A heritage with a promising future

Relive the peak moments of the
50^th anniversary celebrations

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Join us in celebrating
Mont-Wright mine’s
50^th anniversary

On October 16, 1974, the inaugural blast on the Mont-Wright ridge marked the beginning of an ambitious mining project. Nearly a thousand people attended this impressive event, the outcome of a decade of painstaking analyses and major work. It was truly a historic moment that attracted nationwide media interest. And that was the first page in the mine’s history!

Homage to First Nations

The lands on which the Mont-Wright mine is located are part of Nitassinan, which means “our land” in innu-aimun. Nitassinan is the traditional ancestral territory of the Innus, who are the guardians of this vast boreal realm.

Archaeological research conducted on the North Shore since the 1970s has confirmed that the region has been occupied by Indigenous groups for over 8,000 years.

50 years of history

The decision to develop the new deposit was announced on September 4, 1970. Lewis J. Patterson (left), President of Québec Cartier, and Québec Premier Robert Bourassa sign the official documents.

The construction of the new Mont-Wright site, 105 kilometres northeast of Lac Jeannine, began on January 25, 1971.

Everything is enormous at Mont-Wright. Above: The chute of the future double crusher. From here, the blocks of crushed raw ore will be sent to the concentrator.

I arrived here in 1973, before almost everyone, because my husband, John Kenny, who set up the big blast of the peak of the mountain, was the blasting foreman. We were proud. The kids were proud of their dad, and when the Big One went off, it was truly spectacular! We were all at the foot of the mountain in a special shelter. In the years that followed, I took care of the kids and the house. I started working for the company at the age of 36, in the janitorial service. Then my kids had to leave to pursue their education. That was what I found the most difficult here in Fermont... But I’m still here, and I have no desire to leave. We snowmobile. We have a cottage on the old Gagnon site. In other words, life goes on!

Ginette Leblanc (stationed at Mont-Wright from 1980 to 1996)

I arrived at the mine on April 29, 1975, as a welder. It was close to the beginning. I was brave! That’s what they used to say about me: that I wasn’t afraid of hard work. Never had an accident, either. I was careful. I have lived in Fermont ever since 1975. My family is here, and lots of them work in the mine. My daughter Annie worked there, too, but after a year, she decided to open a hair salon. I love snowmobiling, and it’s perfect for that here. I like this city, and I’ve also enjoyed working for the company for all these years.

Jean-Marie Pelletier (stationed at Mont-Wright from 1975 to 2001)

I came to Fermont when I was 16. I’m from Godbout, so I felt right at home living in the North! I’m retired now, but I worked for the company for 35 years. I started out as a janitor. And I worked in the concentrator for a while, but then I started working in housing, to maintain the Wall. And speaking of the Wall, I encourage everyone to come and live in Fermont! We have everything here: sports, the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, the arena, the pool...and it’s less expensive than living in the big cities. I’m very attached to Fermont. The whole family is here: my kids and my grandkids.

Brigitte Poitras (stationed at Mont-Wright from 1980 to 2015)

The construction required a workforce of hundreds of men, who lived in camps for the duration.

Model of the mine in the second half of the 1970s.

Around the same time, a “small” drill pierces holes to prepare for blasting.

The industrial complex next to the mine includes a crusher, a concentrator, huge workshops, a warehouse and offices.

I came to Mont-Wright in 1975. My first impression was that it was immense. Gigantic! I was also impressed by the Wall. In my job, I was involved in the Métallos union. I experienced some union conflicts, but when things were settled, we moved on to other things and came together again. I had some pretty strict bosses and even some tough bosses, but they protected their people when it came down to it. I always encourage the young people to listen, to learn and to get advice from the old hands. That’s important in a company. As for Fermont, if you like nature, it’s the right place to be. It’s beautiful. You also have to be interested in people and activities. That’s the key to enjoying life here. I served on the municipal council here for six years, and I was involved in the construction of the health centre. I don’t think these are positions that I would have had the opportunity to fill elsewhere.

Jacques Vignola (stationed at Mont-Wright from 1975 to 2007)

I came North in 1996. It was through my studies in metallurgical engineering that I learned about the company, first during an internship in Port-Cartier in the summer of 1995 and then through a job in Fermont. I clearly remember my arrival at the mine. I was 23. I didn’t know anyone, and I was a young woman starting work in a sea of men! From there, I climbed up through the ranks in various management positions related to operations. I also like talking about the day I arrived in Fermont. It was January, but it was raining! In those days, the back streets behind the Wall were not painted: it was all dark brown or black wood. Imagine: I was 22 or 23, I didn’t know a soul, the rain was pouring down on these dark walls, and I said to myself, “Manon, what on earth have you gotten yourself into?” Luckily, when I got inside, it was all renovated. It was lovely. So then I was like, “Okay, it’s not so bad!” And I took hold of myself, I made friends, I started playing hockey. Then I started figure skating and eventually taught figure skating. I met my husband here, and both our kids were born in Fermont.

Manon Bilodeau (employed in the company since 1996; now based in Port-Cartier)

Two great things have happened to me in my life: I met my wife and I got a job at the mine! My life wasn’t easy. I had trouble making ends meet. I applied in 1988 and it took two years before I was hired. When I got the call, it was like I had won the lottery! I started as labour, but I stayed there for just two weeks, because I was quickly sent to other jobs, at the crusher, on the trucks and on other mining equipment. For me, it was exciting: I was working for a big company, I loved the camaraderie with my co-workers, I was earning a good salary, and I was discovering real community life in Fermont. It was a life I adored. I also have a family of five kids I’m proud of. I salute all the former Mont-Wrighters. And may the mine live on!

Kevin Morissette (in office at Mont-Wright since 1990)

The sparkling spirals of the Mont-Wright concentrator, with a nominal capacity of 18 million tons, were powered up for the first time on September 24, 1975, to produce the concentrate.

In October 2005, after single-handedly transporting 34 million tonnes of materials during its career at Mont-Wright, the Caterpillar 172 truck retired, spending its remaining days lounging around at Parc Jean-Fortin, near the entry to Fermont. This behemoth, with a capacity of over 100 metric tonnes, logged more working hours than any other truck in the world, at 103, 644 hours.

A $1.6-billion investment project was announced in 2011 to increase annual production from 16 to 24 million tonnes per year.

A mine focused on
the future

Meeting with the President and CEO of ArcelorMittal Mining Canada, Mapi Mobwano

Read the entire article

Things to know about
Mont-Wright

The combined production of our Mont-Wright and Fire Lake mines represents more than 30% of the worldwide iron ore supply of the ArcelorMittal Group.

The Mont-Wright concentrator has 4,600 spirals. The ore is ground up and sieved there, and then is passed through these centrifugal spirals which, by their mechanical action, allow natural extraction of iron and rock. This results in a concentrate that reaches an iron content of 65%, compared to an average of 30% at the start of the process.

Mont-Wright’s iron ore reserves, confirmed up to 2051, will allow annual production of 26 million tonnes of iron concentrate.

The deepest pit of the Mont-Wright mining complex is located in the Paul's Peak sector. It reaches an impressive depth of nearly 450 metres. This is more than twice the height of Place Ville Marie.

Fermont’s 50^th birthday

In January 1971, construction on the mining complex began. It was also at that time that the first buildings in the city of Fermont were built. Located on the shore of Lac Daviault, Fermont was officially incorporated in 1974, the day before the Mont-Wright mine was inaugurated.

The city of Fermont was named in homage of the village of Fermont, near Trois-Rivières, where Canada’s very first forge was established in 1736.

The city’s famous Windbreak Wall is 1.3 km long. Its arrow-shaped architecture protects the city of Fermont from violent northwest winds.

Today, Fermont boasts 2,181 permanent residents. There are two routes to get here: Take Highway 389 from Baie-Comeau and head due north for 565 km, or hop on a plane in Wabush, Labrador.