Thursday, March 31, 2011

Rural Valcourt Quebec Mid 1930’s

The tireless inventor

  June 22, 1967

Born in 1907, Joseph-Armand Bombardier shows a genius for tinkering early in life. He's only 10-years-old when he takes a cigar box and a broken alarm clock and makes a working model of a tractor. As he gets older, Armand dreams of building a vehicle that can glide over snow — a fitting goal for a boy growing up in rural Valcourt, Que. At 15 Armand designs and builds his first snow vehicle which is basically a large sleigh powered by a Ford Model T engine with a wooden airplane propeller at the back.

He and his brother drive the noisy contraption through Valcourt before their father orders them to stop. Undeterred, Armand keeps working on his idea while he earns a living as an auto mechanic. His big breakthrough comes in the mid-1930s when he develops a drive system that will revolutionize travel in snow and swamp. In 1937 Armand sells 12 snowmobiles — named the B7 — and opens the company l'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée five years later.

 

 • Bombardier attended school at a seminary in Sherbrooke, Que. He was expected to enter the priesthood but convinced his parents he would make a better mechanic.
•On Aug. 7, 1929 he married Yvonne Labrecque, with whom he had six children.
•The death of his son Yvon in the mid-1930s further motivated J. Armand Bombardier to complete his snowmobile invention. The young boy died of an appendicitis attack when a snowstorm prevented getting him to a hospital.

•Adalbert Landry and Antoine Morisset of Quebec's Gaspé region made a rudimentary snow vehicle in the mid-1920s. They converted an automobile by putting skis in the front and a caterpillar belt over the double rear wheels. In 1924 they travelled nearly 600 kilometres to show off their vehicle at a Montreal automobile show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 comments:

pauline garneau said...


Part number 1 of 2



Part 2of 2

pauline garneau said...

Younger generation takes over
April 12, 1967
On Feb. 18, 1964, J. Armand Bombardier dies of cancer at age 56. He leaves behind a thriving business but also one that has been focussed around one person. Armand dominated his company, overseeing all areas of operation. He controlled the small research department, making all the drawings himself. Now the younger generation takes over and is lead by Armand's sons and sons-in-law. A new era is underway.

The young team reorganizes and decentralizes the company, adopting modern business tactics. The company adopts the latest technological innovation — the computer — to handle inventory, accounts and billing. Distribution networks are improved and increased and an incentive program is developed for sales staff


•After her husband's death, Yvonne Bombardier refused lucrative offers by American corporations to buy the company. Yvonne said, "My husband's company was born in Canada and it's going to stay in Canada."
•J. Armand Bombardier groomed his son Germain to take over the company. Germain became president when his father died but quit two years later and sold his shares in the company. Germain cited health reasons for his departure but another explanation is that he did not agree with the expansion plans supported by other family members.

•In 1966, son-in-law Laurent Beaudoin became president of the company at age 27. Beaudoin is considered the business genius behind Bombardier and remained president and Chief Executive Officer until 1999.
•In 1967 Bombardier's board of directors had an average age of 34.

pauline garneau said...

1990Bombardier buys Learjet Corp.


Broadcast Date: April 26, 1990
A look at the success of the Bombardier company as it prepares to buy the Learjet Corporation.


pauline garneau said...

2003
In response to a $12-billion debt and a decline in air travel, Canadian corporate giant Bombardier brings in the big guns. Paul Tellier is plucked from Canadian National and installed as the new CEO with the hope he can turn the company around. Three months later, on April 3, 2003, Tellier rolls out a recovery plan that involves the sale of Bombardier's recreational products division including the popular Ski-Doo line. As can be seen from this clip, this decision to sever the roots of Bombardier sends shockwaves throughout the industry.

pauline garneau said...

• BOMBARDIER FAMILY AEROSPACE



Bombardier Learjet , Challenger and Global

pauline garneau said...

Metro now
http://www.metrodemontreal.com/

pauline garneau said...

Metro now
http://www.metrodemontreal.com/

pauline garneau said...

New Product
http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/04/cx_dl_1104vow.html

pauline garneau said...

PICTURES

pauline garneau said...







http://www.monorails.org/pdfs/INNOVIA%20300.pdf

pauline garneau said...

After her husband's death, Yvonne Bombardier refused lucrative offers by American corporations to buy the company. Yvonne said, "My husband's company was born in Canada and it's going to stay in Canada."