History

The founding of Ed. Darche et Fils, later to become "La Maison Darche", is the result of a combination of circumstances, but it is mostly due to the determination and vision of a man of action who was ever-willing to experiment and improve.

In the late 19th century, Quebec's society, for the most part, was relatively withdrawn and at that time, family and religion were an integral part of everyday life. During that era, families mourning the loss of a loved one would lay them in state at their own home, often for several days.

During this same period, furniture and armchair maker, Édouard Darche, was receiving more and more orders for the fine coffins he also produced. With the help he received from his wife on the finishing of the coffins, they were often considered works of art.

The owner of a team of black horses, our renowned cabinetmaker who lived close to the Chambly village church was frequently called upon by the clergy to hitch his team to the hearses. This is when Édouard Darche first thought of becoming a funeral director. He proceeded to build his first hearse, a remarkable piece of workmanship, which is now exhibited at "La Maison Darche" Museum located at 258 Saint-Charles West in Longueuil. This museum was designed to serve as an educational platform for citizens to witness the evolution of funeral customs in Quebec.

From this point on, Édouard Darche never stopped improving his services. In 1929, another first was a motorized hearse. Always on the lookout for new trends, he embraced an all-new technique, professional embalming, that made its appearance in Quebec around 1935. In those days, the deceased would be brought to the laboratory for embalming and then returned to the family residence. Of course, embalming improved visiting conditions tremendously.

With the evolution of customs and traditions, having the wake at home was becoming quite a burden for many families. To alleviate most of the overwhelming chores and duties related to the laying in state and receiving at home, Mr. Darche opened his first funeral home in Chambly where families, of that era, could choose from a wide range of services offered in these days.

As time went by, two of his sons took over the family business in Chambly while a third one, Yvon, opened a new funeral home in Ville LeMoyne. In 1977, Yvon's son Bernard in turn became head of the company. In Quebec, there was a wind of change, especially with the acceptance and authorization of cremation by the Catholic Church. This led to considerable changes in the way families approached funeral rites and all related services.

Under the direction of Bernard, the company became "La Maison Darche". Being an entrepreneur, he proceeded to increase the number of funeral homes to eight covering a large portion of the South Shore area. Brossard, Chambly, LaPrairie, LeMoyne, Longueuil (2) and St-Hubert (2).

Because major changes were being made in the funeral industry throughout the world, the fourth generation of funeral entrepreneurs, Bernard and Sylvain Darche, realized that to be able to maintain quality services while keeping the company's innovative capacities and meeting the challenge, they needed to become associated with an international partnership network such as "Dignity Memorial". This partnership greatly simplified the repatriation of a family's loved one from abroad and also provided them with access to many other dynamic programs.

Today, the company is managed by Sylvain Thériault and continues to honour a tradition of excellence and exceptional funeral services which has been the trademark of "La Maison Darche" since 1884.