From the early days of colonization, people settled on Île du Collège due to its fertile land and microclimate, which made it the garden of Témiscamingue. However, when the lake level was raised by 22 feet (approximately 6.5 meters) in 1917, the distance between the island and the mainland increased from just a few feet (as close as a horse’s leap, as Mrs. M.J. Rannou Girard said) to nearly 1,200 feet (approximately 370 meters). As a result, the islanders were isolated for several months each year. During the summer, they used a ferry, and in winter, they crossed on the ice, but between these seasons, they were almost prisoners on their island.

After repeated requests to the municipality of Duhamel-Ouest and the government, it wasn’t until 1947 that a grant allowed the construction of a wharf connecting the island to the mainland. The islanders were able to use the bridge in the summer of 1948, finally breaking their isolation.

Did you know:

The rise in the lake level with the Témiscaming Dam in 1917, aimed at facilitating navigation and log driving, isolated the inhabitants of Île du Collège, who had to use a ferry in summer and an ice road in winter to cross from one shore to the other.