Val Jalbert: A ghost village more alive than ever
September 14, 2023
Even though its revival in the 1970s was sparked by the curiosity surrounding its abandoned buildings, the Val-Jalbert Historic Village is far more than a ghost village. With its waterfall, dam, penstock, and wood-pulp mill, this significant industrial site—active from 1901 to 1927—was paired with a meticulously planned company town, much of which remains remarkably intact today.
After years of restoring, developing, and enhancing the site in multiple ways—including the construction of a hydroelectric micro-plant co-managed by the local community and Indigenous partners—the Val-Jalbert Historic Village launched, in 2022, a major reflection aimed at bringing new coherence to its priorities for the next fifteen years.
From heritage conservation…
As part of this process, Partie 5 was first commissioned to support Enclume, a worker cooperative dedicated to territorial development, in preparing a conservation concept for the entire collection of buildings, with a particular focus on the workers’ houses, several of which have collapsed over time.
Maison effondrée © Léic Godbout
To innovation and tourism development
Following this initial mandate, Partie 5 was invited to participate in six on-site workshops held from September 4 to 9, 2023, as part of the “Val-Jalbert Immersive Intervention Circle on Innovation and Tourism Development.” Directed by Les francophonies de l’innovation touristique, an association bringing together experts from Québec, France, Belgium, and Switzerland, this second phase opened the discussion on the future of this provincially “classified” site and nationally designated historic place. It did so through an original process deployed for the first time on such a large scale.
A rare initiative in the field of heritage conservation in Québec, this large-scale strategic retreat created an opportunity to revisit the delicate balance between preserving a unique cultural landscape and supporting tourism development—between honoring memory and embracing contemporary life. The energy and sincerity with which the reflection was undertaken, along with a shared desire to make thoughtful decisions, suggest an even more stimulating future for the site—no small statement given its already exceptional richness.
Proud of its involvement, Partie 5 looks forward to reviewing the synthesis of all these discussions, as well as the resulting action plan. A warm thank-you to Val-Jalbert for allowing us to contribute to this remarkable process!