Paquette Textiles' History
1970
- Yolande Paquette opens Paquette Textiles on Main street in Gatineau
1984
- Ms. Paquette relocates Paquette Textiles at 281 boul. Maloney to offer more fabric choices in a bigger store.
1985
- Camille Brulotte and Lucienne Lajeunesse buy the store and kept the name as it is well known in Gatineau.
1995
- Paquette Textiles opens a liquidation center in the basement where clients can find coupons and discounted fabrics.
1996
- Paquette Textiles opens a new store at 470 rue Principale in Buckingham and has 8 employees. The combine stores have more than 5,000 square feet.
2000
- In September, Paquette Textiles moves from 381 boul. Maloney to 531 boul. Maloney in a building owned by Mr. Brulotte.
2004
- Paquette Textiles closes the Buckingham store to concentrate on the 531 boul. Maloney Store.
2011
- M. Brulotte and Ms. Lajeunesse decide to take their retirement. The building is sold to an engineering firm. Jocelyn Lortie and Marie-Chantal Giguère buy Paquette Textiles and become the third generation of owners.
- In May, the store relocates to 110 Gréber to be more central for Gatineau, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario clients.
- In October, Paquette Textiles starts curtains confection on site within its sewing center.
- In November, Paquette Textiles partners for several years with the young designer Émilie Parisé and her firm Marcelle Bénédicte by providing all the fabrics for her annual fashion show which collects funds for development projects in poor communities.
2012
- In March, Paquette Textiles develops a commercial division by providing the curtains for the Emergency Room at the Gatineau's hospital.
- In June, Paquette Textiles becomes a Babylock retailer and starts to sell sewing machines.
- In September, Paquette Textiles renovates and inaugurates its Babylock's showroom and it sewing center with two closed rooms.
- In October, Paquette Textiles is chosen by Babylock for the Quebec launch of Babylock's 2013 new models.
2013
- In May, Paquette Textiles becomes a major sponsor of the Association de Soccer de Gatineau (ASG) by supporting their AA and AAA teams.
- In June, Paquette Textiles becomes a major sponsor of the project Bien au Chaud where several sewers create clothing pieces such as mittens, tuques and scarves that is given during the holiday season to poor families of the region. Paquette Textiles provides fabrics at reduced prices and rent it sewing classes free to this non-profit organization.
- In July, Paquette Textiles converts it Babylock's showroom and it sewing center into two classrooms. Another sewing center is built and the Babylock's showroom is relocated within the store.
- In August, Paquette Textiles officially launches its first sewing class session that will start in the Fall with a 42 courses catalogue.
- In October, Paquette Textiles is finalist for the "Small Business of the Year" at the Excelor of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce. Paquette Textiles also becomes a partner of Eco Equitable, an organisation that support immigrant women to become financially independent by providing sewing training.
- In November, Paquette Textiles receives the "Most Remarkable New Dealer of the Year 2012" from Babylock Canada.
2014
- In April, Paquette Textiles becomes the official supplier for OrthoCanada for Health Clinic curtains.
- In April, Paquette Textiles provides fabrics for historical costumes for young producers of a film.
- In December, Paquette Textiles starts to sell yarns from Phildar and exclusively carries Knitca yarns.
2015
- In February, Paquette Textiles becomes the unique dealer of Brother's sewing machines.
- In March, Paquette Textiles is finalist for the "micro-entreprise de l'année" from the Regroupement des gens d'affaires.
- In May, Marie-Chantal Giguère, owner of Paquette Textiles, is the ambassador for the Gala de la Robe Rouge de la Fondation des maladies du cœur.
- In September, Paquette Textiles does the repairs and tune-up of all sewing machines makes.
2016
- In February, Paquette Textiles starts to sell accessories and parts for all sewing machines makes.
- In March, Paquette Textiles becomes a partner of Les Fées de l'Outaouais, an organisation that provides Graduation Dresses for unprivileged high school students.
2017
- In February, Marie-Chantal Giguère, Paquette Textiles' owner, became a mentor for the mentoring programme at the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce.
- In May, Paquette Textiles becomes an official Graduation Dresses Depot for Les Fées de l'Outaouais.
- In June, Marie-Chantal Giguère, Paquette Textiles' owner, was named on the Board of Directors' for the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
- In October, Paquette Textiles is selected as a finalist for Gatineau Chamber of Commerce's Excelor 2017 Small and Medium Company of the year with 1 to 15 employees.
2018
- In January, Marie-Chantal Giguère, Paquette Textiles' owner, was name on the Strategic Committee for the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
- In April, Paquette Textiles launched its new program "5% for your charity" where a client can identify a charity that will receive 5% of their purchase as a donation.
- In November, Paquette Textiles purchased Gatineau Couture to become the reference in sewing in the Outaouais. With this transaction, Paquette Textiles is now the dealer for Janome sewing machines. Paquette Textiles becomes the only dealer multi-brand in the Outaouais with Brother, Babylock and Janome sewing machines.
2019
- In April, Marie-Chantal Giguère, Paquette Textiles' owner, was chosen to facilitate action-learning sessions for the Chambre de commerce de Gatineau.
- In November, Marie-Chantal Giguère, Paquette Textiles' owner, was named on the Micro-Entreprendre Outaouais Loan Committee.
- In November, Paquette Textiles wins the most impressive growth for a Brother dealer.
- In November, Paquette Textiles wins the exceptional growth for a Janome dealer.
2020
- In February, Paquette Textiles acquired Tricot Darquise to become the reference for knitting in the Outaouais. Paquette Textiles is now the retailer of Phildar, Diamond, Katia, Bergère de France, Phentex in addition of the specialized Alpaca wool. Paquette Textiles has now the largest selection of wool in the Outaouais.
- In March, Marie-Chantal Giguère, owner of Paquette Textiles, becomes Vice-Presidente of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
- In May, at the reopening of the store after the forced store closure due to COVID restrictions, about 150 people waiting several hours in line to get fabric and elastics to do masks.
- In October, Paquette Textiles acquired Boutique Chez Marjolain to become the reference for weaving in the Outaouais. Paquette Textiles is now the retailer of Brassard treads and Métiers Leclerc. Paquette Textiles is the exclusive retailer of those products in the Outaouais.
- In November, Paquette Textiles won the Excelor Small Business Award from Gatineau Chamber of Commerce.
- In November, Paquette Textiles acquired the shop Le pied de biche and consolidated the activities in its store in Gatineau.
2021
- In October, Marie-Chantal Giguère, owner of Paquette Textiles, is part of the jury for the Excelor Non-Profit Organisation of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce.
2022
- In March, Marie-Chantal Giguère, owner of Paquette Textiles, becomes Vice-Presidente of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
- In July, Paquette Texiltes acquired the shop La maison du cuir and consolidated the activities in its store in Gatineau.
© Paquette Textiles 2022