History and Heritage in Laval

This morning, we started the day with an activity organized by the ArtHist Network, heritage tours, which is dedicated to promoting the heritage of Laval’s various neighbourhoods. Their diverse program caters to all audiences, and we chose an activity designed specifically for young children: “Ti-Jos the Know-It-All and His Future Apprentices.”

Note: This tour is not available in 2023. Discover here the three colorful, entertaining, and educational tours that await you this year.

Even before the activity began, the children were captivated by the character of Ti-Jos, who spoke with an early 20th-century accent. Ti-Jos is a day laborer, and as he talks about his work, he introduces the children (and their parents) to various aspects of life in Sainte-Rose in 1925. Did you know that ice cut from the Mille-Îles River could be stored in warehouses for up to a year and supplied Montreal markets? Ti-Jos also invited the children to get moving and try out his saw and ice tongs, much to their delight.

After receiving our apprentice certificates, we decided toexplore old Sainte-Rose, which is full of charm with its beautiful old houses.

One of them even has a charming ice cream shop where the sorbets and gelatos are homemade: Le Berlingot. When Eva chose lemon, we were skeptical, but she seemed delighted!