Valcourt in Le Val-Saint-François, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
La Garage Bombardier
⎯⎯⎯
The Bombardier Garage
Photographed by Kevin Craft, October 20, 2026
1. La Garage Bombardier / The Bombardier Garage Marker
{French text}
En 1926, à l’âge de 19 ans, Joseph-Armand Bombardier construit son premier garage avec l’aide de la famille, d’amis, de concitoyens de Valcourt et du soutien financier de son père. De taille modeste, le bâtiment abrite alors un magasin de pièces et le bureau de l’inventeur qui opère un garage de réparations automobiles et de machineries. Ayant une excellente réputation, des clients venant d’un peu partout dans les Cantons-de-l’Est apportent au jeune mécanicien leurs voitures, machines et outils.
En 1929, Joseph-Armand agrandit son garage et en devient propriétaire. Il se tourne de plus en plus vers la mise au point de véhicules pouvant circuler sur la neige, de sorte que vers 1937, il se lance exclusivement dans le développement et la fabrication d’autoneiges. C’est dans ces murs qu’il développe son premier modèle populaire : le B7.
En 1940, Joseph-Armand Bombardier commande la construction d’une nouvelle usine (aujourd’hui le siège social de BRP) à côté de son garage afin de répondre à la demande grandissante pour ses véhicules.
En 1968, la Fondation J. Armand Bombardier fait l’acquisition du garage Bombardier
this page online
Depuis 2016, le Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier abrite un spectacle multimédia qui rend hommage à cette figure marquante de l’histoire du Québec.
{English text}
In 1926, at the age of 19, Joseph-Armand Bombardier built his first garage with the help of family, friends, local community and the financial support of his father.
The modestly sized garage housed a parts store and the inventor’s office. The younger Bombardier ran a car and machinery repair shop on the site. With an excellent reputation, customers from across the Eastern Townships brought all kinds of cars, machines, and tools to the young mechanic.
In 1929, he enlarged the building and took over its operation. Joseph-Armand became more and more interested in vehicles that could travel on snow, to the point when, around 1937, he started to focus solely on the development and manufacturing of snowmobiles. This is the building where the inventor, in spite of having limited resources, used his
Photographed by Kevin Craft, October 20, 2026
2. Wideview of La Garage Bombardier / The Bombardier Garage Marker
In 1940, Joseph-Armand Bombardier had a new factory (today’s BRP headquarters) built next to his garage to keep up with the demand for his vehicles.
The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation acquired the Bombardier Garage in 1968. The Garage was then moved to its current location and turned into a museum documenting the life of the inventor, which opened its doors on September 11, 1971.
A multimedia presentation was added in 2016, showcasing this prominent figure in Québec’s history.
Erected by Tourisme Val-Saint-François.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical date for this entry is September 11, 1971.
Location. 45° 29.657′ N, 72° 18.594′ W. Marker is in Valcourt, Québec, in Le Val-Saint-François. It is on Avenue J.-A.-Bombardier 0.2 kilometers north of avenue de Parc, on the right when traveling north. Marker is near the entrance of the J. Armand Bombardier Ingenuity Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 Av J.-A.-Bombardier, Valcourt QC J0E 2L0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 23 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Durham-Sud WW2 Memorial (approx. 18.5 kilometers away); First Railway Train (approx. 22.4 kilometers away); Richmond WW1 Memorial Plaque (approx. 22.7 kilometers away).
More about this marker. Bombardier's influence on the small town of Valcourt is obvious wherever you look.
Also see . . . Wikipedia - Joseph-Armand Bombardier. (Submitted on October 27, 2026, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2026, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 27, 2026, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.
