This text is part of the special notebook 150 years of Polytechnique Montréal
Polytechnique Montréal has come a long way since its modest beginnings at the Académie du Plateau and then in a building on rue Saint-Denis! In 150 years, it has become a world-renowned educational and research institution, striving to solve the problems of our time.
Founded in 1873 by Urgel-Eugène Archambault, the School of Sciences Applied to Arts and Industry was renamed École Polytechnique de Montréal three years later. But it suffered from the absence of a French-speaking bourgeoisie capable of financing it and from the domination of the Catholic clergy in education. Between 1877 and 1904, it never graduated more than four students per year.
“From the start, civil engineering was its priority, because it was about providing the Quebec government with specialists to help it succeed in its projects,” explains Professor Louise Millette in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering. . Quebec then experienced strong excitement. The industrial revolution increased needs tenfold: construction of railways, roads, bridges, municipal infrastructure, electrification of cities, etc.
However, major projects like the Victoria Bridge or the Quebec Bridge are the responsibility of foreign engineers. “The Quebec Bridge fell twice during its construction and the American engineer was never on the site,” illustrates Louise Millette. The Quebec government clearly saw that it had to train its own engineers. »
The momentum of the Quiet Revolution
Public funding for Polytechnique will gradually increase from the beginning of the 20th centurye century. During this period, its engineers worked for the federal and provincial governments, but remained shunned by large industries. Some are launching engineering consulting firms that will help carry out municipal work.
The 1960s and 1970s marked a turning point, due to the construction of several dams and large-scale projects such as the Montreal metro, Expo 67 and the expressways that surround Montreal.
Offices founded by Polytechnique graduates will then take off, including SNC, Lavalin, Cogeco and Bombardier. It was also during this period that management positions in industries opened up to French-speaking engineers, who became more numerous than their English-speaking colleagues.
Develop knowledge
At the beginning of the 1970s, Polytechnique Montréal became a research institution. “The School now wanted to contribute to the development of engineering knowledge,” emphasizes Louise Millette.
The establishment then adopts a real research program, develops its links with industry and creates scholarships for graduate cycles. It will also benefit from the arrival of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in 1978 and its provincial counterpart, the Fund for Research Training and Assistance, in 1984.
Initially, Polytechnique mainly carried out analyzes and tests. In the 1980s, it carried out many sponsored research and development projects. “The emphasis was on the needs of the company and students had little participation,” notes Augustin Brais, director of the partnerships and research infrastructure office at Polytechnique Montréal. From the 1990s, the School established real research partnerships, which included the training of students. »
Research at Polytechnique Mont-réal also attempts to meet the needs of society. For example, the establishment has developed expertise in drinking water. The co-holder of the Industrial Chair in Drinking Water, Michèle Prévost, was also consulted when the water in the Ontario village of Walkerton was contaminated by the bacteria E.coli in May 2000.
The Structural Engineering Research Group laboratory has become the largest and most versatile in Canada. “It was to him that the Quebec government turned to understand the reasons for the collapse of the Concorde viaduct in 2006,” recalls Augustin Brais.
A greener genius
When the major works of the 1960s and 1970s were launched, environmental sensitivity remained underdeveloped. “At the beginning of the 1980s, the Department of Civil Engineering at Polytechnique created an initial orientation in environmental protection, to give students a broader perspective of the impacts of their work,” says Louise Millette.
After a certain decline in the late 1980s, these courses are returning due to the greater environmental requirements imposed on civil engineering projects. “Engineers like to imagine solutions in line with the needs of society, and this is what Polytechnique training offers,” concludes the professor.
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