Episode 4: The Turcotte Terrace

The Turcotte Terrace, initially a wooden sidewalk, was created by Mayor Joseph-Édouard Turcotte in 1869. The aim was to provide a gathering place for the Trois-Rivières bourgeoisie. In 1908, a fire completely destroyed it. The only residence to survive the flames was the one located at the eastern end of the street: the Turcotte House. Over the years, it housed several notable figures from the economic sector of Trois-Rivières, including Mathew Bell of the Saint-Maurice Ironworks and Charles Ross Whitehead of the Wabasso Cotton Company. The other residences on the street belonged to families that primarily worked in the lumber trade.

Another fascinating feature of the Turcotte Terrace is its stained-glass windows. This initiative, led by Jean Beaulieu, a glassmaker artist who used art as a means of social transformation. It provided opportunities for more than 44 socially excluded and homeless youth. This project helped reintegrate them into the workforce. The stained-glass work depicts, among other things, the arrival of the Ursulines, photographer Pinsonneault, Maurice Duplessis, and the great fire of 1908.