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The invention that revolutionised winter transport

PrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Epilogue

Prologue

THE STORM

The day the snow made everything stand still

[A huge pile-up is jamming traffic on Highway 10. A hundred cars are parked bumper-to-bumper, in the middle of a snowstorm.

As we get closer, we see a car with a grandfather and granddaughter chatting.]

RADIO VOICE

“Special broadcast! The winter storm that dumped 40 cm of snow over southern Quebec continues unabated. We’ve lost count of the number of vehicles that have ran off the road….”

Several cars are stopped in traffic. Heavy snowflakes are falling, covering the road.

GRANDPA

That’s nothing! I’ve been through some storms myself.

GRANDDAUGHTER

Please, Grandpa! Stop it with your storms! We haven’t moved an inch in the past hour.

RADIO VOICE

“Snow accumulation has caused a huge pile-up on Highway 10.”

 

A woman sits at the wheel of one of the cars stuck in traffic. Her grandfather is in the passenger seat, smiling.

GRANDPA

To think that we’re just a few kilometres away from the Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier!

GRANDDAUGHTER

So what?

[An old model B12 snowmobile appears driving through the storm by the side of the highway and passing stopped cars.]

A blue vehicle passes beside the car, with skis at the front, an engine at the back and rear wheels with tracks (it's a snowmobile). The whole thing looks like a submarine or an old bus.

GRANDPA

Oh well… that looks like a snowmobile.

GRANDDAUGHTER

You mean a Ski-Doo?

GRANDPA

No, darling! Snowmobile! These snowmobiles from the old days were vehicles that could weather any storm!

Joseph-Armand Bombardier revolutionized winter with his invention.

The grandfather speaks with a smile, a cornered look and a proud face. The woman has a slightly teasing face.

GRANDDAUGHTER

Well, your Mr. Bombardier isn’t doing us much good today.

Chapter 1

THE DREAM

1929

Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s project

In 1926, with the help of his father and family, Joseph-Armand Bombardier opened his garage. He quickly became the best mechanic in the area, and customers poured in from all over.

However, he had another idea in mind….

Under heavy snow, the garage can be seen among the trees left bare by the winter cold.

[Joseph-Armand Bombardier looks at the snow falling outside his garage window.]

Joseph-Armand Bombardier pensively stares out the window, watching the snow fall with a hand under his elbow, like a Rodin’s Thinker statue.

(THOUGHTS FROM JOSEPH-ARMAND)

Overcoming winter. Passing through. Flying over snow? Gliding? Floating?

[The garage door opens and Leopold Bombardier enters. He approaches his brother, Joseph-Armand Bombardier.]

Wearing a tired expression, Joseph-Armand Bombardier is working at his desk with a pencil in hand and his notebook opened in front of him. A man in a checkered shirt—his brother Léopold—walks in the door. It’s almost 7 o’clock.

LÉOPOLD

Armand, stop daydreaming! We’ll have to find work for the winter….

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Léopold, do you remember the propeller machine I made? We’re going to build a vehicle we can drive throughout the winter.

And this time, no one is going to stop me from gliding over the snow….

This image clearly depicts a scene from the past. There are two sleds in the centre, connected by a bar on which a Ford T engine is mounted. The engine’s rear has a red propeller. Two young people in winter coats have shocked expressions. On the left, a grey-haired man looks angry, his brows furrowed and pointing at the engine with his left hand. He appears to be the father of Joseph-Armand and Léopold.

In 1922, Joseph-Armand was 15 years old. He coupled a propeller to a Ford T engine, mounted it on sled runners, and test drove it with his brother Léopold. Their father immediately ordered them to dismantle this “infernal” machine.

[In the garage. Joseph-Armand addresses Léopold.]

Joseph-Armand Bombardier is working, down on one knee. Léopold is in the background, bent over holding an open-socket wrench, seemingly executing his brother’s instructions.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Pass me the 8 mm wrench. No, I mean 7 mm.

 

[In the garage. Valmore Labrecque and Isaïe step in, covered in snow.]

With a commanding air, index finger pointed at the two men who have just entered. They are Isaiah (red-haired) and Valmore (gray-haired). Joseph-Armand explains his plan, still accompanied by his brother.

ISAÏE

What a storm!

VALMORE

I thought we’d never make it through.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Come and help me pull out the engine.

 

[In the garage. Joseph-Armand gives directions to Leopold and Valmore.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Leave it to me. We’ll keep the rear wheels and install runners in the front.

Schematic of a vehicle sketched on yellowed, small-tiled paper, with the body of an old car. The front of the vehicle has an engine, with a kind of ski coming up to the front, as if to insert itself where the front wheels might be. Finally, there's a motor at the front.

ISAÏE

But it’ll never work….

VALMORE

It’s going to sink into the first snowbank.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Watch me do it.

The four men are working in the garage. They seem to be finished as one of them wipes his hands with a cloth. The snowmobile in the center looks ready.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

We won’t be waiting for spring to try it out!

In those days, it was impossible to travel by car in winter. Like hundreds of villages, Valcourt was cut off from the world

[The guys take the machine out of the garage. Joseph-Armand climbs aboard and takes the wheel.]

Joseph-Armand est aux commandes de la premèire autoneige, les 3 autres hommes sont autour de l'engin, souriants mais l'air sceptique.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

And off we go!

[The machine speeds through a snowfield, Joseph-Armand at the wheel.]

[The machine sinks into the snow.]

L'autoneige s'embourbe dans la neige.

ISAÏE

It’s the tracks….

LÉOPOLD

It’s the weight….

VALMORE

It’s the Titanic….

[Joseph-Armand climbs out of the snowbound machine.]

L'autoneige est bloquée dans la neige, les 3 hommes ont rejoint Joseph-Armand dans la neige.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Back to the garage!

LÉOPOLD

 The guys are already at Wilfrid Charbonneau’s… they’re waiting for us to play pool!

Illustration d'une maison la nuit

[Joseph-Armand is seated at his desk, on which are books and sketches of plans.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

It has to work for all types of snow: fresh, sticky, grainy, and wet, whether it’s windy or blowing snow, when it’s -30 and when it’s zero.

Joseph-Armand Bombardier est songeur à son bureau.

[Léopold opens the office door.]

LÉOPOLD

So? Are you coming or not?

Les frères, vêtus de manteaux, sortent.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Okay, I’m coming! But I’ll be expecting you early tomorrow. I have an idea….

Chapter 2

THE HOPE

1931

Ideas for progress

 

[At Wilfrid Charbonneau’s in the evening. People are gathered and playing pool.]

Joseph-Armand’s three colleagues are playing pool. It is dark outside.

ISAÏE

Where is Armand?

VALMORE

Still trying to make his machines fly over snow.

 

Valcourt, 1931. Despite his detractors, Joseph-Armand Bombardier continues to believe that one day he’ll be able to glide over snow with a vehicle.

[In the office. Joseph-Armand sits working at his desk. Outside, it’s dark. Yvonne Bombardier is at his side.]

 

Joseph-Armand is working at his desk, and darkness has fallen. His wife, Yvonne, stands behind him impatiently with her hands on her hips.

YVONNE

Armand, have you seen the time?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

I’m just quickly jotting down an idea before I forget.

 

[Yvonne Bombardier approaches with a knowing smile.]

YVONNE

If you’d remembered to install the electricity at home, you could take your notes there.

 

In 1930, Joseph-Armand built a small dam to supply his garage with electricity, while in Valcourt, light was still provided by oil and candles.

Joseph-Armand Bombardier watching the dam in his garage.

[In the garage, the next morning. Joseph-Armand and Léopold are busy making a new track.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

To make the track longer and more flexible, we’ll use a conveyor belt.

VALMORE

What about the weight? What will you do for that?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

We’re going to ask people in Valcourt to make plywood body parts.

Valmore—Joseph-Armand’s oldest colleague—and Isaïe are installing the tracks on the snowmobile’s wheels. Joseph-Armand Bombardier and his brother Léopold are watching them with a smirk, holding sheets of paper.

[In the garage. Valmore and Léopold install the track.]

ISAÏE

It won’t hold.

LÉOPOLD

It won’t work.

 

[In the garage. Joseph-Armand puts wooden blocks between the wheels.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

I’ll use wooden blocks between the wheels to drive the track.

 

[In the garage. Joseph-Armand shows a plan to Isaïe and Valmore.]

Illustration of three men looking at a map.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

To enhance the flexibility of the suspension, we’ll install small wheels on each side.

[Joseph-Armand opens the garage doors. Outside, it’s snowing.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Perfect! We’ll be able to try it out right away.

The four men are pushing the machine out of the garage.

[Outside, there’s a blizzard. Joseph-Armand starts the engine.]

The three other men watch the machine drive off in the snow, happy, cheering with their hands in the hair. They appear to be shouting with glee.[The vehicle slides on the snow. The boys applaud. Joseph-Armand drives away in his prototype, smiling.]

[The machine stops abruptly and sinks into the snow. Joseph-Armand gets out of the machine.]

Joseph-Armand is in the vehicle, now stationary. He pops his head out the window to call his three companions standing a bit further back.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Hey? Guys! Come here and help me. I’ve got an idea….

Léopold and Valmore are talking closely, looking slightly disappointed.

LÉOPOLD

Another one of his ideas….

 

[In his office. Joseph-Armand takes notes and consults books.]

A pencil in one hand, Joseph-Armand appears thoughtful, sitting once again while resting his elbow at his desk. The night has come again.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Floatability on the ground? Better. Traction? It’s holding up.

But then? What’s wrong? The engine in front? Too heavy.

The skis sink in and then the vehicle won’t glide anymore. How about mounting it in the rear? The snow accumulates in the tracks, which eventually break….

 

Chapter 3

THE ORDEAL

1934

The obsession for success

 

[In the kitchen, Joseph-Armand is sitting at the table and Yvonne is by the stove. Her son Germain is eating, while Yvon, her other son, is snug in his highchair. The room is lit by electricity, installed earlier by Joseph-Armand.]

Joseph-Armand is sitting at the table, still holding a pencil. Dinner seems just about ready; the cauldrons are fuming and it seems to smell delicious. Yvonne is cooking in the background, and Joseph-Armand’s two young sons are sitting at the table.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Hmmm, if it’s too expensive, we’ll do it ourselves.

YVONNE

Armand?

[Joseph-Armand leafs through his mechanics book.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

And if I can’t find the parts, we’ll make them ourselves.

YVONNE

Armand?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

And if it’s not possible to do… we’ll do it anyways.

 

[In the dining room. Yvonne comes closer and puts a bowl of soup in front of Joseph-Armand.]

Yvonne, who is wearing an apron, brings a dish over and places it on the table.

YVONNE

Dinner is ready!

 

Valcourt, winter 1934. Joseph-Armand Bombardier decided to stop trying to adapt an existing Ford T model, and instead created a brand new prototype from scratch.

Some time has passed as we see Léopold examining a sheet of paper looking focused. Joseph-Armand is standing next to him, smiling.

[In the office. Joseph-Armand makes drawings and plans and hands his sketches to Léopold.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

So? What do you think?

LÉOPOLD

It looks like a rocket… or rather, it looks like a bomb!

JOSEPH-ARMAND

That’s normal, Léopold… it’s Bombardier!

On yellowed paper, a schematic of Joseph-Armand Bombardier's prototype. The front is narrow and triangular, while the rear is cubic.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

We’ll start all over again.

VALMORE

Again?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

This time it’s the real deal! I have thought of everything.

Joseph-Armand Bombardier shows a sheet of paper to his three friends.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

To make the machine even lighter, we’ll build a wooden frame.

We’ll fit a smaller engine for better floatability and traction.

We’ll mount the engine at the rear, on top of the tracks. The counterweight from the back will prevent the skis from sinking into the snow in the front.

The three men look at Joseph-Armand Bombardier's invention. Isaiah bends down to look inside, the snowmobile is really small.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Look at this fine work!

ISAÏE

Isn’t this thing a bit small?

VALMORE

Our parish priest will never fit in there.

 

[In the garage. Germain enters hurriedly, covered in snow.]

GERMAIN

Dad! Dad! Hurry up! Hurry up! Yvon… he’s… he’s….

The tallest of Joseph-Armand’s sons bursts into the garage, alarmed.

 

[Everyone rushes towards the house.]

 

The four men hurriedly follow the boy outside.

 

[In the house. The doctor, Yvonne, and Jopseh-Armand are at Yvon’s bedside.]

DOCTOR

Appendicitis attack. Peritonitis. If we don’t get him to a hospital right away….

The doctor is standing in front of the youngest son’s room, which can be seen in the background. He is surrounded by Joseph-Armand’s family.

YVONNE

But Doctor Langlois, it’s going to take hours to get to Sherbrooke through this storm!

 

[Outside. Joseph-Armand runs out, followed by Leopold. They head for the garage. It’s snowing.]

 

Léopold follows him outside, while putting on his coat. He runs to catch up with Joseph-Armand.

LÉOPOLD

Armand? You can’t be serious!

JOSEPH-ARMAND

If I don’t try this now, what’s the point?

 

[Joseph-Armand takes his prototype out of the garage with Leopold’s help.]

Joseph-Armand and Léopold push the invention out of the garage. Snow is still falling heavily.

[The machine glides over the snow, but stops abruptly.]

Joseph-Armand drives the machine through the snow.

 

[The engine is smoking. Joseph-Armand gets out of the machine and frantically tries to free it from the snow. Leopold rushes towards him.]

LÉOPOLD

Armand?

Joseph-Armand climbs out of the machine and collapses in the snow. Léopold runs to him.

[The doctor steps outside the house and takes off his hat. Leopold and Joseph-Armand realize it’s too late.]

The doctor puts on his hat and leaves, looking serious. Yvonne cries. We understand that the young child has just passed away.

[Léopold looks at Joseph-Armand, who collapses on his machine in the snow.]

Joseph-Armand, stunned and sitting down near his smoking machine, cries with his head in his hands. Léopold stands next to him, looking heartbroken.

[In the office. Joseph-Armand works on his plans. It’s dark outside.]

Some time later inside the house, Joseph-Armand is holding a pencil while sitting at his desk, lost in thought. It is dark outside and it is still snowing heavily.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

It’s got to work! It’s got to work!

First, a larger cabin, so Dr. Langlois can drive his patients into town.

Then an engine with enough power and a fairly light body. But first, I need to find a solution for the tracks.

 

Chapter 4

THE SUCCESS

1935

The invention of the sprocket wheel/track system

 

Valcourt, 1935. After his son’s death, Joseph-Armand Bombardier started sketching plans again. He had been working on his snowmobile for ten years.

[In the garage. Joseph-Armand, Leopold, Isaïe, and Valmore are gathered around a dismantled Chevrolet.]

The four men are in the garage, which is brimming with vehicle and auto parts.

LÉOPOLD

Back to cars?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

I redesigned the whole thing. The engine must be mounted on the rear.

This will help distribute the weight. Instead of nose-diving into the snow, we’re going to glide over it!

I also have a little surprise….

A drawing of a new prototype invention in Joseph-Armand's hand. The rear wheels are larger.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

This is the sprocket wheel/track system!

I’ve applied for a patent.

The three men surround Joseph-Armand and his plans.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Sprockets drive the tracks.

VALMORE

It solves the traction and suspension problems.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Then the tracks drive the vehicle.

Joseph-Armand and 2 men looking at car parts.

LÉOPOLD

Won’t a wooden sprocket break?

JOSEPH-ARMAND

We’ll make it ourselves out of metal!

[Joseph-Armand opens the garage doors.]

Joseph-Armand is about to climb into the red machine, around which the other men have gathered.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

It’s time to try it out.

[Joseph-Armand is at the wheel of his prototype. It literally glides over the snow. He crosses snowbanks, climbs hills, and dashes between forest trees. Joseph-Armand is happy.]

The snowmobile moves forward on the snow, away from the garage and the other three men who are still watching.

[Joseph-Armand stops in front of Leopold and Valmore, who are also very enthusiastic.]

JOSEPH-ARMAND

And there’s plenty of room!

YVONNE

When are you taking us into town?

Joseph-Armand reaches the people seen in the distance, who are in fact Yvonne and their tallest son, Germain. He talks to them through the window.

[Joseph-Armand, Yvonne, and Germain glide over snow-covered fields. In the distance, they see the doctor and the priest.]

GERMAIN

Daddy, daddy, the doctor and the priest are waving.

The snowmobile continues its journey across the landscape, moving towards two new people. The village can be seen in the background.

[Joseph-Armand stops his prototype in front of the doctor and the priest, who both approach his machine. Joseph-Armand praises his invention.]

 

JOSEPH-ARMAND

It drives like a car!

 

[The doctor and the priest inspect the prototype.]

The snowmobile stops once more in front of two people: the priest and the doctor. Joseph-Armand climbs out of the vehicle and talks to them.

DOCTOR

With this, I could transport my patients.

PRIEST

And I could go and see isolated people.

 

[People from Valcourt crowd around the prototype.]

A curious crowd gathers around the snowmobile.

VALCOURT RESIDENT

A lot of people will be interested in your invention, Mr. Bombardier.

 

In the winter of 1936-1937, seven snowmobiles were produced in the Bombardier garage. Demand was high. Joseph-Armand built his first factory in 1940.

Time passes yet again, and a new production factory is built beside the garage.

[In the garage, Joseph-Armand shows Léopold the plans for the B7.]

Joseph-Armand and Léopold are laying out plans together with a sheet of paper in front of them.

JOSEPH-ARMAND

Check this out! We can carry up to seven people! With the plywood-covered timber frame, it’ll be even lighter.

When I told you that necessity is the mother of invention….

This image shows a drawing of the new invention.

Soon, hundreds of B7 snowmobiles (7 passengers) and B12 snowmobiles (12 passengers) would be leaving Valcourt to brave winter’s storms across Canada.

In the garage, Joseph-Armand is staring straight ahead (facing us), posing in front of two of his snowmobile models of different sizes.

Epilogue

THE FUTURE

When snow is no longer an obstacle, it becomes a pleasure.

 

[We return to the grandfather and his granddaughter in their car in modern times, still trapped in the snowstorm pile-up on Highway 10.]

This image takes us back into the initial car where the young woman and her grandfather are seated.

GRANDPA

Snowmobiles were quite an invention!

GRANDDAUGHTER

Look Grandpa… it’s starting to clear up!

A yellow snowplow pulls up to the car driven by the woman, with the intent to pass it on the left to clear the road.

 

Starting in 1949, the Quebec government decreed mandatory snow clearing for roads throughout the province. People no longer needed snowmobiles to get around in winter.

GRANDDAUGHTER

So that was the end of Bombardier’s snowmobile?

GRANDPA

It was the beginning of smaller recreational snowmobiles, my dear.

Illustration of a young girl driving a car with a gentleman next to her.

GRANDPA

But that’s another story.

The car resumes its journey on a clear horizon… and a path cleared of snow!