Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe – Programs in Textile Production Technology and Textile Materials Technology

Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe is an educational institution that offers programs leading to a diploma of college studies (DCS) or an attestation of college studies (ACS). It was founded in 1968 following the merger of six schools, including the Institut des textiles. However, the management of this latter organization remained independent for several months, meaning it was not officially made part of the college until 1969.

The history of textile science education in Saint-Hyacinthe actually goes back to 1945, when it became apparent that few Quebecers were qualified to fulfil management positions in the province’s textile industry.

That year, Stéphane Toupin, a graduate of the Lowell Textile Institute, was named the head of the new École des textiles in Saint-Hyacinthe. The school graduated its first cohort of 26 students in May 1949.

After changing its name to the Institut des textiles de la province de Québec in 1958, the institution then became part of Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe just over a decade later. Although the Textile Production Technology and Textile Materials Technology programs attracted up to 40 or so students each year in their best years, they were discontinued in 2008 after not having had enough registered students to form a class since 2003.

Despite this setback, the college remains active in the field of textiles. As of 2019, the Centre for Textile Technologies (CTT Group), founded in the 1980s, was still associated with the school. Recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, this technology transfer centre has a mandate to conduct applied research, provide technical assistance to the industry, and disseminate information about textile technologies. Students and teachers, from both colleges and universities, can contribute to projects carried out with businesses.