Joseph-Armand Bombardier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph-Armand Bombardier
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Bombardier in his B-12 snowbus
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| Born | April 16, 1907 Valcourt, Quebec, Canada
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| Died | February 18, 1964 (aged 56) Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | Founder of Bombardier |
| Children | Claire Bombardier-Beaudoin, Yvon 1931-1934, Germain Bombardier, Real-André Bombardier, Huguette Bombardier, Janine Bombardier |
| Relatives | Laurent Beaudoin (son-in-law) |
Joseph-Armand Bombardier (born April 16, 1907 – died February 18, 1964) was a Canadian inventor and businessman. He is famous for founding the company Bombardier. His most well-known invention was the snowmobile, which changed winter travel.
Contents
Life and Inventions
Early Life and Ideas
Joseph-Armand Bombardier was born in Valcourt, Quebec. From a young age, he loved working with machines. He built his very first snow vehicle when he was just 15 years old.
He learned a lot by reading, taking notes, and fixing things. At 19, he opened his own garage. In the summer, he repaired cars and sold gasoline.
Creating the Snow Vehicle
During the winter, Bombardier focused on building a vehicle that could travel on snow. At that time, the government in Quebec did not clear snow from many smaller roads. This meant people in these areas had to store their cars all winter.
Bombardier was inspired to create a winter vehicle after a very sad event. His young son became very ill. They could not get him to the nearest hospital quickly because of the deep snow. This made Bombardier even more determined to find a solution for winter travel.
First Snowmobiles and War Efforts
The first B7 snowmobiles were sold in the winter of 1936–37. The "B" stood for Bombardier, and "7" meant it could carry 7 passengers. These vehicles were very popular.
In 1940, a new factory was built. It could make over 200 vehicles each year. A larger 12-passenger model, called the B12, came out in 1941. However, demand for these vehicles slowed down when Canada joined World War II.
Bombardier offered his skills to the Canadian government. He began making special military vehicles for the Allies. His company also produced vehicles for logging and mining, which they called the Muskeg.
New Ideas After the War
After the war, business for the large snow vehicles slowed down. This happened because the Quebec government started clearing snow from more roads in 1948.
Bombardier then began to build smaller snowmobiles in the 1950s. He saw a new opportunity for fun, recreational products. These smaller machines were designed for one or two people.
In 1959, he launched his famous Ski-Doo. It was originally meant to be called "Ski-Dog." But a printing mistake spelled it as "Ski-Doo." Bombardier thought this mistake was lucky and kept the new name for his company's trademark.
The Ski-Doo was a huge success. In 1959, 225 units were sold. By 1963, more than 8,210 units were sold! Joseph-Armand Bombardier passed away in 1964, but his invention lived on.
Honours and Legacy
Joseph-Armand Bombardier has been honored in several ways.
- In 2004, a highway in Quebec, Autoroute 55, was named autoroute Joseph-Armand-Bombardier in his memory.
- The Bombardier Glacier in Antarctica is also named after him.
- In 2000, the government of Canada featured his image on a postage stamp.
- He is also a member of the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame.
See also
- Bombardier Recreational Products
- Ski-doo
- Roski, a division founded by Joseph-Armand Bombardier
