Lachute, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Lachute, is a town in southwest Quebec
, 35 km northwest of Montreal
, on the Rivière du Nord
, a tributary of the Ottawa River
, and west of Mirabel International Airport. It is located on Autoroute 50
, at the junctions of Quebec Provincial Highways Route 148
, Route 158
and Secondary Highways 327
and 329
.
It is the seat of Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
, and is served by the Lachute Airport
.
Its major industries include paper mill
s and lumber
. The population of this town is about 12,000 people.
) located about 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) upstream from its confluence with the Ottawa River
. In 1753, Antoine Brunet became the first francophone
to settle in Lachute temporarily. In 1796, Jedediah Lane, from Jericho, Vermont
, bought several thousand acres of land on both sides of the North River, where Lachute is today. That same year, Hezekiah Clark and his family, also of Jericho, settled near the falls on the North River, followed by Loyalists
fleeing the American Revolution. Two years later, the population of The Chute Settlement (as it was then known by its English name) consisted of five families.
The village grew quickly: by 1803 there were 30 families scattered on both banks of the North River and by 1810, Lachute counted 83 families, including 211 children of school age. In 1804, a mill was built at the falls and the first general store opened in 1813. One year later, Sir John Johnson bought a large part of the Argenteuil Seigneury
. He built a sawmill and gave land for the construction of churches, helping to attract new settlers to Argenteuil. In 1825, Thomas Barron became the first judge, then the first mayor of Lachute. The Lachute post office was established in 1835.
From 1870 to 1880 Lachute went through another period of expansion, including economic and social development: the railway linking Montreal and Ottawa was built through the centre of the small town. Industries were established: Félix Hamelin and Thomas Henry Ayers established a wool mill and Irishman James Crocket Wilson opened a paper mill.
In 1885, the Town of Lachute was incorpored with a population of around 1300 persons. In 1901, electricity was brought to the town.
In 1966, Lachute and the Village of Ayersville merged, forming the Cité de Lachute. In 1971, during the construction of Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
, a part of the Saint-Jérusalem Parish was added to Lachute. In 1981, Cité de Lachute became Ville de Lachute. In 2000, about 10 square kilometers of Mirabel's
territory was annexed by Lachute. In 2002, the Service de police municipale de Lachute was transferred to the Sûreté du Québec
.
Historic populations:
Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 5215 (total: 5449)
Mother tongue:
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 35 km northwest of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, on the Rivière du Nord
Rivière du Nord (Laurentides)
Rivière du Nord is a river in the Laurentides region that flows into the Ottawa River. The oldest bridge over the river was constructed by William Shaw near the village of Shawbridge, now part of the town of Prévost....
, a tributary of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
, and west of Mirabel International Airport. It is located on Autoroute 50
Quebec Autoroute 50
Autoroute 50 is an Autoroute in western Quebec. Once completed, it will link the Outaouais region to the Greater Montreal area....
, at the junctions of Quebec Provincial Highways Route 148
Quebec route 148
Route 148 is a major east-west highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Autoroute 25 in Laval in the Montreal region to the Ontario-Quebec border in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes in western Quebec. For most of its length, Route 148 follows the north shore of the Ottawa River where it acts as the principal...
, Route 158
Quebec route 158
Route 158 is an east-west arterial road running between Lachute and Berthierville, north of the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence rivers, in the Laurentides region....
and Secondary Highways 327
Quebec Route 327
Route 327 is a provincial highway located in the Laurentides region of Quebec. The 90-kilometer highway runs from St-André-d'Argenteuil at the junction of Route 344 to Mont-Tremblant just west of the Provincial Park of the same name. The route serves as the main connection between Argenteuil county...
and 329
Quebec Route 329
Route 329 is a provincial highway located in the Laurentides and Lanaudière region of Quebec and serves a large portion of the popular touristic area as well as numerous lakes and cottage areas in the Middle and Upper Laurentians...
.
It is the seat of Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality is located in southern Quebec, Canada, part of the Laurentides region. The Regional County Municipality seat is Lachute.-History:...
, and is served by the Lachute Airport
Lachute Airport
Lachute Airport is a general aviation airport southwest of Lachute, northwest of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
.
Its major industries include paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
s and lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
. The population of this town is about 12,000 people.
History
Originally in the seventeenth century, "La Chute" identified a cataract or falls on the North River (Rivière du NordRivière du Nord (Laurentides)
Rivière du Nord is a river in the Laurentides region that flows into the Ottawa River. The oldest bridge over the river was constructed by William Shaw near the village of Shawbridge, now part of the town of Prévost....
) located about 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) upstream from its confluence with the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. In 1753, Antoine Brunet became the first francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
to settle in Lachute temporarily. In 1796, Jedediah Lane, from Jericho, Vermont
Jericho (town), Vermont
Jericho is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,015 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.5 square miles , of which 35.4 square miles is land and 0.1 square mile is...
, bought several thousand acres of land on both sides of the North River, where Lachute is today. That same year, Hezekiah Clark and his family, also of Jericho, settled near the falls on the North River, followed by Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
fleeing the American Revolution. Two years later, the population of The Chute Settlement (as it was then known by its English name) consisted of five families.
The village grew quickly: by 1803 there were 30 families scattered on both banks of the North River and by 1810, Lachute counted 83 families, including 211 children of school age. In 1804, a mill was built at the falls and the first general store opened in 1813. One year later, Sir John Johnson bought a large part of the Argenteuil Seigneury
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality is located in southern Quebec, Canada, part of the Laurentides region. The Regional County Municipality seat is Lachute.-History:...
. He built a sawmill and gave land for the construction of churches, helping to attract new settlers to Argenteuil. In 1825, Thomas Barron became the first judge, then the first mayor of Lachute. The Lachute post office was established in 1835.
From 1870 to 1880 Lachute went through another period of expansion, including economic and social development: the railway linking Montreal and Ottawa was built through the centre of the small town. Industries were established: Félix Hamelin and Thomas Henry Ayers established a wool mill and Irishman James Crocket Wilson opened a paper mill.
In 1885, the Town of Lachute was incorpored with a population of around 1300 persons. In 1901, electricity was brought to the town.
In 1966, Lachute and the Village of Ayersville merged, forming the Cité de Lachute. In 1971, during the construction of Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, originally called Montréal International Airport and widely known simply as Mirabel is an airport located in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal and was opened October 4, 1975...
, a part of the Saint-Jérusalem Parish was added to Lachute. In 1981, Cité de Lachute became Ville de Lachute. In 2000, about 10 square kilometers of Mirabel's
Mirabel, Quebec
Mirabel is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is an off-island suburb north-west of Montreal.Mirabel is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality and census division of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Mirabel. Its geographical code is 74.Mirabel's population was...
territory was annexed by Lachute. In 2002, the Service de police municipale de Lachute was transferred to the Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec...
.
Demographics
Population:- Population in 2006: 11832
- 2001 to 2006 population change: 1.8 %
- Population in 2001: 11628
- Population in 1996: 11493 (or 11556 when adjusted for current boundaries)
- Population in 1991: 11730
Historic populations:
- Population in 1957: 8848
- Population in 1941: 5310
- Population in 1925: 3000
- Population in 1880: 650
Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 5215 (total: 5449)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 10.5 %
- French as first language: 87.1 %
- English and French as first language: 0.9 %
- Other as first language: 1.5 %
Climate
Notable Lachutois
- Kevin LoweKevin LoweKevin Hugh Lowe is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers....
, former NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
defencemanDefenceman (ice hockey)Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
and current general managerGeneral managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. - Jim Watson, former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the riding of Ottawa West—NepeanOttawa West—NepeanOttawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
and MinisterMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of Municipal Affairs and Housing; current Mayor of Ottawa, Ontario. The Hon. Mayor Watson is a member of the Ontario Liberal PartyOntario Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
. - Pierre PagéPierre PagéPierre Pagé, also spelled Pierre Page is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and executive. He currently coaches EC Red Bull Salzburg. He is also a former head coach in the National Hockey League .-Coaching career:...
, former coachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
of several NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
teams (Calgary, Minnesota, Quebec and Anaheim), and currently head coach of Eisbären BerlinEisbären Berlin' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members...
(Berlin Polar Bears) of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. - Thain Wendell MacDowellThain Wendell MacDowellThain Wendell MacDowell, VC , DSO , was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Victoria Cross Recipient 1917, Vimy Ridge, France. - Bob PaulsonBob PaulsonBob Paulson, COM is the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He previously served as the Deputy Commissioner, Federal Policing from November 2010 to 2011. He replaced the fist civilian Commissioner William J. S. Elliott who is currently working with INTERPOL.Paulson was born in...
, Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP; Commander of the National Security Criminal Investigations Unit.