading the new newspaper entitled The Canadian." From the second issue, it discusses the importance of subscriptions for the newspaper. "A city that has its own newspaper is a prosperous city. The local newspaper is his organ. He is the protector, the benefactor and the trade guide." The content of the new newspaper is improving and diversifying considerably. Local notes, accidents, fires, sports, comedy pages, recipes, tips, women's pages and poetry are covered. It is not just union struggles that attract attention. Many soldiers from Thetford Mines and its immediate area took part in the fighting of the First World War. The Canadian reproduces many letters that they send to their loved ones. Romeo de Varennes was in office until September 1918. Mr. Camille Duguay, who had just landed at Thetford Mines, was responsible for the newspaper's editorial staff. It was during this period from 1918 to 1921 that Le Canadien became a veritable regional newspaper. It was then Cleophas Adams Robenhymer who assumed this responsibility from January 1922 until the summer of 1925. It was from 1925 that The Canadian faced competition. The only local newspaper that existed until then, he saw The Mégantic and Thetford Progress. A glance at the draw shows that The Canadian faced a number of difficulties. In 1915, its circulation was 1750 copies. By 1921, the print run had grown to 2,250 copies. In September 1925, it was 1,500 copies, just like in 1931. It was 2000 copies in 1939 when it was believed that a "merger" with Thetford's Progress would [page 12] against competition from The Mégantic. This association will last only three months. The draw went to 1735 in 1947, 2145 in November 1955, 5987 in 1960 and 5413 in 1963. In 1935, Alfred Frenette had tried to turn his newspaper into a bilingual newspaper called Le Thetford. The attempt failed and The Canadian returned to his earlier formula. However, from 1934 to 1963, the situation was revisited with a full page reserved for English-speaking readers under the title Thetford News. Over the years, Le Canadien was published on 7 columns, 8 columns and in 5-column tabloid format. It was 6 to 50 pages long. Of conservative allegiance from 1915 to 1960, he adopted the label of independent from 1960 until his death. [photo] Office: Journal Le Canadien, circa 1960 Source: Thetford Area Archives Centre - Jacques Fugère Fund The Canadian was considered a profitable newspaper. In the late 1950s, advertising accounted for 30% of editorial space. Attached to a bookstore and a printing press, it quickly attracted the covetousness of businessmen. CMP Publications, which acquired Thetford's Progress in 1961, purchased The Canadian in 1963. They then proceeded with its modernization in 1964-1965. Despite several new developments such as news commentary and reports on various aspects of the socio-cultural life of Thetford Mines The Canadian ceased publication in 1966. [page 13] Mr. Alfred Frenette was its owner-publisher from June 17, 1915 to May 24, 1951. Estate A. Frenette took over from May 31, 1951 until May 26, 1954. Mrs. Thérèse Frenette assumed this responsibility from December 26, 1956 to September 15, 1963. He was succeeded by Canadian Limited and Thetford Limited's Canadian until December 1, 1966. The Canadian had four editors: Romeo De Varennes (1915-1918), Camille Duguay (12 Sept. 1918 - 29 Dec. 1921), Cleophas Adams Robenhymer (19 Jan. 1922 - August 20, 1925) and Benoît Fortier (Nov 11, 1953-May 26, 1954). Nine people acted as editor-in-chief: Jean Laurin (Dec 26, 1956-11 Dec. 1957), Aimé Simoneau (18 Dec. 1957 - Jan 29 1958), Arthur Olivier (Feb 5, 1958-April 16, 1958), Yves Alain (April 23, 1958 - Jan 2, 1963), Maurice Loyer (Feb 13, 1963). 1963 - 18 Seps 1963), Jean-Guy St-Laurent (15 Jan. 1964 - March 4, 1964), Jocelyn Lemieux (March 11, 1964- September 22, 1965), André Dionne (29 Sep 1965 - Nov 3. 1965) and Gaétan Lemieux (Nov 10, 1965 - Dec 22, 1965). Le Mégantic 1925 - 1956 [photo] July 15, 1948 Published from September 25, 1925 until 1956, Le Mégantic was born out of a conflict between the owner of Le Canadien, Alfred Frenette, and its editor, Cléophas Adams Robenhymer. The latter took over the editorship of The Canadian newspaper in January 1922, while Mr. Camille Duguay, in office since September 1918, was leaving [page 14] newspaper. Mr. Adams Robenhymer was secretary of the Thetford Workers' Union at the time. He had repeatedly had the opportunity to defend the interests of workers to foremen or government authorities. He had also represented them in workers' congresses and in labour delegations. It is also important to know that prior to this, Cleophas Adams Robenhymer had worked in the asbestos mines in the Vimy Ridge area and that from 1916 to 1922 his name was on the Bell mine payroll. In 1919, accompanied by Louis Vermette and Father Fortier of Quebec, they went to Asbestos to promote the formation of a union. The National Union of Asbestos Asbestos Miners was born there. This involvement in the defence of asbestos workers helps explain his involvement with the owner of le Canadien newspaper, Mr. Alfred Frenette, and his departure to launch /Le Mégantic/. Mr. Frenette, a conservative, respected the established order. Mr. Adams Robenhymer, a staunch liberal, advocated for the emancipation of minors. The position of Cleophas Adams Robenhymer soon became unbearable. His departure was inevitable. With the financial help of the notary Antoine Dumais, he then published /Le Mégantic/. /Le Mégantic/ published its first issue on September 25, 1925. Let Cleophas Adams comment. "This newspaper, devoted to the interests of the people and the progress of our city, was immediately frowned upon by those who in recent years exploited the various factions and simulated a selfless attachment to the interests of our city, when in reality they served only their personal interests. The newspaper Le Mégantic had a very stormy start. but as in all good causes the truth finally triumphs. The Mégantic has become today the most popular newspaper, one that does not hide to defend good causes, and, indeed, by its careful writing and its spirit of justice towards everyone, it is officially recognized as the voice of all serious groups for whom the general interests and progress of our city come before the special interests." [page 15] Dumais and Adams Robenhymer won't be sparing very long. Strange as it may seem, readers of /Le Mégantic/ are entitled to two official versions on many subjects. The notary Dumais signs his editorials /Un ouvrier/. Cleophas Adams signs /Un autre ouvrier/! The situation could not last like this, in September 1926, Adams bought the shares of the notary Dumais and became the sole owner of the newspaper. Cleophas Adams Robenhymer ran his diary until his death on January 22, 1946. His wife Marie-Anne Garon took over the management for about ten years after his death. She did so with the help of four managers whom she hired and who succeeded each other over the course of this decade. Hilaire Grégoire, Henri Paquet and André Hughes were among them. They were not the owners, nor was the newspaper sold to Tancrède Labbé in 1949, as André Beaulieu and Jean Hamelin assert in their book /La Presse québécoise des origines à nos jours/. Printed in Beauceville, /Le Mégantic/ had between 8 and 12 pages per publication. The Mégantic borrowed a format on eight columns. Initially of liberal allegiance, he later became an independent with a strong conservative tendency. Among the newspaper's contributors was Father Pierre Gravel. The latter used the pseudonym Jean Tavernier to sign his texts. Mr. J.-L. Omer Côté was also a contributor to the newspaper. The cost of the annual subscription was $2. In 1930, the circulation was 3750 and had not changed in 1935. In 1940, /Le Mégantic/ had a print run of 3000 copies. Throughout its existence, Le Mégantic recounted many memorable events. Of these, seven Bell mine miners were buried under tons of stone as a result of a landslide. Under the title /Deuil civique et honneurs militaires à Thetford Mines/ on the front page of the December 15, 1938 edition, the funeral description of the seven victims of this tragedy was held at St. Alphonse Church in Thetford Mines. Landslide at Bell Asbestos Mine, December 7, 1938 Source: Thetford Area Archives - White Gold Forefathers Galleries Fund (Donor: G. Lamonde) [page 16] Beneath this article, also on the front page, a text mentions the circumstances of the drama under the title /Le drame de Thetford Mines est purement accidentel/. A jury chaired by Dr. J-Emile Fortin reached a verdict of accidental death caused by a landslide after hearing six witnesses. The investigation, which began at 2:30 a.m. at the Lavallière morgue, ended around 4 a.m. In this same edition of December 15, 1938, page 3 is completely reserved for expressions of sympathy from religious and governmental authorities in Canada and Quebec. It includes messages of condolence from the Governor General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir, the Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mckenzie King, the Premier of Quebec, Maurice Duplessis, the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Colonization, the Minister of Mines and the Member of Parliament for Mégantic-Frontenac, Mr. Eusèbe Roberge. A particular insert, in the centre of the page, is reserved for Councillor Albert Lemieux, who is among the victims. In terms of the information covered in /Le Mégantic/, we note the sections Agricultural Life and On the Margins of Sports News. The /Va and Vient/ section refers to the movement of citizens in view of the city of Thetford Mines outwards or the presence of important people in the town of Thetford Mines. /Le Mégantic/ publishes a souvenir issue on the occasion of its 17th anniversary of publication. This issue is a veritable treasure trove of information about the town of Thetford Mines in 1942. Photos of the main buildings, an education section, a section on mining companies, pĥotos and short biographical notes of notables and a history of the town of Thetford Mines make up this special issue. You can enjoy photos of the Bey Cinema, the Hébert Manor, the Paroissial Centre, the Saint-Maurice Parish Hall, the churches of St- Alphonse and St-Maurice, the shops A. Setlakwe, J.E. Ferland, J.A. Béliveau, J.T. Beaudoin and Jos Roberge. [page 17] It also includes photos of Bell and Johnson mine leaders, Dr. Lacerte, merchant Alphonse Blais, Georges Smith and Orlando Smith. On April 10, 1941, Le Mégantic launched a competition entitled "Thetford in 1950". The first three prizes will be $5, $3 and $1. In August 1950, Le Mégantic reported the death of Monsignor Ernest Dubé, parish priest of St-Alphonse. New technology obliges, the chronicle /Sur les ondes/ will report on the programming of Radio-Canada in the early 1950s. Finally, /Le Mégantic/ went on sale in late 1955. It was reportedly acquired by Mr. Gérard Dagenais, who produced a few numbers. It was last published in 1956. The new owner would then have opted for the name /L'Action/. Le Carillon 1930 [photo] Father Pierre Gravel Source: Thetford Area Archives - Marc-André Paquet Collection Founded by Father Pierre Gravel in early 1930, this diary does not appear to have been kept in any library. Published on a monthly basis, Volume 1, number 2 of May 1930 seems to be the only number to have been recovered. In all likelihood, Le Carillon was also published in April 1930. If we can't talk about this monthly publication, let's take the opportunity to get to know Father Pierre Gravel more. The motto of the latter was Courage and Labeur. He is said to have given 5,000 speeches and lectures and written no less than 3,000 sermons. Founder of the Asbestos Union and the Pie XI Circle of Social Studies, he worked at Thetford Mines from May 17 to December 23, 1935. There he is director of the Youth Work, founder and director of the Pie XI Social Studies Circle, the Thetford Workers' Circle, the asbestos unions of [page 18] Thetford Mines, Black Lake, Broughton East and Asbestos. "I founded the asbestos union, not in the spirit of hateful advocacy, of violence, but in a spirit of collaboration." A vigorous patriotic speech at the St-Jacques market in Montreal led to his dismissal from Thetford Mines and his appointment to Saint-Roch de Québec. His departure from Thetford led to a general and spontaneous one-day strike as a sign of mourning. A great patriot, Father Gravel wore a pin decorated with a lily flower on his cassock since his ordination. A writer, he has published several books, including: Common Sense, To Secure the Future, After Five Years, A Work That Stands Out, The Thought of Activists, Hope Without Fear, Social Mixes and Courage and Toil. He composed several religious and patriotic songs and a book of poems. He published a book of poems and a book of sermons by Father Apollinaire Gingras. He contributed to the newspaper Le Mégantic under the pseudonym Jean Tavernier. Sources: 1. Michelle de Saint-Antoine, Sa parole est ardente (Pierre Gravel, prêtre), 1969, Ottawa. 2. Archives nationales du Québec, Fonds Pierre Gravel. 3. Wikipédia, l’encyclopédie libre. 4. La Presse québécoise, des origines à nos jours, André Beaulieu et Jean Hamelin, Tome sixième, 1920-1934, Les Presses de l’Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, 1984. Le Thetford 1935 Did you know that the City of Thetford Mines has already owned its bilingual daily newspaper? [photo] Alfred Frenette Founder of the newspaper Le Canadien, Mr. Alfred Frenette had always had to deal with several rivals over the years, including Le Mégantic and Le Progrès. In 1935, he attempted to turn the Canadian into a daily, bilingual newspaper under the name Le Thetford. The attempt fails and Mr. Frenette has to go back to the original formula. This did not prevent Le Canadien from dedicating a full page entitled Thetford News to its English-speaking readers from 1934 to 1963. Other newspapers in the region did the same for a period of time, including Le Progress. Source: La Presse Québécois, from origins to the present day, André Beaulieu and Jean Hamelin, fifth book , 1911-1919, Les Presses de l'Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, 1982, and seventh book. [page 19] Le Progrès de Thetford (1936-1985) Founded by Marcel Lemieux, Thetford's Progress published its first edition on November 2, 1936. In fact, Mr. Lemieux was going to direct The Thetford Progress from 1936 to 1952. The arrival of this publication brought to three the number of week-olds in the Thetford Mines area at that time since Le Mégantic and Le Canadien were already published there. In fact, on February 16, 1939, a merger agreement was reached between Le Canadien and Le Progrès. The newspaper from this merger will be named Thetford's Canadian-The Progress. This agreement was very short-lived and it was completed in May 1939. The two newspapers then resumed publishing on their own. The first collaborators of Le Progrès were Dr. Paul Marcoux and Mr. George Payeur. At that time, Thetford's Le Progrès was printed in Lévis by Le Quotidien, then in Montreal by La Revue Moderne and in Beauceville by L'Éclaireur. From 1948 to 1952, Le Progrès evolved and expanded. Mr. J-Alfred Lapointe became a regular contributor to the nearby parishes of Thetford Mines, while Mr. Roland Drouin was responsible for news writing for Thetford Mines and Black Lake. The year 1952 represents an important milestone in the history of Le Progrès. In May, Mr. Marcel Lemieux hired Mr. Jean-Marie Picotte as editor-publicist. The newspaper goes from tabloid format to seven-column format. For the first time in its life, it was printed at Thetford Mines on the presses of the Paul Frenette workshops. [page 20] In December of that year, Mr. Picotte acquired Le Progrès de Thetford. At that time, it was referred to as the most important weekly in the region. It reorganizes the local news service and extends this service to the entire region. The circulation gradually increases. In March 1955, the Thetford Progress Directorate adopted the formula of publishing two editions a week. The bi-weekly formula then offers serious benefits both in terms of information and advertising. This situation requires management to use two printers. The Gérard Poulin printing house in Saint-Joseph de Beauce, which has been printing Le Progrès since 1953, cannot do the job. It will continue to print the Thursday edition, while the Tuesday edition is entrusted to L'Metreur de Beauceville. The year 1956 represents another important milestone in the history of the newspaper. The number of employees is increasing and in October, Mr. Picotte set up his printing plant in a building in Robertsonville, which he had purchased on July 6. At that time, Le Progrès served a territory of 70,000 inhabitants and joined nearly 6000 families in mégantic, Wolfe, Beauce and Frontenac counties. In 20 years, the volume of the newspaper has more than sixfold. In its 20th year of existence, Le Progrès de Thetford has published an average of 26 large-format pages each week. Two editors, two permanent staff and 25 correspondents are responsible for the editorial work. Pages are dedicated specifically to news from the communities of Black Lake, Disraeli and East Broughton. Editorials and comments complete the information. "Le Progrès de Thetford is now one of the most important newspapers of the Association of French-language Weekly Newspapers of Canada. He is also a member of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association, Class A. Its circulation is certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulation," reads /Les Cantons de l’Est/ published by the Incorporated Industrial Historical Society. The Tuesday and Thursday editions will gradually increase from 8 to 10 and then to 12 pages. Mr. Roland Gendreau is editor-in-chief while Benoît Fortier is news editor. The latter is assisted by Mr. J.-Alfred Lapointe. André Gagnon is the sports editor [page 21] Published in the format of a major newspaper on eight columns, Le Progrès de Thetford serves the counties of Mégantic, Wolfe, Beauce and Frontenac. The cost of the annual subscription is $3.00 while you have to pay 10 cents for a copy. Joseph Pelchat succeeds Mr. Gendreau as editor-in-chief. He resumed his post several months later. It includes columns such as /We say it and repeat it/ as well as /Results of today, tomorrow's profits/. The main concerns of the City of Thetford Mines' finances, regional economic development, employment and prosperity are the highly-anticipated editorials. It must be said that the area and Thetford Mines are booming. Construction investments reached $1,800,000, with births in 1955 reaching 736. The School Board's annual budget is in the order of $546,620, of which $329,000 is in salaries. Construction of the St. Christmas Shopping Centre and the Elk Club is well underway, while the construction of Notre Dame Church and the new public market are being announced. In terms of mines, the Johnson store closes its doors after 72 years of existence and the construction project of the Lake Asbestos mill is a dream come true with its investments of $7,700,000. If on March 1, 1956, Le Progrès began its second year as a bi-weekly, in September, the newspaper's management chose to go there with a single editorial. Ten years later, in 1965, when The Canadian newspaper closed, Le Progrès de Thetford became the only newspaper in the region. It enjoys a wide spread and no longer has to share the market. It publishes about fifty pages weekly and deals particularly with regional news. How to ignore the Georges Larochelle era! Many will taste the medicine of the director and editor-in-chief of the weekly owned by CMP Publications since 1961. But in return, Le Progrès de Thetford is not spared. It must be believed that the controversy seems to keep the weekly alive. In 1975, the journal /Perspectives/, in its February 18 issue, mentioned that Le Progrès de Thetford was the most important medium in the region. It reaches 6,000 readers compared to La Tribune with its 2,200 copies and the Sun with its 1,500 copies. Four full-time journalists and three part-time journalists are employed by the newspaper. On March 11, 1975, as part of Regional Solidarity Week, Cégep students held a panel to discuss the role of the regional press. Le Progrès de Thetford was then the subject of several criticisms. What [page 22] Mr. Larochelle told in his account of the event: "Manipulated by a small group with their foot on the ground at 22 Rue De La Fabrique, the encounter turned at one point much more into a show." In 1978, the editorial team included Gilberte Blanchard, Aurore St-Laurent, Daniel Richard and Berverly Nicol, who were editors of Thetford Highlights as Ms. Motherwell had previously done. It was also at this time that Le Carrousel, a supplement to the newspaper intended, among other things, for mail subscribers, but whose circulation was 18,000 copies, appeared. In April 1978, a full-page advertisement invited people who had already subscribed to Le Progrès de Thetford , but who had a subscription to L'Or Blanc, which had just ceased operations, to subscribe to Le Progrès de Thetford and the Musical Ride, publishing 64 pages weekly. The offer was one year, six months of which were free. In 1978, the Association of Publishers of the French-language Regional Press awarded Le Progrès de Thetford the first prize for the quality of its advertising, first mentions for its sports pages, its first pages and its photographs, and a second mention for its layout. The previous year, Le Progrès de Thetford had earned the title of the Weekly of the Year finishing first for the quality of its photos, its presentation grapĥique and total points. [page 23] In 1978, Le Progrès de Thetford saw a new competitor show up to take a big part of the market. The Frontenac Courier is responsible for the decline in sales and the decrease in advertising profits for Le Progrès. Le Progrès de Thetford published its last issue on December 18, 1985. However, Le Progrès Aubaines under the general direction of Ms. Lucyl Lachance will be published for nearly four years, publishing about twenty pages per issue. In September 1985, Le Progrès Aubaines was published by Thetford Publishing and had a circulation of 23,000 copies. Louise Nadeau was the editor-in-chief and the editorial team consisted of Pierre Hébert, Michel Bégin and Mario Royer. In March 1988, it was published by Le Courrier Frontenac with a circulation of 19,604 copies. Thetford Dimension 1974 - 1975 If, in the 1970s, the Thetfordian weekly newspapers followed each other, they do not necessarily look the same. They are of different design and philosophy. However, they have one characteristic in common. Their lifespan is ephemeral. Thus, it will be the lot of the weekly /Thetford Dimension/ which will be born on September 24, 1974 and of which we traced only 14 issues between September 24 and January 7, 1975. [page 24] Under the slogan /Au service de la population de la région de l’amiante/, Mr. Rosaire Rainville, teacher by profession and businessman, launched /Thetford Dimension/ September 24, 1974. The front page is spectacular. There is a thunderous ENFIN diagonally! against a background of headers from multiple newspapers. This first issue is 24 pages long. The publication is located on the street at 22, from La Fabrique in a building owned by Rosaire Rainville himself. With 10,000 copies, the new weekly includes journalists France Hébert, Mario Giguère and Guy Auclair, the latter taking over sports coverage. When the third issue is published, Yvan Jacques, from the Plessisville Maple Leaf, will act as editor-in-chief. The newspaper is printed at L'Pathfinder de Beauceville. It was distributed to 10,000 homes from Tring Junction to Weedon via East Broughton, Thetford Mines, Black Lake and Disraeli. A total of 5600 copies are distributed by junk at Thetford Mines, while 1,400 are distributed by mail in Black Lake. We are talking about 1000 copies for East Broughton and Disraeli, 400 copies for Robertsonville and 300 copies for Tring Junction and Coleraine. On newsstands, it is available at a cost of 20 under a copy. The editorial on page 4 signed by Rosaire Rainville himself mentions the purpose and objectives of the weekly, while on page 5, one can read the code of professional ethics of the weekly press. Intuition? Apprehension? Foresight? With The Le Progrès as its only competitor, sparks were to be expected. In any case, Rosaire Rainville immediately announced its colours. "Obviously, we don't believe we're giving perfection from the first issue, [page 25] but we intend to make it a regional news newspaper, a culture newspaper and, if possible, to bring some entertaining notes to allow our readers to relax while watching our newspaper." Rosaire Rainville later stated that the newspaper would be objective, that is, any group or association, whether employer, trade union or worker, would be allowed to express itself in the newspaper. We also leave it to all political parties to pass on their ideas to inform the public about the administrative policies of the governments of our province or country. It also stresses the importance of granting the right of reply. "I hope we can deliver it every week and that, for as long as possible (...) We believe that a second newspaper is a necessity and a need in a growing region like ours, because competition allows everyone to improve and provide better services to the population." Mr. Rainville quickly realized that his opinion was not shared by everyone! /Québec Flash/, /Pour vous Madame/, /Chronicle Black Lake Disraeli/, /À l’ombre de nos clochers et Thetford la nuit/ were all topics and columns that were added week after week to the news covered in this weekly. From one week to the next, the front page of Thetford Dimension catches the reader, attracts attention. It must be said that the new publication will be served by the news that it will be able to put to good use. "Bernard Dumont drowns in the St. Lawrence" headlines the frontispiece newspaper of issue 2 (October 1, 1974) with three photos in [page 26] L evidence: that of MP Dumont, that of the wharf where the drowning occurred and that of the funeral in Saint-Vallier de Bellechasse. Rainville's editorial is about Bernard Dumont. Murder? Accident? Suicide? All the hypotheses are plausible. It was eventually concluded that he had died accidentally by drowning. The front page of the number 3 title "Jean-Guy Pageau loses two students in the forest of Coleraine". It recounts the misadventure of Jean Bizier and Guy Desrosiers, two third-year students of mineral techniques, geology option, who will be forced to spend the night in the forest between Coleraine and Saint-Julien. The election of Georges-Henri Cloutier as Mayor of Black Lake, a Robertsonville special and the fire at the King Beaver Mill with $35,000,000 in damage and 800 lost jobs will fuel the front page of other publications. As expected, cohabitation with /Le Progrès/ is not a sinecure and war breaks out after only one month of existence of /Thetford Dimension/. Rosaire Rainville goes there with a muscular editorial. "After reading that all the frustrated are staying at 22, of the i.e. Factory. in my own home, I get frustrated," he says. Rainville spoke of the derogatory remarks, the mock allusions and the thinly veiled attacks that he was in the painful obligation to read in /Le Progrès/. He uses the fabric expressions of lies and half-truths of bad taste to replicate his opposite Georges Larochelle. "Thetford Dimension is not a combat diary. It is a weekly newspaper serving the people of our region. I do not intend to fuel a controversy. Mr. Larochelle can write anything. It's going to be too bad for him. I won't read anymore /Le Progrès/. I have too much work and projects at Thetford Dimension to deal with this nonsense," he writes. It must be said that at the time, the editor Georges Larochelle and his editorial team had a caustic pen and the ink often gave way to vitriol. Some observers of the time lend a particular philosophy to his diary. "One enemy per number!" Should we be surprised, because there is something to be surprised about, that barely a month after the first official altercation, Father Joseph Tanguay, then president of the Regional Economic Council of southeastern Quebec, Cerseq, signs the editorial of /Thetford Dimension/ entitled "The belctuations of Georges Larochelle" and use very little "parliamentary" words. "He may eruct, bark, fient even if he likes, whatever...!" says the boiling ecclesiastical skinned by the editorialist Larochelle. A young Thetford journalist who gained national and international notoriety will make his debut with /Thetford Dimension/. Jean-François Lisée will sign his first two articles in /Thetford Dimension/ in number 11 of this weekly. He later became a well-known journalist and writer. [page 27] Other characters will make the pages of the weekly in a different way. This is the case of Rock Thériault, who will become the infamous Moses Thériault, who will be the subject of a report signed by the journalist France Hébert who will describe him as an ordinary guy who does extraordinary things. A skilled sculptor, he owns his studio, Rock-Art, and his beer mugs are all different from each other. He also made the clock at Thetford Mines Airport in an airplane propeller. Was the January 7, 1975 issue really the last? There are indications that yes. But these are just assumptions. Since the first editions, the newspaper had 24 pages. This number decreased to 20 pages from the tenth issue suggesting a decrease in advertising sales, the nerve of war for publications of the genre. After a 28-page issue published before a two-week break for the holiday season, /Thetford Dimension/ returned on January 7, 1975 with a 16-page issue only. A second clue is that journalist Jean-François Lisée, later in 1975, was employed by another local weekly. Finally, the owner of /Thetford Dimension/, Mr. Rosaire Rainville left the area around the same time. Having taught chemistry for a time at Thetford Mines Polyvalent, he also did business in the real estate sector. In the elections of 15 November 1976, he ran for office under the banner of the Creditist Rally in Arthabaska County. He crossed the iron, among others, with Jacques Baril who won with 12,465 votes. Rosaire Rainville won 9.4% of the votes cast with 3009 votes. The White Gold 1975 - 1978 /L'Or Blanc/ appeared a few months after the closure of the weekly /Thetford Dimension/. The first issue of /l'Or Blanc/ had 56 pages in three notebooks. This first edition was published on August 12, 1975. This first issue did not contain an editorial. Only an insert allowed to learn that this weekly was published by Les Éditions de l'Amiante and that the management had been entrusted to Mr. Yvan Jaque, whose real name is Jacques Lefebvre. The newspaper was set up at 131 Auteuil in Thetford Mines. In addition to Yvan Jaque, Will Dugré and Guy Auclair, the latter in sports, were in charge of the writing. [page 28] It was in the fourth publication that Yvan Jaques chose to sign his first editorial in which he explained the purpose and philosophy of the newspaper. "This region needed, and it was pressing, a newspaper that was a little more sympathetic to the mine workers especially in this period of catching up in the face of the skyrocketing cost of living. Not that /l'Or Blanc/ is a committed newspaper. We are not here to fight or to start controversies." Mr. Jaques felt that a regional newspaper was needed that "covers" both the big city and the small towns. "Our only raison d'être is to best reflect life in the land of l’Or Blanc." Yvan Jaques is aware of the importance of a large readership. He talks about an impressive number of subscriptions already subscribed. In the same issue, we can learn that the first four issues were distributed free of charge, but from the next number, it will be required to purchase it at 10 cents per copy or at a cost of $5 per year instead of the regular expected price of $9 annually. "When a newspaper is read, advertisers end up knowing it," he wrote at the time. One thing is certain, the potential of readers is there. /L'Or Blanc/ is available throughout the territory currently identified at the Appalachian RCN. The municipalities of St-Frédéric, Tring Junction, St-Séverin, Inverness, Weedon, St-Gérard, La Guadeloupe and St-Victor are added. The content is also likely to attract a large number of readers of the newspaper. In addition to the extensive general information, there is a section entitled /Things going on/ which deals with information specific to the surrounding municipalities of Thetford Mines. A women's section, an entertainment section, a sports section and a page dedicated to English-speaking readers complete the newspaper. A more important article and the column /The Little corner/ written by Irene Little are addressed to the English-speaking readership. Agriculture also takes a big place in editorial content. [photo] Maurice Côté Source: City of Thetford Mines Notable events dealt with in /l'Or Blanc/ cannot be overlooked for the 7-month strike by asbestos miners and the election campaign at the City of Thetford Mines at the end of which Mr. Maurice Côté prevailed over M. Lorenzo St-Pierre to succeed Mr. Louis-Philippe Boucher, the latter having chosen to bow out of active municipal politics. [photo] Louis-Philippe Boucher Source: City of Thetford Mines [page 29] Editorials, files and news articles dissect the strike from all angles. Asbestos is treated extensively. [photo] Abbé Joseph Tanguay Source: Centre d’archives de la région de Thetford - Collection régionale At the end of September 1975, with a few editorials, Father Joseph Tanguay, president of the Regional Economic Council of southeastern Quebec, questioned the usefulness of the strike. He speaks of "liberation from a dictatorship imposed by money" and ends his editorial solemnly with "O Lord have mercy on your people"! Yvan Jaque also signed several editorials on the 1975 strike and claimed in early October that the strike had lasted long enough. On October 14, he signed an editorial entitled "Finally the end/! Meanwhile, a study conducted at Mount Sinai by Dr. Selikoff revealed that of 995 cases of minors studied, 516 showed traces of asbestosis. In the editorial of October 21, 1975, /Asbestos: A plague/, Yvan Jaque writes that "asbestos poses a very serious danger to the health of mining workers." In the same issue 9 of Volume 1, François Marchand signs a dossier on the transformation of asbestos. Interestingly, Jean-François Lisée, who had written a few texts in /Thetford Dimension/, contributed to /l'Or Blanc/ through an opinion letter and then went there for a retrospective of the asbestos strike over a period of about ten weeks. Another Thetfordois who will report at the national journalistic level, but in the field of sport, will make his first weapons to / the White Gold/. Author of the biography on coach Jacques Demers, Mario Leclerc covers many sporting events in the company of the late Jacques Croteau. As might be expected, cohabitation with /Le Progrès/ was no easier than it was for /Thetford Dimension/. It wasn't long before the first sparks were released, and as soon as the fifteenth issue of the first year was published, the president of Amiante Publishing, Mr. Louis-Philippe Duval, felt the need to defend the integrity of the newspaper and its employees. After claiming that the sun is shining for everyone, he deplores the fact that the competing newspaper denigrates the general manager of /l'Or Blanc/, Yvan Jaque (Jacques Lefebvre). Mr. Duval reports on the composition of the board of directors, namely Vice-President Louis Jolicoeur and directors Ginette Girard, Patrick Laughrea and Will Dugré to confirm the seriousness of the organization [page 30] "This newspaper is here to stay," he says, with evidence of 5,500 copies and 2,500 subscribers after only three months of existence. There is every reason to believe that this will be true. The newspaper has between 44 and 56 pages at each publication. Late November, early December 1975, /l'Or Blanc/ climbs to 64, 72 and 96 pages! But in the last four months of publication, the number of pages ranged from 20 to 32, more often around 28 pages. In the April 18, 1978 edition, Yvan Jaque signed a /Lettre à son con-frère/ (sic) Georges Larochelle. "My dear George," he wrote, "you have chosen to crush, to despise, to destroy. You prefer the mist, you maintain the equivocation, you sow confusion. (...) I filled my inkwell. I sharpened my feathers. From now on, I'll be ready. But please don't touch the OrBlanc. Too much effort has been put together, too many sacrifices have been invested in it, too many hopes have been maintained," warns Yvan Jaque in what is clearly a personal quarrel between the two general managers of the weekly newspapers in attendance, so much so that some readers feel the need to put their salt in it. "I like a print run of 7,000 clean copies better than 15,000 or 18,000 copies that mess us up," writes a reader from Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf. In mid-May, Yvan Jaque defends the president of /l'Or Blanc/. "Some have done us great harm. Louis-Philippe Duval does not deserve to be made the hot throats on a breakdown for which he is not responsible. That he could not devote more time to a bold and surely reckless project, which can make him feel bad when we know the multitude of solicitations that clutter his days. He goes on further: (...) "Nor was he obliged to lend his name to the most formidable, often clumsy but sincere attempt, to cleanse the regional press of his phobias, his prejudices, his chronic fears, his arrogant smugness." [page 31] Then comes the swan song of /l'Or Blanc/. In a long editorial entitled /L'Eclipse/, from which a certain bitterness emerges, Yvan Jaques speaks of a time of reflection and announces the return of the /l'Or Blanc/. "You won't see /l'Or Blanc/ for a while. (...) /L'Or Blanc/ takes the scrub. It is in the dark that we will prepare the triumphant return of your newspaper," says the newspaper's editor. The latter believes that the credibility of the newspaper still remains, adding that it has generated the largest number of subscriptions subscribed to a Thetford weekly in the shortest period of time. Yvan Jaques talks about an unhealthy climate in terms of competition. "What newspapers have become, too often out of interest, vulgar circulars improved!" And there are reflections aloud. "Serious newspapers will never be built, in Thetford as elsewhere, until there is a broad consensus in public opinion and until merchants and intermediary bodies have acquired a more articulate social conscience." He adds: "When, in order to save a few dollars, a subscriber gives up on the pretext of being given a free print, he unconsciously abdicates a little of his freedom. (...) We wanted a weekly press alert, well identified with its environment, free from ideological or political interference." Yvan Jaques concludes: "Together, after the eclipse we will rebuild the White Gold, a true great newspaper of your own. See you soon." This May 23, 1978 issue, Volume 3, number 41, had only 20 pages and a 12-page Habitation notebook. It must be admitted that the disappearance of /l'Or Blanc/ is reminiscent of that of /Thetford Dimension/, many of the protagonists being the same. [page 32] The Frontenac Courier (1977- ) The Frontenac Courier was founded in 1977. Its first issue was published on March 21, 1977. This means that this Thetford weekly has recently embarked on its 34th year of publication. The Frontenac Courier was then owned by Servex Publications Inc. set up by a group of businessmen from Thetford Mines. The management of the company had been entrusted to Mr. Roger Morin, an old trucker from the information and advertising world with 25 years of experience and a proven track record in Verdun, Sudbury, Rouyn, Moncton and New Jersey. Mr. Louis St-Laurent was then Director of Advertising, Mr. Louis St-Laurent. Richard Fortier acted as a journalist and later became the first editor-in-chief of the Courrier Frontenac, Ms. Lucyl Lachance was a workshop manager and Daniel Leblanc was a journalist in charge of the correspondents. "A thorough and serious study of several months has shown us that the leaders of the business houses of the territory we are going to serve whole and heartily wish to see the birth of an un engaged newspaper that would merely disseminate the broad lines of thought of those who deign to speak publicly," read the first issue under the leadership's pen, which answered the question "/Why a third newspaper/?" "We will be a vehicle of information, without entering into the race for sensationalism or a battle that would lead us into controversies that interest no one. It is time for a newspaper to set up shop in the region and, by the precision of its information and its advertising effectiveness, it will finally come to meet the demands of the population that has had its prices that are to their detriment," continued the introduction of the new weekly. [page 33] The text then alluded to the rivalry between Thetford's Progress and L'Or Blanc, the two then competitors of the Frontenac Courier that disappeared in the months and years that followed. The print was 16,275 copies (April 4, 1977), of which 10,000 were distributed by junk and 6,000 copies in the mail. This was the largest circulation of any Eastern Township. An estimated 61,845 people were reached by the Frontenac Courier. "We are not A B C, we are number 1," the weekly's ad said, referring directly to the A-1 Hebdos to which its rivals belonged. The Frontenac Courier was distributed throughout the territory currently covered by the Appalachian RCN plus Inverness and Saint-Gérard. "The defining phenomenon of this era was the advent of the free-to-air press. The Weekly A-1s that appeared on Wednesdays and were available by subscription had an average penetration rate. The free distribution gave us maximum coverage," he recalled. Louis St-Laurent, president of the company. "The advent of the flyers that we also distributed led us to own our own distribution network. You could say that the grocery, food sector then changed the game," he continued. St. Lawrence. Anecdote: In the April 4, 1977 edition, a letter from a reader who wondered was read. "Is the Frontenac Courier really free?" To which the newspaper's authorities replied: "Our publication is completely free and will never be sold." In its early years of publication, the Frontenac Courier had two notebooks and was already reporting on regional news. /Regard sur la Vallée de l’Amiante/ made all the surrounding municipalities known through interesting reports. [page 34] Sports were not left out with /Sportons-nous bien/. Agriculture, leisure, relaxation pages and regional news were in the spotlight. Both from the region, Mr. Louis St-Laurent and Ms. Lucyl Lachance acquired the Frontenac Courier in 1979. One, as director of advertising, had sold the first advertisement, the other as a shop manager, had laid it out! After more than 30 years, Mr. St-Laurent is President while Ms. Lachance serves as Executive Director. In the early 2000s, Le Courrier Frontenac was among the first in Quebec to have a website. As an excellent complement to the print edition, the website is visited daily by hundreds of readers. It must be said that the e-mail that visitors to the site can subscribe to for free contribute greatly to this traffic. Four times a year, the Frontenac Courier publishes /Courrier Affaires et Économie/. The /Guide des Chalets/ is the subject of an annual publication. Finally, the Frontenac Courier also publishes /L'Extra régional/ intended for some twenty municipalities not part of the Appalachian RCN in order to raise awareness of the Thetford Mines area and to encourage these populations to come and do business there. The Frontenac Courier has seen several career journalists march there. Les Pierre Hébert, Ian Bussières, Michel Bégin,Jean Roy, Maurice Cloutier, Carol Isabel, Luc Berthold, René-Charles Quirion worked there to name but a few. Women have not been left behind. The position of Editor-in-Chief was filled by Louise Nadeau, Danie Blais and Caroline Fecteau, among others. This occasionally led Ms. Lucyl Lachance to say that the Frontenac Courier had often served as a school for many of them in important positions in the information sector. The position of Editor-in-Chief of the Frontenac Courier is currently held by Mr. Daniel Duplessis. The current circulation is 21,670 copies. The Frontenac Courier is currently the only regional weekly since 1998. Its last direct competitor will have been /La Mine d’Information/. [page 35] The Hebdo in the region 1993 Published on a weekly basis, L'Hebdo en Region had an ephemeral existence. Borrowing the "magazine" or "review" format, the first issue was published on August 28, 1993. The publication of L'Hebdo in the Region ended on 2 October 1993 with the number 6 without mentioning that it was the last issue. A commercial "war" on advertising costs would have led to the birth of this new weekly. The only weekly published in the Thetford Mines region at the time, the Frontenac Courier has a monopoly in this regard. All in all, the competition was short-lived. Mariette Labbé was the editor of L'Hedbo in the Region. Mr. Sylvain Trépanier and Clément Marchand acted as journalists. Mr. Trépanier still works in the field of communications for the benefit of the Journal de Québec, while Mr. Marchand, still a Citizen of Thetford, is known for his many implications. It was not until number 2 that it was not clear that L'Hebdo en Region had been printed at 20,000 copies. Although no particular mention was made of it, L'Hebdo en Region was distributed free of charge. Signed by the Directorate, the editorial of the first issue quickly set the tone pointing out that there was a niche available for this publication. It also read: "The Weekly in the Region does not encroach on anyone's beds unless individuals or organizations consider that there is only one way of doing things. During the second week of publication, Sylvain Trépanier said in the editorial: "We do not intend to take anyone's place, but we are nevertheless convinced that the place we will occupy is ours." From the fifth publication, the difficulties encountered by the weekly seemed obvious. The 5th issue had only 8 pages unpagged and the glossy paper had given way to conventional newsprint. It found only a survey on, among other things, the bill for the magazine, the frequency of publication and its content. "RESER FOR SAUTER," it read. "The Weekly in the Region takes a break in order to better serve you in the future. It is essential for our new weekly to take this break in order to restructure its internal organization. Your comments so far have been very positive and your encouragement constant. This is part of the reason for this pause, which is necessary because of the magnitude of the task that your response has somehow engendered." The following week, in a small box, it was mentioned that the response rate had been excellent. No more. [page 36] Editorial content occupied little space in this weekly, which published issues of 24, 32, 24, 32, 8 and 16 pages. Nevertheless, important issues were addressed, including collegial reform, culture in the region, the October 1993 federal election, the White River merger with Thetford Mines, the municipal elections in Thetford South, the construction of the CIRA, and the relocation of the Mineralogical and Mining Museum. The Weekly in the Region suddenly disappeared without warning after six issues. The last editorial dealt with dogs and cats abandoned by Sunday walkers in the area of Saint-Pierre-de-Broughton! La Mine d’Information 1996 - 1998 Launched on Friday, May 10, 1996, /La Mine d’Information/ seemed to have a bright future. A direct competitor to the /Courrier Frontenac/ on which /L’Hebdo en région/ had broken its teeth a few years earlier, the new weekly was starting on a solid financial footing and a young editorial team that soon proved itself and demonstrated its value. /La Mine d’Information/ was published by a numbered company chaired by Ms. Christiane Laflamme. Mr. François Labbé was the majority shareholder, while Ms. Andrée Wright was also part of the newspaper's management. The editorial team, led by the Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Normand Poulin, was composed of journalists Patrick Turgeon, Renaud Binette and Mélanie Martineau. Shot at 21,000 copies, the front page of the first issue of this new regional weekly dealt with the relaunch of Quebec Central with a spectacular photo on which Mr. Jean-Marc Giguère and his acolytes, MM. Marco Roy and Paul Labbé. This first issue was 24 pages long. [page 37] Editor-in-chief Normand Poulin explained the arrival of /La Mine d'Information/ in an editorial. It was thought to be being read in another weekly publication a few years earlier, with a legitimate hope of making its place in the sun. "We are convinced that there is room for a new media written first and foremost focused on information. Our main concern will therefore be to report as closely as possible to the people of the Amiante region the events taking place on its territory in all sectors, be it political, economic, social, cultural and sporting," it reads. We learn that the new weekly will be distributed free of charge in some 20,000 households. The aim of the new newspaper is "to take our place as a news organization and not to take the place of others." What we are most convinced of is that our newspaper is here to stay." Unfortunately, despite all the goodwill in the world, 124 issues later, /The Information Mine/ closed its pages. Yet the newspaper kept its promise to provide quality information. The content was dense, the news was very well rendered and the chronicles were numerous including the obituary, classified ads and the Community Mine not to mention a very extensive sports section and always at the cutting edge of regional sports news. In January 1997, Patrick Turgeon, only 23 years old, became editor-in-chief following the departure of Normand Poulin. The latter, together with Renaud Binette, Sylvie Topping and Robert Wright, acquired the Plessisville Maple Leaf. /La Mine d'Information/ then becomes more independent after benefiting from a close collaboration of the plessisvillois weekly. In the spring of 1997, more precisely at the beginning of March, the draw was increased to 21,100. The newspaper often has about forty pages but more often between 26 and 36 pages. /La Mine d'Information/ modestly celebrates its first anniversary on pages 32 and 33 of Volume II, issue 1 published on May 9, 1997. Patrick Turgeon, editor-in-chief, and François Faucher, a bachelor of French teachers, are the architects of the editorial staff. [page 38] Journalist Yannick Michaud arrives with Volume III, issue 1 in May 1998 marking the second anniversary of the newspaper, an anniversary that has been overlooked. The number in question is only 28 pages long. René-Charles Quirion also made his first weapons there. The circulation is now 22,500 copies, a high point for this weekly. The summer of 1998 will be difficult with the majority of 20-page editions. September will not be much easier with the same number of pages. On 25 September 1998, with the publication of Volume III, number 21, the weekly announced the cessation of its activities. The front page of the latest issue, which has only 20 pages, headlines "The Journal ceases operations after more than two years of energy" and the reader is invited to go to pages 4 and 5 for more information. Editor-in-chief Patrick Turgeon expressed the situation and regret in a comment he signed on page 4. "After more than 2 years of energy and effort, the leaders of the /Mine d'Information/ are forced to cease operations because of the lack of interest from advertisers," he explains, pointing out the loss of 10 direct jobs, some 40 indirect jobs and the loss of $225,000 annually to the region's economy. He goes on to say that "in recent weeks, executives have become aware of the lack of interest of advertisers in our news organization" and that the newspaper has reached a point of no return with salaries, printing costs and the purchase of equipment. "I don't have to blame advertisers who preferred to advertise in another newspaper," he says, referring to his competitor, the Frontenac Courier. On page 5, a laconic advertising insert explains the closure. "Thank you to all the advertisers who have been able to create about 50 jobs in the region over the past 2 years. We regret to cease our operations due to the circumstances," reads the signature of The Directorate. Volume III's 21th volume 22,500 ends the adventure. Providing quality information and believing in youth will not have been enough. /La Mine d’Information/ and its leaders can, however, rejoice at the fact that the editors' headliners are still working in the media world in 2009. Normand Poulin is the information director of Passion FM in Lac-Etchemin. Patrick Turgeon is a sports editor at the weekly Les 2 Rives de Sorel-Tracy. Yannick Michaud is employed by L'Étoile de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. René-Charles Quirion is part of the editorial team of the Sherbrooke daily La Tribune. [page 39] Le P'tit Journal 1996 - 1999 Free community monthly, Le P'tit Journal will have banded apart through its presentation, its content and its mission. Originality will have marked its short existence. Very few publications will have launched an off-series and promotional edition. Volume 1, number 0 headlined "We're starting from scratch...". It read, "In this issue, we are talked about... in the next, from you." The official launch of the first issue of the P'tit Journal took place on 3 April 1996 during a 5 to 7 bringing together about 100 people from the political, business, public services, trade unions and socio-economic sectors, including Ms. Guylaine Gardner and Ms. Henri Therrien and Jean-Guy Chrétien, respectively mayor of Thetford Mines and member of Parliament. Presenting itself as the journal of the community movement and the ordinary world, it was published by the Association for the Defence of Social Rights of Thetford Mines. He was a member of the Quebec Community Written Media Association. It is fair to say that the two leading souls of this regional weekly were Mario Dufresne, editor-in-chief and coordinator, and Louiselle Bureau, a community worker who served as editorialist and journalist. Many of the editorial staff of the P'tit Journal made up a large number of staff. On page 2 of Volume 1, number 1, readers could read the newspaper's information policy advocating autonomy of thought and guidance. In terms of content, management indicated that it wanted to encourage public involvement. The first issue was only 20 pages long. It had been printed at 10,000 copies, was available at 75 drop-off points and distributed in 30 municipalities. [page 40] Subsequent publications until the weekly's demise regularly ranged from 28 to 34 pages. From the second issue, we were talking about 117 drop-off points. The circulation also increased steadily, reaching 21,000 copies, and distribution took place in 300 depots in 49 municipalities. The P'tit Journal was distributed from Tring Junction to Saint-Julien via Saint-Ferdinand, among others. Launched in April 1996, the P'tit Journal was available on the Internet as early as July 1996. In February 1997, it experienced a significant expansion and its distribution network extended as far as beauce. The P'tit Journal distinguished itself at the Quebec Community Written Media Congress in May 1997 by winning two major awards. Expansion and distinction were not enough to guarantee the financial success of the newspaper. Financial difficulties caused the newspaper to cease publication on 1 December 1997. March 1, 1998 marked a new beginning for Le P'tit Journal, which, with a small team, planned to go there with four publications per year. Competition, financial difficulties and internal dissent were the reasons for this Community monthly. Yet Le P'tit Journal offered a diverse and substantial content. Tickets, editorials and open letters obviously found their place. The column /The Little Telegraph/ made way for the press releases while several pages were reserved for the community and socio-economic world. /Village global/ was a column dealing mainly with municipal activity. It was open to the public, elected officials and municipalities. /Zoom/ focused on the achievements of a local personality while the column /I remember/ dealt with regional history. Finally, /Agenda/ was the must to know the events to come. /The P'tit Journal/ had a mandate to promote the flow of information in the Amiante region. To do this, he preferred to cover local topics. It also addressed a few national and international topics depending on their social impact on the local community. Its rapid disappearance will have created a void that will never have been filled thereafter. Bibliography Beaulieu, André et Hamelin, Jean, La Presse québécoise des origines à nos jours, Tomes IV, V, VI, VII et X, Presses de l’Université Laval, 1979-1994. Adams Robenhymer, Cléophas, Thetford Mines, Historiques et biographies, Le Mégantic, 1929, 338 pages. De Bonville, Jean, La Presse québécoise de 1884 à 1914, Genèse d’un média de masse, 1988, 416 pages. Courville, Serge, C. Poulin, Pierre et Rodrigue, Barry, Histoire de Bauce-Etchemin-Amiante, Presses de l’Université Laval, 2003, 1050 pages. Fecteau, Nelson, La Cité de l’Or blanc, 1876-1976, Thetford Mines, Jean-Charles Poulin éditeur, 1975, 546 pages. Fortier, Clément, Black Lake, Lac d’amiante, 1882-1982, Tome I, Clément Fortier éditeur, 1983, 346 pages. Collectif. Dubé, Romain et autres, Thetford Mines à ciel ouvert, histoire d’une ville minière, 1892-1992, Ville de Thetford Mines, 1994, 596 pages. [page 41] [page 42] [page 43] [page 44] [page 45] [page 46] [page 47] [page 48] [page 49]