During the years 1900 to 1945 prospection for natural resources was not very active. Only few white people were present on the territory. But this region saw many travellers… The Innus. From the shores of the Gulf of the Saint Laurence River family groups left for their hunting and trapping grounds that were handed down from father to son for generations.
In 1866, a Swiss missionary, Father Louis Babel, started his first expedition guided by First Nations members. A scientific explorer, he was the first to establish geographical maps, showing the presence of red earth in the Quebec/Labrador area.
Quebec was absent, provoking a border dispute.
Construction of the railway, the Menihek hydroelectric dam, the camps along the line, the Sept-Îles terminal, the airlift, the mining town and mining sector, including the relocation of buildings from Burnt Creek to Knob Lake in 1953.
Effective August 1, 1955, erected as a town municipality, under the name of “Town of Schefferville” and that the residents and taxpayers of this municipality be incorporated under the name of “Municipal Corporation of the Town of Schefferville”.
Extract from the letters patent, published in the Gazette officielle de Québec, July 30, 1955, Tome 87, N. 80
Nouveau-Québec's 1st city began its career on July 14, 1955. At the same time, the First Nations had settled on Lac John, creating their own village that was not recognized until 1957.
Imprints of large leaves; then of a fly in 1960; the Ruth Lake mine concealed trees beneath its surface: Cypress or Cupressinoxylon goepperti.
Celebrated in Schefferville, the occasion saw the creation of several monuments, including The Man and the Iron Tree, among others.
The mining company IOC built a concentrator and a pellet plant in Sept-Îles to process iron ore from Schefferville.
This led to the construction of around a hundred houses and residences for the mine workers.
Following this, there was a major exodus of the population, decreasing from around 4,000 people to approximately 1,170 across all communities.
At the same time, Innu Chief Alexandre McKenzie unveiled his project to expand Matimekush.
This bill concerned the outright closure of Schefferville, wishing to raze it to the ground as had been the case for the town of Gagnon in 1984. This created a conflict that stretched over several years, affecting all communities.
Schefferville lost three-quarters of its infrastructure between 1989 and 1991.
1990s: The Innu community continued to advocate for the expansion of the village of Matimekush, aiming to create the new merged village of Matimekush–Lac-John.
Involving the communities of Matimekush-Lac-John, Kawawachikamach, and Uashat mak Mani-Utenam.
In response to global demand for iron ore, companies such as Labrador Iron Mines began exploiting existing deposits (from 2012 to 2015).
Tata Steel later established operations to extract the remaining deposits from the former Timmins mine, as well as new ones from the Goodwood site.
On October 17, 2017, the Tricomm ecocenter was inaugurated, following the commitment of these three communities. Over the past eight years, this initiative has enabled the recycling of thousands of used tires, several hundred electronic products, paint in quantity, as well as many other hazardous products.
Taken up by the Museum of Paleontology and Evolution (MPE) and the Redpath Museum (McGill University).
A presentation was given to a few Elders from Matimekush–Lac-John.
From October 13 to 16, 2023, around sixty people gathered for the first Environmental Week organized by the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute (FNQLSDI), in collaboration with the Innu Nation of Matimekush–Lac John.
Since August 2024, the park has featured a playground for young children, where they can enjoy various play structures, each as colorful and attractive as the next!
The completion of this project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Société du Plan Nord and the Caniapiscau Regional County Municipality (RCM).
