Vision, Mission & Shared Values
Dubreuilville’s Vision Statement
The Corporation of the Township of Dubreuilville envisions itself as a thriving, vibrant, and healthy rural French community. With the ability to adapt to an ever-changing world, it strives to offer diverse opportunities and an exceptional quality of life for all its residents.
Dubreuilville’s Mission Statement
To diversify and strengthen Dubreuilville’s economic foundation through sustainable development; enhance the quality and range of municipal and community services; expand housing opportunities; all while preserving a high quality of life in harmony with its natural surroundings.
Values
• Respect
• Diversity
• Equality
• Culture
Community Profile - Dubreuilville, Ontario 2024
The Township of Dubreuilville is a proud Francophone community nestled within the heart of the Magpie Forest, located at the junction of the Magpie River and at the end of highway 519 East off the Trans-Canada highway 17. Dubreuilville is a relatively young town with a colorfully rich history. Our industrious and adventurous lifestyles are built on the surrounding natural resources, while modern technology is rapidly propelling Dubreuilville into the modern age. The result is an energetic community building a strong future on the shoulders of our founding fathers.
Our lifestyle is typical of the French culture. We love good food, great music, lively social occasions and a comfortable quality of life that is based on solid family values. Surrounded by the lush beauty of Northern Ontario, Dubreuilville offers limitless year-round activities to suit every need. Join us and experience the freedom!
History
The tale of the four Dubreuil brothers is one that would surprise the most enterprising individual. As young men, Napoléon, Joachim, Augustin, and Marcel all worked for their father in a small family business, building doors, windows and frames. Following the death of their father in 1945, the Dubreuil brothers decided to enter into the sawmill business; and with $1,000 in equity the famous partnership, Dubreuil Brothers Ltd. was established. In 1947, the brothers left Taschereau, Québec and ventured to Ontario to earn a living.
While working as small-scale forestry contractors in Northern Ontario, the Dubreuil brothers were successful in obtaining lot concessions from the Algoma Central Railway (ACR) in 1951. With this new contract, they recruited approximately thirty men from the Taschereau region, built two sawmills, and constructed nearly thirty homes. This marked the birth of the small village of Magpie, located about 18 km from the present-day town of Dubreuilville.
In 1958, Augustin Dubreuil invented the “Sputnik” (affectionately named after the first Russian satellite launched into space in 1957), a piece of equipment capable of transporting full-length logs into the sawmill with a single operator. The “Sputnik” revolutionized the sawmill industry and was adopted by many other sawmills in Canada, the United States, and Sweden. This process of bringing “full tree lengths” to the sawmill was a first in North America.
The Dubreuil brothers were inducted into the Forestry Industry Hall of Fame for pioneering this process, transforming modern logging practices across North America.
Over the years, Dubreuilville has also benefited from other industries, particularly mining and tourism, both of which have experienced periods of prosperity at different times.
The gold mining industry is currently led by Alamos Gold Inc., through the Island Gold District site located 18 km from Dubreuilville. The Island Gold District includes the adjacent Island Gold and Magino mines, two long-life operations with substantial mineral reserves and resources, as well as significant exploration potential.
Island Gold is an underground mine and one of Canada’s highest-grade and lowest-cost gold mines. Magino is a large open-pit operation located less than 300 metres from the Island Gold deposit. Together, the Island Gold and Magino sites have created one of the largest and lowest-cost gold mining operations in Canada.
The mine produces more than 500,000 ounces of gold annually and is considered one of the top performers in the industry. Approximately one-third of its workforce comes from Dubreuilville, while other workers travel to the mine site for shift work.
The company has established bunkhouse-style accommodations within the boundaries of the Township of Dubreuilville, in addition to occupying several homes, apartments, and specialized buildings to house its workforce.
Dubreuilville has always benefited from a strong tourism industry. The municipality is especially well known for its winter snowmobile trails, as several TOP trails from the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs intersect in Dubreuilville.
Visitors can travel north to Hornepayne and Hearst, east to Missanabie, west to the towns of White River and Marathon, or south to reach Hawk Junction, Wawa, Sault Ste. Marie, and Chapleau.
The extensive trail network, made possible through the historical construction of logging roads on Crown land, is one of Dubreuilville’s greatest sources of pride and one of its most valuable assets.