Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

Little is known of Mr. Blanchet for whom this street is named.  He owned and operated a creamery that he bought from Hormidas Lafrenière.  It is thought that the Bailey family owned the creamery previously, though this has not been confirmed.  The original creamery building is still standing at 7, rue Joseph-Blanchet and is currently owned by J. Pouliot.

Before 1991, this street was called Bridge Street.  To reduce confusion, that portion of Bridge Street leading to the bridge crossing the Missisquoi North River was changed to rue de Vale Perkins.  The portion of Bridge Street leading towards the mountains to the west became rue Joseph Blanchet.  And Bridge Street disappeared from the Potton landscape!   Are we clear on this? 

To confuse matters further, Neil Armstrong Street and Joseph Blanchet Street – each one once a distinct entity, now meet and meld with each other in the vicinity of Potton's Round Barn to form a single street with two names.  The dilemma now becomes which will prevail?  One of these names will obviously have to disappear.  At the time of writing, the decision had not yet been made.

Joseph A. Blanchet (1884-1954) and his wife, Marie-Anne, are interred in the Saint-Cajetan cemetery in Mansonville.