Martin Baron

Martin Baron teaches history at the Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. For the 100th anniversary of Rouyn-Noranda, he expanded his students' learning beyond conventional pathways. As part of the course Histoire populaire des Amériques contemporaines, he brought his students to the regional centre of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). Carried out under the guidance of members of the Société d’histoire de Rouyn-Noranda, their research led to 800-word articles published in the weekly newspaper Le Citoyen, radio segments broadcast on community radio station CHUN-FM, and posters distributed in businesses and organizations throughout the city.

Immersed in primary sources — photographs, period newspapers, and archival documents — these young researchers had to interpret, explain, and refine their work, knowing it would be read, heard, and seen by members of their community. Two of the articles were even among Le Citoyen’s most shared of the year.

Produced in collaboration with the Société du 100^e anniversaire de Rouyn-Noranda, this project enabled students to rethink their understanding of local history by discovering the importance of contributing to a city’s living memory.