Sept-Îles, an industrial town
In the first half of the century, the wood industry is the region’s economic motor. But, prospectors were already furrowing the territory soon bringing the proof that unsuspected treasures were hiding under that vast forest. Sept-Iles was the centre from which were launched large exploration campaign and great projects of mining exploitation like those led by Iron Ore Company (IOC) in 1950 and Wabush Mines in 1956.
Thus the mining exploration started in 1937 and, until 1939, maps indicating the ore deposit were drawn. As of 1950, Sept-Iles went through a new development: wharfs, terminals for the mines, processing plant and dams were built all over the territory. The town became an important economic pole. However, at the beginning of the 80s, the North Shore went through an important iron crisis which brought the restructuration of the mining companies. The economy was maintained with the arrival of Alouette Aluminum plant in 1989 with its plant built near the location of the old whale oil plant. The 90s will be characterized by the announcement and the building of the Ste-Marguerite 3 dam (SM-3). The inauguration of the second phase of Alouette Aluminum plant in 2002 and that of the mining company Consolidated Thompson (now being part of the group Cliffs Natural Resources) in 2010 confirmed Sept-Iles has the North Shore’s metropolis.
Important dates
- 1908 - The Clark brothers build a pulp and paper mill in Clarke City
- 1921 - The Clarke Steamship boatyard delivers its first ships
- 1927 - Beginning of the air connections and building of the first landing strip
- 1937 - An Innu trapper brings back a first sample of iron ore coming from the region of Schefferville
- 1947 - Creation of Sept-Iles’s electricity company
- 1950 - The IOC mining company starts its activities with the first step of the railway between Sept-Iles and Schefferville
- 1951 - Sept-Iles celebrates its tercentenary
- 1960 - Road 138 joins Moisie
- 1962 - The railway joins the new mining sites of Labrador City and Wabush
- 1992 - Inauguration of Alouette Aluminum plant
- 1994 - Beginning of the work for the hydro-electric complex of SM-3
- 1995 - Crab and shrimp fishing is abundant; the salmon on the Moisie River attracts many fishermen
- 2002 - Inauguration of phase 2 of Alouette Aluminum plant
- 2010 - First shipment of iron ore of Consolidated Thompson
- 2012 - Beginning of the construction of the multi users wharf
- 2014 - Inauguration of the Alouette university building
