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Opémiska Community Hall Fire
On December 31, 1979, 350 people attended a New Year's Eve party held at the Opémiska Community Hall in Chapais, Quebec. During the event, pine branches used as Christmas decorations were accidentally set on fire, with the resulting blaze killing 48 people and injuring 50 others. Context The rural community of Chapais was established as a mining town in 1955. At its peak, the mine employed 700 of the 3500 inhabitants of the town, with a sawmill employing another 450. Falconbridge Ltd., Falconbridge Copper Ltd., who operated the Opemiska mine, gifted the town with a community hall that could host 300 people. On December 8, 1979, the mine hosted a Christmas party for its employees at the community hall. A large number of Christmas trees were installed as decoration, and for the second year in a row, a large arch made of pine branches was installed near the entrance. Following the party, it was decided that the decorations would be kept in the room for the upcoming New Year celebrat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chapais, Quebec
Chapais is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on Route 113 near Chibougamau in the Jamésie region. It is surrounded by, but not a part of, the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government. The community was first settled in 1929, when prospector Léo Springer discovered deposits of copper, silver and gold in the area, and was incorporated as a city in 1955. It was named for Thomas Chapais. History Opémisca Copper Mines operated the community's mine until 1991. More recently, with the closure of the mines the community's primary industry has been forestry, and the community opened the first cogeneration plant in Quebec to produce electricity from the sawmill's waste matter. On the night of January 1, 1980, at 1:30 a.m., 48 people were killed when a fire destroyed the Opémiska Community Hall. Fifty others were injured and rushed to Chibougamau hospital. This fire was the worst to occur in Quebec for more than 40 years. The fire st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |