Hull, une ville ouvrière dans l'âme

[English translation] , Hull, a Working-class City at Heart, From a young agricultural colony established by Philemon Wright at the beginning of the 19th century, the city of Hull quickly became one of the major industrial and commercial hubs in Outaouais. Around 1850, numerous sawmills were set up around the Chaudière Falls. This emerging industry and the economic growth it generated required the hiring of many workers who settled with their families in the new neighborhoods built around the factories. , The Matchstick Houses , The matchstick house, also known in the region as the “Hulloise house,” is characteristic of downtown Hull and reflects its working-class history. This architectural style can, however, also be found elsewhere in Quebec, in Ottawa, and in New Brunswick. The model was first developed in the United States, and a variety of plans is available by catalog. The long and narrow architecture typical of the matchstick house is mainly determined by the deep and narrow dimensions of the lots on which it is built. Standing two stories tall, topped with a gable roof covered with cedar shingles, its walls are clad with vertically placed pine boards. The Hulloise house is the perfect example of the effect of industrialization, as its construction is made from materials produced in nearby sawmills and factories. , Hull Technical School , The Hull Technical School, built on Wright Street in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Charles Brodeur, was created to meet the city's urgent need for skilled labor. Thanks to the pressures from the population as well as the efforts of Mayor Urgel Archambault and councilor and workers' spokesperson Achille Morin, the school welcomed its first students in 1924. Courses were offered to boys aged 14 and over who had completed their sixth year of primary school. The facilities were equipped with modern tools and furnishings. The different programs were notably aimed at training mechanics, carpenters, electricians, and blacksmiths. For years, the school contributed to the industrial progress of Hull. Today, various community organizations occupy the building, renamed the Jules-Desbiens Center (still located at 109 Wright Street) when it was acquired by the City of Hull in 1983.