Joseph Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and businessman who was the founder of Bombardier.
His most famous invention was the snowmobile. He was a remarkable self taught individual that built his first snow vehicle at the age of 15 and opened his own garage at age 19.
In the first years of the automobile era, the Quebec government did not clear snow from secondary roads, so residents of these areas stored their cars for the winter season and had to rely on dog sleds. Bombardier understood the isolation that many Canadians faced in winter time. During a blizzard, Bombardier’s young son fell ill from peritonitis and died because he could not be brought to the nearest hospital in time.
Bombardier decide to change the way of life of the individuals living in the country side and through several years developed and improved a vehicle for the winter conditions in Canada. His invention became known as the most successful snowmobile design.
The endless-chain vehicles are known today as Ski-doo. The name “Ski-Doo” came from a printing error in 1959. Bombardier originally intended to call his new snowmobile “Ski-Dog” since they would be replacing the traditional dog-sleds, but a typo in a brochure changed it to Ski-Doo, a name he liked and kept for its distinctiveness.
The entrance to the Museum if through the original Bombardier garage that was moved from it’s original location in Valcourt.
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