Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

On November 5, 2012, the Municipal Council formalized the name of this road.  In so doing honored Jean-Charles (Charlie) Labranche, a long time entrepreneur in the area.  Jean-Charles Labranche (1919-1995) came to Mansonville from Saint-Isidore-d'Auckland to work for the Bolton Lumber Company.  In 1944, Mr. Labranche brought his wife, Yvette Dodier (1918-2010), and two of their eventual family of ten to Potton.  Later Mr. Labranche bought the Bolton Lumber Company and, in 1955, also purchased the Burnham bobbin mill in South Bolton, Potton's neighbour to the north.  While continuing to operate his business producing wood bobbins for the textile mills in the United States, Mr. Labranche acquired the Fina service station in South Bolton, near the intersection of Routes 243 N and 245.  In 1964, upon his return from a Florida vacation where he visited Cape Canaveral, Charlie Labranche was determined to build a replica of an Apollo space rocket.  He promptly commissioned Laurent Côté and a crew from Mansonville to build the distinctive “rocket” or fusée which was installed in 1965 and continues to be a defining structure of the area.  The convenience store on the site is operated by his daughter Pierrette Labranche St-Pierre and family.^[1]

Chemin Jean-Charles-Labranche borders property in Potton still owned by the Labranche family.  It is found off Route 243 North.