We study men’s adult mortality and longevity by socio-occupational status during industrialization in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Data were extracted from the BALSAC database (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi), which comprehensively traces the demographic history of the region since the beginning of the French Canadian settlement in 1840 up to the early 1970s. Using five occupational classes and controlling for year, age at marriage, urbanrural residence, and literacy, we found no evidence for the emergence of socioeconomic differentials in mortality. At least until the early 1970’s, mortality in the region appears to be driven by ‘occupational risk’ rather than ‘fundamental social causes’.