Life in the Township

Fall 1952

The fall of 1953 brought renewed pressure by the municipal council to have the new bridge built in Terrebonne.

This had been promised during the recent provincial election campaign and the elected officials of the municipalities in Montcalm County, as Rousseau was then known, united to remind the government of its promise.

The village council voted to purchase a dump truck to be used for opening and repairing the roads as well as for the garbage pick-up. Mr. Soullier

was contracted to provide the pick up.

In the township things were changing, as well. A resolution asking the provincial government for jurisdiction over their own roads.

The tax system was also adjusted to make the cost of maintaining the roads and bridges more equitable. Rather than each range being assessed individually, a uniform cost was spread out over the whole township. A 50 cent increase per $100 valuation was added to the basic $0.50 tax bringing the total up to $1.20 (today the rate is $1.37).

Even way back then, the water supply was a concern. People complained of the colour and lack of pressure. The suggestion that a purification plant was stifled rather quickly when a price tag of $100,000 was quoted. The suggestion that the 2 inch pipes be replaced by 8 inch ones was also squelched when they learned that Rawdon with a population of only 1,800 had 31 miles of streets.

The social whirl in Rawdon kept spinning. Various parties and balls kept the ladies in pin curls and babysitters in great demand.