CBC Archives

If students have completed the activity Bombardier’s Opportunity in the Snow, have them review as a class what they learned about the Bombardier Corporation and the development of the snowmobile in Canada. If they have not completed the activity, they can do so now. As a class, compile a list of the events that led to the development of the snowmobile.

Direct students to the topic Bombardier: The Snowmobile Legacy on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. In small groups, have students view Clip #1 and list the reasons why J. Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile. Browsing any clips they wish, students should identify and list any of Bombardier’s personal characteristics, abilities, and attitudes that students think helped him successfully develop the snowmobile.

As a class, discuss why the snowmobile was developed in Quebec and the rationale behind Bombardier’s decision to create this product. Next, have students share the lists they created. Ask: How did Bombardier’s personal characteristics help him reach his goal of developing a means of transportation for wintertime Quebec? Which of his characteristics do you think made him a good entrepreneur? Did he have any characteristics that hindered him in business? Explain.

Students can reflect, in their journals, on their own entrepreneurial characteristics, abilities, and attitudes as compared to those of J. Armand Bombardier. They might complete the sentence: I would be a successful entrepreneur because….