Historic slideshow brings Aylmer’s past to life at Résidence L’Initial

Tashi Farmilo

A slideshow film exploring the history and historical figures of Aylmer drew residents to Résidence L’Initial on February 17, where audience members shared personal connections to the community’s past. The event was led by local historian Michelle Mondoux and focused on the former village’s development along the Ottawa River, from the era of steamers and sawmills to the growth of its main streets and civic institutions.

As archival photographs and historical accounts were presented, several attendees identified relatives among the notable figures discussed. A couple of people in the audience, including Mondoux, were the children of prominent local figures featured in the slideshow and acknowledged their connections in brief exchanges. Other residents recognized former buildings, businesses and gathering places that have since been demolished or repurposed, reinforcing the depth of living memory tied to the images on screen.

After the event, Mondoux shared a passage she said she appreciates as a description of Aylmer. The excerpt appeared in the May 1976 edition of The Canadian Review in an article titled “The Life and Death of a Small Town” by Thomas Van Dusen. It reads: “Not so many years ago, Aylmer, Quebec was a small town by the shore of Lake Deschenes. A broadening of the Ottawa River, shining like hammered metal in the summer sun, ice-capped in winter like a shield of time. It kept a measured pace, lapped in history and the measured resonance of the years. Now and then, there would be a break in the Sleeping Beauty stillness.”