It's 1934, during the Great Depression. At the edge of the Eastern Townships, in a small village bordering Lac Drolet (Quebec, Canada). Times are hard. The climate is arid. People are forced to work the land to make ends meet. Faced with the challenge of sheltering and feeding his family, Louis-Philippe Royer is undaunted by the task at hand.
Having learned the art of shoemaking and being a resourceful inventor, the entrepreneur and overall tinkerer of things opens a small workshop and begins crafting boots by hand, one by one, in a toolshed intended for field hands.
Acknowledging the shortage of work in his town, he invited his brothers and sisters to join forces and band together to survive.
Becoming cramped in his small makeshift workshop, Louis-Philippe decided it was time to expand. One brick at a time, he began laying the foundation for what would be the walls for his new factory.