Lachute
Lachute | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Quebec |
| Region | Laurentides |
| RCM | Argenteuil |
| Settled | 1753 |
| Constituted | April 30, 1966 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Daniel Mayer |
| • Federal riding | Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel |
| • Prov. riding | Argenteuil |
| Area | |
| • City | 112.80 km2 (43.55 sq mi) |
| • Land | 109.20 km2 (42.16 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 109.20 km2 (42.16 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • City | 12,551 |
| • Density | 114.9/km2 (298/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 12,551 |
| • Metro density | 114.9/km2 (298/sq mi) |
| • Change (2006–11) |  6.1% |
| • Dwellings | 5,991 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
| Website | www |
Lachute, is a town in southwest Quebec, 62;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 mills and lumber. 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 Nord) located about 24 kilometres (15 mi) upstream from its confluence with the Ottawa River.[5] 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.[6]
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.[6] The Lachute post office was established in 1835.[5]
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.[6]
In 1885, the Town of Lachute was incorpored with a population of around 1300 persons. In 1901, electricity was brought to the town.[6]
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.[6]
Hours after the devastating earthquake in Chile on February 27, 2010, a magnitude 3.9 earthquake was felt in Western Quebec. epicentre was 13 kilometres northwest of Lachute. There were no reports of damage or injuries. On March 16, 2011 at approximately 1:50 PM, a 4.7 earthquake was felt in the city.
A 4.3-magnitude earthquake rumbled through southwestern Quebec at 1:36 p.m. on Wednesday, rattling plates and nerves in places like Rigaud, Hudson, Hawkesbury and Lachute, even in the Laurentian ski towns of Ste. Sauveur and St. Agathe. Lachute was the epicentre.[7][8]
Expo Lachute Fair is the oldest Fair in Quebec and the second oldest in all of Canada, running from 1825 to present. In 1917, Argenteuil Agricultural Society purchased land to hold the Expo Lachute Fair permanently in Lachute. 1917 saw the construction of the grandstand and the track, with new cow and horse barns being constructed as time and money allowed. The Fall Fair was changed to a Spring Fair in 1925 so that it could be deemed strictly a Livestock show. Lachute, Québec, now the center for this bustling Fair was not always the host to the Exhibition. In the years 1825 and 1826, meetings of the inhabitants of the county of York met in the then bustling business center of St. Andrews, to form themselves into a Society to be called “The county of York Agricultural society”, later to the Two Mountains Agricultural Society and finally to the county of Argenteuil Agricultural Society, the object of which being to improve the mode of Agriculture in the county be every means in their power. Today, Expo Lachute Fair is still going strong. An annual agriculture fair is held in July as well as smash up Fall Derby in September each year. The fairgrounds are also used for several other local events throughout the year.[9]
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 650 | — |
| 1925 | 3,000 | +361.5% |
| 1941 | 5,310 | +77.0% |
| 1957 | 8,848 | +66.6% |
| 1991 | 11,730 | +32.6% |
| 1996 | 11,493 | −2.0% |
| 2001 | 11,628 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 11,832 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 12,551 | +6.1% |
| [6][10] The population in 1996 was 11,556 when the municipal boundaries are adjusted to their current position. | ||
| Canada 2006 Census | Population | % of Total Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible minority group Source:[11] |
South Asian | 15 | 0.1 |
| Chinese | 20 | 0.2 | |
| Black | 35 | 0.3 | |
| Filipino | 10 | 0.1 | |
| Latin American | 20 | 0.2 | |
| Arab | 10 | 0.1 | |
| Southeast Asian | 0 | 0 | |
| West Asian | 10 | 0.1 | |
| Korean | 0 | 0 | |
| Japanese | 0 | 0 | |
| Other visible minority | 0 | 0 | |
| Mixed visible minority | 0 | 0 | |
| Total visible minority population | 130 | 1.1 | |
| Aboriginal group Source:[12] |
First Nations | 90 | 0.8 |
| Métis | 40 | 0.3 | |
| Inuit | 0 | 0 | |
| Total Aboriginal population | 135 | 1.2 | |
| White | 11,265 | 97.7 | |
| Total population | 11,530 | 100 | |
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 5,663 (total dwellings: 5,991)
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
| Climate data for Lachute | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
20.5 (68.9) |
31 (88) |
32.2 (90.0) |
35 (95) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.5 (95.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
27.2 (81.0) |
20 (68) |
13.5 (56.3) |
35.5 (95.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.6 (20.1) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
1.7 (35.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
19 (66) |
12 (54) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.4 (11.5) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
5.3 (41.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
20.1 (68.2) |
18.9 (66.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−7.5 (18.5) |
5.4 (41.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−8 (18) |
0 (32) |
6.7 (44.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
0.3 (32.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −37 (−35) |
−35 (−31) |
−30.5 (−22.9) |
−15 (5) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
3.5 (38.3) |
0 (32) |
−5 (23) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−20.6 (−5.1) |
−34.5 (−30.1) |
−37 (−35) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 91.2 (3.59) |
69 (2.7) |
78.9 (3.11) |
84.3 (3.32) |
94.3 (3.71) |
111.5 (4.39) |
100.6 (3.96) |
105.5 (4.15) |
105.2 (4.14) |
98.2 (3.87) |
102.5 (4.04) |
91.5 (3.60) |
1,132.7 (44.59) |
| Source: Environment Canada[13] | |||||||||||||
Notable Lachutois
- Kevin Lowe, former NHL defenceman and current general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
- Jim Watson, former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; current Mayor of Ottawa, Ontario. The Hon. Mayor Watson is a member of the Ontario Liberal Party.
- Pierre Pagé, former coach of several NHL hockey teams (Calgary, Minnesota, Quebec and Anaheim), and currently head coach of Eisbären Berlin (Berlin Polar Bears) of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
- Thain Wendell MacDowell, Victoria Cross Recipient 1917, Vimy Ridge, France.
- Bob Paulson, Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP; Commander of the National Security Criminal Investigations Unit.
Media
- CJLA-FM (Planète Lov 104,9) -- an adult contemporary formatted station.
See also
- Rev. Henry Flesher Bland
References
- ^ a b c "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 76020". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
- ^ a b "Lachute (Code 2476020) Census Profile". 2011 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
- ^ a b Lachute (Census agglomeration), Quebec, 2011 Census profile. The census agglomeration consists of only Lachute itself. This was unchanged from the 2006 census.
- ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 114406". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- ^ a b "Lachute (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ a b c d e f "Lachute, d'hier à aujourd'hui" (in French). La ville de Lachute. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- ^ http://www.montrealgazette.com/Minor+earthquake+rumbles+through+Lachute/4450543/story.html
- ^ 3.9-magnitude earthquake rattles western Quebec
- ^ http://expolachutefair.com
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 Census
- ^ [1], Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
- ^ [2], Aboriginal Peoples - Data table
- ^ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
External links
- Official Web site of the City
- Official Web site of MRC of Argenteuil
- Official Tourist Web site of the MRC d'Argenteuil
- Official Web site of the Count of Argenteuil (History of Seigniors of Argenteuil)
Places adjacent to Lachute | |
|---|---|
 Subdivisions of Argenteuil Regional County Municipality | |
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| Towns | |
| Municipalities | |
| Townships | |
| Villages | |
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