Tourville is a charming municipality nestled in the L'Islet RCM in Quebec, Canada. This quaint town is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches administrative region, offering a rich history and picturesque landscapes.
The history of Tourville, Quebec, dates back to the early 20th century. The parish of Saint-Clément-de-Tourville, initially serving as a mission from 1913 to 1919, was officially founded in 1919 by an abbot named Bernard-Édouard Martin. The citizens intended to name it Martinville in his honour, but due to the existence of another post office with the same name, they chose Tourville, honouring Saint Martin of Tours.
Tourville's development was marked by significant infrastructure projects. A road to the village, now known as Route 204, was constructed between 1854 and 1859. During this period, the village was already exploiting the abundant wood, particularly pine. In 1856, a farmer from Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies settled near Black Lake and lowered its water level by digging an outlet, hoping to create a pasture.
The industrial growth of Tourville, Quebec, was marked by the construction of sawmills along the Ouelle and Le Bras rivers in 1858. The railroad construction between 1905 and 1915, running from the municipality of Charny to Edmundston, further boosted the town's development. Two hotels were built to accommodate travellers, and a roundhouse, a carbon chute, a water reservoir, and a train station named after former Chief Justice of Lower Canada James Monk were established.
The roundhouse closed in 1954 and was replaced by the Napoléon Gagnon sawmill in 1958, which unfortunately burned down in 1972. The train station was demolished in 1982, and its rails, as well as recreational vehicle trails, were removed. This led to a decrease in the population to 698.
However, Tourville, Quebec, saw a resurgence in 1918 when Abbot Martin built a 2-story fishing cabin on the southern tip of the Lake Therrien lock. This area, then known as Beaubien, employed about sixty people to cut and drive logs along the river. In 1923, Power Lumber became active, followed by La Rivière Ouelle Lumber's opening of a steam-powered saw to square the harvested logs in 1926. In 1927, the Canadian National Railway opened a sidetrack that allowed wood to be loaded without disrupting train traffic. This led to the settlement of twenty-something families around the lake. In 1928, a school was finally built in Tourville, marking a new era of growth and development.
