Routhier-Millette Cannon

Félix Routhier, the owner of the Félix Routhier & fils foundry, a flourishing business at the corner of Main and Pendleton streets in Vankleek Hill, fabricated two small cannons around 1877. The village of Masson, Qc, received one, and the other is part of L'Orignal history.
Born in Saint-Benoît, Qc, Félix Routhier was the brother of Onésime Routhier, one of the founding priests of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste parish in L'Orignal, and of Adolphe-Basile Routhier, author of the French lyrics to O Canada, the Canadian national anthem. Félix Routhier (1827-1903) was one of the founding officers of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste in L'Orignal.
On June 24, 1877, L'Orignal French-Canadian residents celebrated their first Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on Court Street. The firing of the cannon opened the celebration. The cannon did not remain very long in front of the L'Orignal jail. It was moved t next to the residence of Romain Millette (Félix Routhier's grandson) on King Street.
Romain Millette (1880-1967) donated it to the municipality around 1967. Today, the Millette cannon proudly bears witness to the history of one of our oldest extended families, the Routhier-Millette-Richer clan.