Toponymie | Canton de Potton | Place Names

This is of course, Main Street in Mansonville!  Main Street is the metonymy for a generic street name, and often the official name, of the primary retail street of a village, town or small city in many parts of the world.  It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the central business district, and is most often used in reference to retailing and socializing.  That description of rue Principale is exactly the same in the French language.  The word principal (feminine: principale) designated from the beginning of the 12^th Century something that was the most important – of note.  The word is borrowed from the Latin principalis, a derivative of principe signifying the first.  In Quebec, many municipalities use the designation of Main Street, or rue Principale, to designate the main artery of a town.  In the case of Potton, our rue Principale is also part of provincial Route 243, something of a complication for town planners.

Few English-speakers are likely to know this, but an immensely popular 15-minute radio-serial titled Rue Principale aired Monday to Friday on CKAC radio from September 5, 1937 to August 7, 1959.  It was such a popular show that radio stations CBF and CHRC also broadcast the series.  The show featured actor Paul Berval, well known to Québécois, though less so to the English listener.  The action took place in a typical Quebec village called Saint-Albert during the period of 1930-1950, just before Quebec's “quiet revolution”.  The life and times of the fictitious Ninette Lortie and Bob Gendron were featured, as well as a certain amount of police intrigue woven into the story line for good measure.^[1]

Main Street, Mansonville has tales of its own to tell!  It has always been a hustling, bustling place!  And remember – our Main Street has a round barn located on it!  How many rues principales claim that distinction?