Thurso, Quebec

St. Jean l'Évangéliste

2,721 miles

Sept 20 – This town was named after the town of Thurso in northern Scotland, and this region was settled later than much of Quebec, so it seems to be part of the railroad-building, Scottish-naming era of Canadian history.  The residents are overwhelmingly French-speaking as their mother tongue.

Thurso pulp mill

Because of its location on the Ottawa River, Thurso developed as a wood processing center.  Logs were floated down the river to Thurso’s paper mills, then the products were shipped to the cities.  Thurso was widely known for the stench of its pulp mills.  But in the 21^st century, as the market for paper declined, Thurso’s pulp mills struggled and two mills closed.  

processor from Finland

In 2010, Fortress Specialty Cellulose, of British Columbia, bought a mothballed mill in Thurso and imported large industrial equipment from Finland to transform its hardwood pulp mill into cellulose for making rayon.   

rayon fibers

Rayon is a synthetic substitute for fine cotton or silk.  Demand for rayon is increasing because cotton growers and silk producers are switching to less-expensive crops.  By filling this new niche in the market, the pulp mill may generate new prosperity for the town of Thurso.

A famous hockey player, Guy Lafleur,was born and raised in Thurso during the 1950s.  He got his first hockey stick at the age of 5, and in his teens played for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He became the first overall pick in the 1971 amateur draft. 

Lafleur became known among English-speaking fans as "Flower" because that’s the literal translation of his surname.  Among French-speaking fans he was called "le Démon Blond" (the Blond Demon) for his offensive playing skills. 

Lafleur was the first player in the National Hockey League (NHL) to score 50 goals and 100 points in six straight seasons.   Over his career, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Quebec Nordiques. 

Stanley Cup hockey trophy

Lafleur was one of only a few players who did not wear protective helmets after they were required, due to a grandfather clause in their contracts.  During the 1978 Stanley Cup finals, the Boston Bruins Head Coach ordered his players to put their sticks up and hit Lafleur whenever they encountered him.  At the end of the series, Lafleur's head was swathed in bandages after numerous slashes from Bruins players.  After Montreal won the Stanley Cup, he borrowed the trophy for the weekend without telling anyone.  He took it back home to Thurso and set it out on his front lawn for all his neighbors to see.

Lafleur played professional hockey for 17 seasons.  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.  Even after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Lafleur return to the NHL for three more seasons. 

L'Aréna Guy-Lafleur de Thurso

In 1980 Lafleur was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2005, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.  In Thurso, a street and a sports arena have been named after him.  This bronze statue stands in front of his namesake arena in Thurso, and another is displayed outside the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens.

Horseshoe Curve

The Thurso and Nation Valley Railway was the last logging railway in eastern Canada.  It ran south into Thurso to bring lumber from the northern forests to the mills.  In its last years, a railroad enthusiast, Colin Churcher, rode along with an experienced engineer to describe the route out of Thurso, and some of the lore about this short line railway.  It is an interesting view of the area and another era.  

info:  Wikipedia.com

images:  Google Images

pulp mill:  http://specialtycellulose.com/globe-and-mail-%E2%80%9Cquebec-mill-sees-new-life-in-rayon-market%E2%80%9D.htm

railway:  http://www.railways.incanada.net/thurso/tnvrrout.htm