Cabaret de la Dernière Chance

1. General Overview

For more than forty years, the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance held a distinctive place in the cultural life of Rouyn-Noranda. Part bar, part performance venue, and part gathering space, the establishment helped provide artists in Abitibi-Témiscamingue with a place to perform and connect with audiences.

Located at 146 8th Street in Old Noranda, the Cabaret officially opened on December 15, 1982. It occupied a building whose history dates back to 1934, when the neighbourhood was experiencing significant commercial development.

The history of the Cabaret extends far beyond that of a licensed establishment. It encompasses the emergence of a regional artistic scene, the commitment of its founders, the generations of musicians who frequented it, and the economic transformations that shaped independent cultural venues throughout Québec.

2. 1934–1982: From the Princess Hotel to the Cabaret

The building at 146 8th Street was constructed in 1934. Its first known commercial occupant was the Princess Hotel, which operated there until 1941.

Between 1941 and 1949, the commercial occupants have not been precisely identified in the historical documentation published by the National Archives in Rouyn-Noranda. Apartments nevertheless occupied the upper floor. Known tenants included Emma Smith, labourer Mike Majik, and merchant John Scalia.

In 1949, the Great-West Life insurance company moved into part of the ground floor. The other section was occupied by Thomson & Co Stock Brokers, a brokerage firm.

In 1951, the firm became Richardson T. A. & Co., which occupied the premises until 1975. In 1978, men's clothing retailer Sylvain Martel took over the vacant space. His store remained in operation until 1981.

On December 15, 1982, the building returned to its role as a licensed drinking establishment with the official opening of the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance. This new use marked the beginning of more than four decades associated with culture and live performances.

3. 1982: The Birth of the Cabaret

The Cabaret de la Dernière Chance officially opened on December 15, 1982. The establishment emerged at a time when artists in Rouyn-Noranda were seeking creative and performance spaces capable of accommodating diverse forms of artistic expression.

The incorporation of Les Productions de la Huitième inc. on November 18, 1982, preceded the opening by less than one month. The company would later be registered with Québec's enterprise registrar on February 2, 1995.

The Cabaret's cultural identity developed around music, theatre, and encounters between artists. Over the years, the establishment became an important reference point for Rouyn-Noranda's cultural scene.

Actress and cultural organizer Rachel Lortie is among those identified as co-founders of the venue. Her involvement illustrates the close relationship between the Cabaret and the region's artistic communities.

4. Rachel Lortie and the Cultural Origins

Rachel Lortie (1945–2025) was an important figure in Rouyn-Noranda's cultural history. A co-founder of the Les Zybrides theatre company and the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance, she contributed to the development of the regional artistic scene for decades.

Her career illustrates the close connections between theatre, music, and independent cultural spaces in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The Cabaret belonged to this tradition of local initiatives led by artists and cultural enthusiasts.

Rachel Lortie also appeared in the 2013 film La chasse au Godard d'Abbitibbi, in which she portrayed Marie's mother.

Following her death in 2025, a tribute published in Le Citoyen recalled her role as a co-founder of the Cabaret and the significance of her cultural contributions.

5. A Gathering Place and Performance Venue

From its earliest years, the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance developed an identity that extended beyond that of a traditional bar. Music and live performances formed an important part of its mission.

The establishment offered artists a setting that encouraged close contact with audiences. This intimate atmosphere fostered exchanges and helped make the Cabaret a place of cultural and social interaction.

Its programming and role in local life were part of a broader network of organizations, musicians, actors, and cultural workers in Rouyn-Noranda.

In the history of music in Québec, venues of this kind have played an essential role. They allow artists to perform outside major urban centres and help maintain cultural connections between Montréal and the regions.

6. The Cabaret in the Early 1990s

On Saturday, June 6, 1992, the newspaper La Presse published an extensive feature on Abitibi-Témiscamingue entitled Le pays du positivisme (The Land of Optimism). Part of the feature was devoted to the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance.

Under the subheading “Two Recessions Later... at the Cabaret”, the report presented the establishment in the context of the economic difficulties affecting the region in the early 1990s.

The article described the Cabaret as an important cultural venue in Rouyn-Noranda. It discussed the efforts required to maintain artistic programming in a city far from Québec's major urban centres.

Two photographs accompanied this section of the feature. The first showed the exterior of the Cabaret and its sign. The second depicted its outdoor terrace, furnished with tables and chairs.

These images provide valuable visual evidence of the appearance and everyday life of the establishment in 1992, ten years after its opening.

7. La Taquerie du Cabaret (1997–2000)

On November 3, 1997, a general partnership named La Taquerie du Cabaret de la Dernière Chance was registered with Québec's enterprise registrar.

The business shared the Cabaret's address at 146 8th Street in Rouyn-Noranda. Its declared economic activity was restaurant operation and management, with a liquor licence.

The two registered partners were Liliana Munoz and Michael Jackson. The company reported having between one and five employees.

On September 22, 2000, the partnership was struck off the register for failing to file two consecutive annual declarations.

This removal from the register represents a documented administrative date. It does not, by itself, establish the exact closing date of the restaurant or the details of its day-to-day operation.

8. The Cabaret's Legendary Black Piano

Among the objects associated with the memory of the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance, a black piano holds a special place. For many years, the instrument accompanied musical evenings and gatherings between artists.

In an article published on June 21, 2023, by Le Citoyen, musician Nancy Lemieux, pianist with Pollux Band and a former Cabaret waitress, recounted her connection with the instrument.

The piano is believed to have been at the Cabaret from 1986 to 2004. Around 2004, Nancy Lemieux purchased it from a former waitress at the establishment and subsequently kept it in her family home.

In 2023, she hoped to give the instrument a new purpose by installing it in a pavilion at the Auberge de l'Isle. The project aimed to preserve the piano's role as a source of community and musical gatherings.

Nancy Lemieux also appealed to the public for photographs, memories, anecdotes, and newspaper clippings that could help reconstruct the piano's history.

She envisioned a commemorative wall dedicated to the instrument and the people who had played it. The piano's installation and the completion of this project remain to be confirmed through subsequent sources.

9. 2019: A New Generation of Owners

After several decades of operation, the Cabaret underwent a change of ownership in 2019. According to Radio-Canada, the establishment passed from Marcel-Yves Bégin to Alex Dallaire, Vicky Charland Chauvette, and Véronique Aubin.

Approximately one year later, a new ownership structure was established. Alex Dallaire, Thomas Deslauriers, and Magali Monderie-Larouche became the establishment's three co-owners.

This transition occurred at a time when independent performance venues were facing substantial operating costs, narrow profit margins, and financing challenges.

The new owners continued operating the Cabaret, maintaining its cultural mission despite difficult financial conditions.

10. June 2026: Financial Difficulties and Closure Announcement

On June 4, 2026, Radio-Canada reported that the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance was expected to close within days. The announcement prompted numerous reactions from people attached to this Rouyn-Noranda cultural institution.

According to co-owner Magali Monderie-Larouche, the difficulties were primarily related to refinancing the establishment's mortgage.

When the Cabaret was acquired in 2019, Desjardins had granted a mortgage of approximately $150,000 for a five-year term. When it matured, the financial institution reportedly refused to renew the loan, according to the co-owner's statements.

The owners said they had spent approximately one year attempting to secure alternative financing, without finding a solution.

At the time, the establishment was operating essentially at the break-even point. The owners reported that they were not generating substantial profits while continuing to maintain the venue's activities.

According to court documents reviewed by Radio-Canada, the Caisse Desjardins was seeking slightly less than $140,000 from Les Productions de la Huitième inc.

The case was scheduled to return before the Superior Court on June 9, 2026, when Desjardins could potentially take possession of the building. The documents gathered here do not, however, establish the outcome of those proceedings.

At the time of the announcement, the co-owners emphasized that the company still existed and that a possible revival of the Cabaret under new ownership remained conceivable.

11. Legal Structure and Administration

The company associated with the operation of the Cabaret is Les Productions de la Huitième inc., a corporation incorporated in Québec on November 18, 1982. Its Québec Enterprise Number is 1142273268.

The company was registered with Québec's enterprise registrar on February 2, 1995. Its registered address is 146 8th Street in Rouyn-Noranda.

Its declared economic activities include bar management, taverns and nightclubs, as well as concert production and artist and entertainment agencies.

The trade name Cabaret de la Dernière Chance was declared to the register on April 5, 2001. This date corresponds to its administrative registration, not its first use, since the establishment had been operating since 1982.

Registered Administration

According to the extract from Québec's enterprise registrar consulted on November 12, 2026, the listed directors were Alex Dallaire, president since December 1, 2019; Magali Monderie-Larouche, secretary and treasurer since March 19, 2021; and Thomas Trépanier-Deslauriers, vice-president since March 19, 2021.

The registered majority shareholder is 9408-4985 Québec inc.. The three directors are also identified among the company's ultimate beneficiaries, each with voting rights and ownership interests declared within the 25% to 50% category.

The register indicates a workforce of 6 to 10 employees in Québec. It records no bankruptcy and no declared intention to liquidate or dissolve the company.

The most recent update to the statement of information is dated April 16, 2024. The administrative information must therefore be interpreted with this date in mind, even though the extract was consulted in November 2026.

12. Historical Significance

The Cabaret de la Dernière Chance represents a significant example of the role played by small independent venues in the cultural development of Québec.

Its history is inseparable from that of Old Noranda, its artists, and the organizations that helped establish Rouyn-Noranda as an important regional cultural centre.

The Cabaret also illustrates the economic vulnerability of artistic performance spaces. Its longevity depended on the commitment of several generations of founders, owners, employees, musicians, and audience members.

The story of the black piano, the photographs from 1992, and the accounts preserved in the press remind us that musical heritage extends beyond posters and concert programs. It also includes buildings, instruments, memories, and the people who brought these places to life.