Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and entrepreneur born on April 16, 1907, in Valcourt, Quebec. He was the eldest of eight children born to a farming family, and his early mechanical interests led him to abandon his studies for the priesthood to pursue a career in mechanics. At just fifteen, he created his first snowmobile, which was a groundbreaking innovation inspired by the challenges of navigating snowy terrain, particularly after the tragic loss of his young son due to transportation difficulties in winter.
In 1926, Bombardier opened his own garage, where he focused on developing vehicles capable of traveling on snow. His inventions, including the sprocket wheel-and-track system, culminated in the production of the B7 snowmobile in the late 1930s. His company, L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée, grew significantly during and after World War II, producing snow vehicles for military use and expanding its offerings to include models for larger passenger transport.
One of Bombardier's major successes was the introduction of the Ski-Doo in 1959, a one-person snowmobile that quickly gained popularity. After his death in 1964, his family continued to lead the company, which has since diversified into rail and aerospace technology, becoming known as Bombardier Inc. Bombardier's legacy is marked by his innovative spirit and significant contributions to transportation in snowy environments.
Subject Terms
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
Inventor
- Born: April 16, 1907
- Birthplace: Valcourt, Quebec
- Died: February 18, 1964
- Place of death: Sherbrooke, Quebec
Contribution: Joseph-Armand Bombardier was a Canadian inventor and businessman. He is most famous for inventing the forerunner of the modern snowmobile as well as vehicles that could travel on all terrains.
Early Life and Education
Bombardier was born in Valcourt, Quebec, on April 16, 1907, the oldest of eight children. His parents, Alfred Bombardier and Anna Gravel, were farmers and storekeepers. When he was fourteen, his parents sent him to study to be a priest at Sherbrooke’s Séminaire Saint-Charles-Borromée, but he left after three years to pursue his love of mechanics.
Career
From an early age, Bombardier was interested in mechanical objects and would often take them apart and put them back together to see how they worked. As a young teenager, he built mechanical toys such as boats and trains out of clock parts, assembled a steam engine from parts of sewing machines, and made a cannon out of an old rifle. When he was fourteen, his father let him have a broken car motor to keep him from taking apart his working car motor and reassembling it. Bombardier used this motor to build his first snowmobile. On New Year’s Day when he was fifteen, he unveiled this vehicle that could drive on the snow, but his father feared that the vehicle’s propeller was dangerous and made him dismantle it.
After quitting seminary at seventeen, Bombardier started working as an apprentice at the Garage Gosselin in 1924. He left the garage to work and take classes in Montreal, where he studied mechanics, electrical engineering, and English in night school courses. In 1926, he returned to Quebec to open his own garage, the Garage Bombardier, which he financed with a loan from his father. Bombardier was so successful a mechanic that he was able to pay his father back four years later. Since work at his garage was seasonal and the snow prevented people from traveling, he worked in the winter to develop a vehicle that could travel on the snow.
After the death of his two-year-old son in 1934, due to the family’s inability to transport him to the hospital in the snow, Bombardier’s determination to build a snow vehicle was renewed. He developed his first major invention, the sprocket wheel-and-track system, to help him realize his goal. He then expanded his garage into a production plant in order to develop his invention.
During the winter of 1936–37, the Bombardier factory produced its first B7 snowmobiles, which could hold seven passengers. Bombardier continued to develop the snowmobile and his business, and in 1940, he built a new production plant, L’Auto-Neige Bombardier, which could produce two hundred vehicles annually. In 1941, he created the twelve-passenger snowmobile, the B12. During World War II, Bombardier used an additional factory in Montreal to produce vehicles for transporting military personnel through snowy areas. In 1942, his company became incorporated under the name L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée, and in 1947, the company built an assembly line plant to keep up with the demand. Bombardier’s products assisted with rescue services and transported materials and missionaries; he also created the C18, a model that could carry up to twenty-five schoolchildren.
After the winter of 1948–49, when Quebec saw only light snowfall and the government began clearing rural routes of snow, the demand for snowmobiles decreased. Bombardier used this time to develop all-terrain vehicles that could travel not only in snow but also through swamps.
In 1958, Bombardier developed the prototype for a one-person snowmobile, the Ski-Doo, and mass production began the following year. The Ski-Doo was a success, and sales increased year after year. After Bombardier’s death, his children succeeded him in running the company and expanded its scope of production to include rail and aerospace technology. The company today operates under the name Bombardier Inc.
Personal Life
Bombardier married Yvonne Labrecque on August 7, 1929, and they had six children. He died in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on February 18, 1964.
Bibliography
“J. Armand Bombardier.” Musée Bombardier. Musée J. Armand Bombardier, 2008. Web. 30 July 2013.
“J. Armand Bombardier (1907–1964).” Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame. Canada Science and Technology Museum, 2013. Web. 30 July 2013.
“Joseph-Armand Bombardier.” Historica-Dominion Institute. Historica-Dominion, n.d. Web. 30 July 2013.
MacDonald, Larry. The Bombardier Story: From Snowmobiles to Global Transportation Powerhouse. 2nd ed. Mississauga, Ont.: Wiley, 2013. Print.
Phillipson, Donald J. C. “Joseph-Armand Bombardier.” Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion, 2012. Web. 30 July 2013.
Skorupa, Joe. “Ski-Doo: 50 Years on Snow.” Popular Mechanics Jan. 1992: 94–95. Print.