History Articles

Reverend Théophile Thibodeau was not a typical priest. He assumed responsibility for the parish of Ste-Agathe-des-Monts in 1878 and, while he was loved and respected in his parish and is credited with the colonisation of Archambault township and the construction of a chapel, his real passion was his homestead. It consisted of a large portion of a peninsula in Ste- Agathe's Lac des Sables known today as Greenshields' Point. As a result, four years after assuming his parish responsibilities, he managed to resign and return home.

In 1891, Viscount Émile Ogier d'Ivry passed away in Chêne-de-C?ur, France, leaving behind his wife Angèle and their three children. Angèle's biggest challenge as the dowager of an important family was to make sure the children established themselves appropriately. Raoul, her eldest son and the new Viscount had suffered from cerebral meningitis as a teenager and his intellectual ability had remained that of a 14-year-old. He was in his late twenties, and with his handicap he was not the ideal head of the family.

The coming of the railway in the 1890s opened up the Laurentians to skiers who had previously had to content themselves with cross-country skiing on Mount Royal. Shawbridge became “the gateway to the Laurentians”.

Surrounded by birch trees, stands this old militia barracks and drill hall built c.1830. Local names listed in the ranks were those of Sharpes, Copping, Tinkler, and Rowan, all familiar names in the community today. Local militias were set up during a time when Canada was threatened by rebellion from within and invasion from the United States.

One of the best preserved and most attractive of Morin Heights’ old houses is the home of Augustin-Norbert Morin, built in 1860. Its mansard roof and two-storey design mark it as a classic example of French-Canadian domestic architecture of the period.

What is heritage? Webster's defines it as "property that is or can be inherited; something handed down from one's ancestors or the past; a characteristic, culture, or tradition." In its broadest sense, it would seem that heritage can include virtually everything we receive from our predecessors -- even those things that we consider as bad or negative.

A glance down Metcalfe St. reveals the Protestant church, the English elementary school, and many houses built by English-speakers. This is the late 19th century home of the Crowes who ran the saw mill and general store. It is said that when the saw mill caught fire, the pile of sawdust burned for twenty years.

The first known non-Indian to penetrate the Arundel area was English-born Stephen Jakes Bevan, who made his living hunting and trapping furs as early as the 1820s. Settlers did not arrive in this area until much later.

This may be the oldest existing English schoolhouse in Quebec. Built of hand-made brick, it opened in 1808 and served Protestant elementary students until 1934. Jedediah Lane, considered to be the founder of Lachute, taught in this school in 1834.

George and Lucile Wheeler came to Canada from upstate New York in the late 19th century, attracted by the lumber business; they left a legacy in the resort, recreational, and commercial airline businesses in the Laurentians north of Montreal. They were the first English Protestant settlers in the area.