The history of the Pâquet Triple Barns in Duhamel-Ouest is deeply intertwined with the Pâquet family’s long-standing connection to agriculture. It all began with Zoël Melançon, the great-grandfather of Aimé Melançon, who arrived in Témiscamingue around the 1900s. Zoël Melançon had three sons: Joseph, Cyrille, and Alphonse.

Zoël purchased lots along the central line of Fugèreville for his sons, and it was Joseph who first settled on the current site of the triple barns. In 1912, he built the first barn, setting the foundation for the family’s farming legacy.

In 1938, the farm passed into the hands of Alphonse, Aimé Melançon’s father. In 1941, Alphonse, with the help of Mr. Tétreault, constructed a second barn adjacent to the first one, extending a bit further to the west. In 1950, Aimé Melançon, who was working as a cook in lumber camps at the time, and his wife Marie-Laure Racicot, purchased the farm from Alphonse. Aimé’s father offered him the opportunity to buy the farm when he was 57 years old during a visit to the family farm. At the time, Aimé and Marie-Laure already had six children. They moved to the farm in May 1950.

In 1955, the couple decided to expand Joseph’s original barn to match the length of the second barn. The interior was converted into a stable. In 1966, a fourth addition was made to the farm, resulting in the construction of the third barn on the south side. Aimé Melançon, with the help of Benoit Brassard and Marcel Morin, built this barn.

Two years later, due to the growing needs of the operation, a dairy was added to the western end. The three barns’ interior housed a stable, accommodating 60 cows, and the first milk tank in Témiscamingue was installed on this farm.

In 1975, Aimé Melançon started facing health issues and eventually sold the farm to Jean Bergeron and Françoise Laplante.

Jean-Luc Pâquet became the owner of the site where the triple barns are located in 1997. At that time, Mr. Pâquet was involved in pig farming, but he left this production in 2009.

Interestingly, the triple barns were not used for Mr. Pâquet’s agricultural activities, as he built a large building a few hundred meters away from the barns in the early 2000s. Instead, the triple barns are utilized as storage space for firewood and other miscellaneous items.

Mr. Pâquet mentioned that when he arrived at the farm, he had to amputate part of the west end of the north-side barn, as it had collapsed. In 2016, the foundations of this section are still visible, and Mr. Pâquet has installed a silo in its place, which he used when he cultivated land during his years as a farmer. The only other modifications made were to the roof, where the screws holding the metal sheets were replaced, and the sheets themselves were repainted. Mr. Pâquet values the aesthetics of his property and believes that maintaining a clean and orderly appearance is important for the barns as well. With a watertight roof, the preservation of the buildings is ensured. Additionally, Mr. Pâquet is particularly attached to the heritage these buildings evoke.

Inside the middle and south barns, one can find what is believed to be the first horizontal silo in Témiscamingue. Mr. Melançon used to store silage there when the dairy farm was operational. Another interesting anecdote is that the dairy contained a shower, which apparently the Melançon children would use after the morning train. Mr. Pâquet recalls that in summer and winter alike, it was possible to see the children running from the stable to the house, which was 50 feet away, clad only in a towel.

*These heritage elements are privately owned; please admire them from public roads and paths.