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Mission

The object of the Institute is to favour the research and publication of works on the history of Quebec railways, and of related subjects in transportation and communications.

History of the QRHRI

In the early 1990’s, geographer-historian Claude Martel compiled, for academic research, an impressive data base composed of all railways which have existed in Quebec. From then on, he has accumulated numerous files and historical data.

Gare St-Jacques

During his professional career, Mr. Martel always had a marked interest for the history of railways even though as a cegep and university professor he worked principally in the sectors of rural development and tourism.

In 2000, Mr. Martel joined a firm of consultants specialized in regional projects (Groupe Multi-Ressources).The realization of a few specific projects has allowed him to gather even more existing historical mapmaking information which substantiated the original data. The information gathered was such that we decided to make it public by the diffusion and publication of historic works of scientific nature. It is in this context that was created a non profit research institute, which was officially recognized by the Quebec Government on May 3, 2005.

Since it’s beginning, the Quebec Railways Historical Research Institute (IRHCFQ) created a research program which allowed us to constitute a cartographic data base, covering all of Quebec. We have also created an informative data base that lists the historical evolution of each Quebec railway.

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Strategies

The strategies of the Institute are as follows:
  1. To develop ties with other parties who have similar interests in the history of Quebec railways.
  2. To create the necessary bases (logistical and financial) that will secure the future of the Institute.
  3. To complete the basic historical research in order to publish a historical railways atlas of Quebec.
  4. To complete data bases on post offices in order to produce a historical post offices atlas of Quebec.
  5. To favour and support research projects which plan to diffuse and benefit the local and regional heritage of Quebec railways.