Robert B. Farrow Collection.

Photocopy in the OSMRM archive.

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Photocopy in the OSMRM archive.

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Gerry Ouderkirk archive: Owen Sound Sun - Times, Jan. 30th, 1964.

(Gauche) Le Roberval. Bateau résolument moderne, il appartenait à Price et fut construit en 1963. Il a été le dernier bateau à faire carrière dans le transport du bois. Il a été vendu en 1998. (Droit) Le Roberval à ses beaux jours. Source: Société d’histoire et de généalogie Maria-Chapdelaine, P133 (Left) The Roberval. A thoroughly modern tug, it was owned by Price and was built in 1963. It was the last boat to make a career in the transport of wood. It was sold in 1998. (Right) The Roberval in its heyday. Source: Maria-Chapdelaine History and Genealogy Society, P133 https://www.letoiledulac.com/histoire/histoire-de-notre-navigation-partie-2-les-defis

Ren� Beauchamp comments (Feb. 9, 2013): "I saw this small tug at Roberval, Lac St.Jean, QC in August 1967. Her work was to tow logbooms such as the one behind. It was probably a Sunday and the tug was at rest. This tug is still in existence under the name Princess Majestic but was never used in active service under that name."
source: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1741855

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Vogue, vogue mon joli bateau / Sail on, my pretty boat
April 23, 2017 | Samuel Desbiens
source: https://samueldesbiens91.wixsite.com/transidentite/single-post/2017/04/23/Vogue-vogue-mon-joli-bateau

La maison que l'on habitait appartenait � la compagnie Abittibi-Price, compagnie pour laquelle mon p�re travaillait comme comptable. Elle �tait situ�e � quelques m�tres du quai o� accostait le Roberval. ( remorqueur de pitounes de bois ) La fin de semaine le bateau faisait escale au quai. J'adorais me sauver de la maison en douce pour aller � bord du bateau, je filais dans la salle des machines pour aider Oscar qui en faisait l'entretien. J'avais un petit tabouret, juste pour moi, que j'installais sagement pr�s d'Oscar, sans nuire � son espace n�cessaire pour bien faire son travaille. C'�tait avec une patience d'ange qu'il m'expliquait ce qu'il faisait, me nommait les noms des instruments et leur fonction. Ce que j'aimais le plus, c'est quand il demandait mon assistance pour lui donner les outils dont il avait besoin. Il me disait � Je suis moins fatigu� le soir quand tu m'aides�. Je me sentais si important et fier en ces moments-l�. C'est l'un de mes plus beaux souvenirs. Ensuite, je remontais � la cuisine, piquer une petite jasette avec le cuisinier. Il me montait sur le comptoir et me servait une g�terie. Il connaissait bien mes pr�f�rences: g�teau au chocolat, tarte aux bleuets et uniquement son sucre � la cr�me, y'en n'avait pas de meilleur que le sien. Apr�s ce petit go�ter, je montais au poste de pilotage voir le capitaine qui �coutait la radio de la compagnie afin de savoir la m�t�o du lundi, les emb�cles de pitounes sur le lac. Il me racontait des histoires farfelues que je croyais dur comme fer. Cela le faisait bien rire d'ailleurs. Je connaissais tous les recoins du Roberval. J'y ai m�me navigu� avec ma m�re pendant quelques jours, c'�tait la r�alisation d'un r�ve d'enfant. Mais aussi l'une de mes plus grandes d�ceptions. Le week-end suivant notre sortie en bateau, j'avais dit au capitaine que mon exp�rience de navigation avait �t� une vraie r�v�lation pour moi. � Quand je serai grand, je vais �tre un capitaine comme vous�. Un grand rire sonore suivi de � cela me surprendrait beaucoup petite, les filles ne deviennent pas des capitaines de bateau, c'est pour les gar�ons.� Je me souviens tr�s bien avoir rentr� � la maison en pleurant. Je ne comprenais pas trop bien pourquoi la conduite des hommes que j'admirais, qui m'inspirais, � qui j'aspirais ressembl� un jour �tait mauvais genre. Il y a des moments comme celui-l� qui venait d'engloutir mon pr�sent et mon futur de mon �tre. Ce beau r�ve d'avenir venait de s'envoler avec les brumes du soir sur la rivi�re P�ribonka Translation: The house we lived in belonged to Abittibi-Price, a company for which my father worked as an accountant. It was located a few meters from the dock where the Roberval docked. (tug of wood pitounes) On weekends the boat stopped at the dock. I loved to save myself from the house to go aboard the boat, I went into the engine room to help Oscar, who was doing the maintenance. I had a small stool, just for me, that I installed wisely near Oscar, without harming his space needed to do his job well. It was with angelic patience that he explained to me what he was doing, named the names of the instruments and their function. What I liked best was when he asked for my help to give him the tools he needed. He said to me "I am less tired at night when you help me". I felt so important and proud in those moments. This is one of my fondest memories. Then I went back to the kitchen, take a little joust with the cook. He went up to the counter and served me a treat. He knew my preferences well: chocolate cake, blueberry pie and only his sugar cream, there was no better than his. After this little snack, I climbed to the cockpit to see the captain who listened to the radio company to know the weather on Monday, the jams of pitounes on the lake. He told me wacky stories that I thought hard as iron. It made him laugh, too. I knew every corner of Roberval. I even sailed with my mother for a few days, it was the realization of a child's dream. But also one of my biggest disappointments. The weekend after our boat trip, I told the captain that my sailing experience was a real eye opener for me. "When I grow up, I'll be a captain like you." A loud laugh followed by "it would surprise me a lot small, girls do not become boat captains, it's for boys." I remember very well coming home crying. I did not quite understand why the conduct of the men I admired, who inspired me, whom I aspired to look like one day was bad. There are moments like that which engulfed my present and my future of my being. This beautiful dream of the future had just taken off with the evening mists on the P�ribonka River.

Le Roberval au quai de Price à Péribonka en 1991 Le deuxième bateau était propulsé par un moteur diésel. Il fut construit en Ontario pour la compagnie Price, en 1963, par la compagnie Russell Brothers à Owen Sound et mis en service en 1963 (renseignement obtenu de Gilbert Goulet). Ce "Roberval prendra sa retraite dans la deuxième moitié des années 1990".

Roberval boat at the Peribonka wharf 1991 The second boat was powered by a diesel engine. It was built in Ontario for the Price company in 1963 by the Russell Brothers company in Owen Sound and put into service in 1963 (information obtained from Gilbert Goulet). This "Roberval will retire in the second half of the 1990s". source: http://st-gelais.com/blogs/blog6.php/st-amedee-de-peribonka-partie-3-sa-naissance-sa-vie-sa-mort

 

Tugboat Roberval owned by Price Brothers Co.(Now Consol) in 1998. The Roberval was sold in 1998 to Marine Int. Dragage for 100,000 $ but MID did not move the boat until September 2004, after a judiciary saga. The boat was transported to Grande-Anse, Qc and as far as I know she is still registered as a seaworthy ship. Photo by and courtesy of Guy Allard.
source: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=67120#

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Mathieu Larochelle comments (Jan 02, 2009): "Part of tug Roberval arrived in Sorel-Tracy this summer, now owned by Marine International Dragage. She is now in refit on the ground, and her new name would be Princess Majestic. Take a look closely under the bow to see the system they took to put her on the barge..."
source: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1741855#

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Nov. 2007     source: http://www.lebulletinregional.com (french)

The hull of the decommissioned tug Roberval arrived in Chicoutimi Sun. Dec. 19th, after a long trip with police escort through the Saguenay / Lac St. Jean region. Marine Dragage of Sorel purchased the vessel in 1998, and the move was contracted to Les D�placements Grenier de Thetford-Mines. The cab and funnel of the vessel had been dismantled first. After completing its working life for Abitibi-Consolidated (log drives on Lac Saint-Jean), the tug was abandoned for years on the dock at Roberval. The municipality got an injunction inducing the Sorel company to move the tug. It was necessary to clear certain spaces and accesses before crossing the Lac Saint-Jean region. The fate of the hull is not yet certain, and it awaits further financial evaluation. Our photos are from Dec. 16, in the municipality of Desbiens in Lac-Saint-Jean. The destination is near boulevard Renaud. Le remorqueur d�saffect� Le Roberval a effectu� son long p�riple sur les routes de la r�gion, en arrivant, le dimanche 19 d�cembre, dans l�arrondissement Chicoutimi. ROBERVAL� - / LBR / - Tout au long de son parcours, le bateau de 80 tonnes a �t� escort� par des policiers lui ouvrant la voie, pour des raisons �videntes de s�curit�. L�entreprise ayant fait l'acquisition du bateau en 1998, Marine Industrie Dragage de Sorel, a confi� la t�che sp�cialis�e � Les D�placements Grenier de Thetford-Mines. Il s�agit plut�t de sa partie principale du remorqueur, soit la coque; la cabine et la chemin�e du navire avaient �t� d�mantel�es au pr�alable. Apr�s avoir termin� sa vie active pour Abitibi-Consolidated (flottage du bois sur le lac Saint-Jean), le remorqueur �tait abandonn� depuis des ann�es aux abords du quai de Roberval. Cette municipalit� avait d� obtenir une injonction amenant l�entreprise de Sorel � prendre possession du remorqueur avant la Travers�e du lac Saint-Jean. Il fallait lib�rer certains espaces et acc�s. L�acqu�reur ne le destine finalement pas � l�usage pr�vu, apr�s des �valuations financi�res du projet vis�. Nos photos datent du 16 d�cembre, au Lac-Saint-Jean, dans le secteur de la municipalit� de Desbiens. Le point d�arriv�e est un terrain proche du boulevard Renaud.

 

Ren� Beauchamp comments (June 2017): "Model of ROBERVAL I photographed while I was at Roberval last week. A special exhibit was going on at the marina illustrating navigation on Lac St-Jean over the years. A lot of very interesting vintage photos to be seen."