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Rigaud(French pronunciation:[ʁigo]) is a city in southwesternQuebec,Canada, in theVaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County MunicipalityinVallée-du-Haut-Saint-Laurentregion. It is located at the junction of theOttawa Riverand theRigaud River,about 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of downtownMontrealand 130 kilometres (81 mi) east ofOttawa.The population as of theCanada 2021 Censuswas 7,854.[5]
Rigaud | |
|---|---|
City | |
 The church of Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud | |
 Location within Vaudreuil-Soulanges RCM | |
  Rigaud Location in southern Quebec | |
| Coordinates:45°29′N74°18′W/ 45.483°N 74.300°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Montérégie |
| RCM | Vaudreuil-Soulanges |
| Constituted | 29 November 1995 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Marie-Claude Frigault |
| •Federal riding | Vaudreuil-Soulanges |
| •Prov. riding | Soulanges |
| Area | |
• Total | 114.00 km2(44.02 sq mi) |
| • Land | 99.23 km2(38.31 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• Total | 7,854 |
| • Density | 79.2/km2(205/sq mi) |
| • Pop2011–2016 |  1.0% |
| • Dwellings | 3,496 |
| Time zone | UTC−5(EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4(EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
Highways  A-40 (TCH) |  R-325 R-342 |
| Website | ville |
History
edit
Rigaud is located on the traditional territory of theAlgonquins,who fled the region before the arrival of the French, due to violent attacks by theIroquois.[citation needed]Étienne Brûléwas the firstEuropeanto travel on the Ottawa River, in1615.
TheSeigneury of Rigaudwas granted in 1732 to the brothersPierreandFrançois-Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil,governors inNew France,and was sold in 1763 toMichel Chartier de Lotbinière,who in turn gave the seigneury to hissonin 1771.[1]
The seigneury saw its firstsettlersin 1783. At the beginning of the19thcentury, the locality developed rapidly as an accommodation relay forloggers,and as a loading point for timber and cereals. In 1802, the Mission of Sainte-Magdeleine-de-Rigaud was founded, which became a parish in 1830. In 1835, the Rigaud Post Office opened. In 1845, the Municipality of Rigaud was formed, but abolished in 1847. It was reestablished in 1855 as the Parish Municipality of Sainte-Magdeleine-de-Rigaud (or Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud).[1]
In the second half of the 19th century, the establishment of several religious institutions and the development of therailwayscontribute to local development. In 1880, the village itself split off from the rural parish municipality to form the Village Municipality of Rigaud. That same year,Pointe-FortuneandTrès-Saint-Rédempteurwere also created out of territory of Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud.[1][6]
At the beginning of the 20th century, Rigaud was an important regional center and becomes administrative centre of theriding of Vaudreuil.Rigaud changed status to city in March 1911.[1]
On November 29, 1995, the City of Rigaud and the Parish Municipality of Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud rejoined to form the new Municipality of Rigaud, which changed status to city again on August 22, 2015.[1]
In April 2023 there was a storm of black ice that affected the residents of the territory. People numbering 1872 lost electricity because of that storm.[7]
Geography
editRigaud is located at the northwestern part of theSuroîtregion, on the south shore ofLake of Two Mountains,a widening of theOttawa River,leading north towards theLaurentians region.It extends along theRigaud Riverback from Ottawa, and several hamlets are built for certainriparianareas of the lake, others as old industrial centers in the plains, or more recently, rural residential developments. The western limit of the municipality constitutes the interprovincial border with theUnited Counties of Prescott and Russell,in Ontario.
Dairyandcattlefarms dominate the western part of the territory, while theequine farmspropagate in the east and north, and that severalsugar bushesare exploited on the mountain. In addition to this agricultural activity, there aresand pits,as well as resort and leisure areas, and particularlywinter and hiking sportsandcamping,as well as commercial and service areas serving both the surrounding population and traffic. transit. The population of Rigaud is around 7,854 inhabitants, as per the 2021 Census.[8]Rigaud remains a regional community, unlike neighboring cities to the east, which have been integrated into theMontreal MetropolitanArea.
Neighbouring municipalities areHudson,Vaudreuil-Dorion,Sainte-Marthe,Très-Saint-Rédempteur,East Hawkesbury,andPointe-Fortune.The municipality located across Ottawa River isSaint-André-d'Argenteuil.The geographic location of Rigaud, at the head of the Ottawa River and between the Montreal and Ottawa metropolitan areas, has contributed largely to its economic development throughout its history.
The municipality covers a total area of 113.71 square kilometres (43.90 sq mi), of which 99.23 square kilometres (38.31 sq mi) are terrestrial. The relief is composed, on the North side, of the Ottawa River plain, which is part of theSt. Lawrence Lowlandsand, on the South side, of the Rigaud Mountain. The plain is partly agricultural, partly wooded and partly urbanized. It has three subspaces:wetlands and lowlands,which are prone to flooding as they are located along the Ottawa River; the indentations andembankmentsof the Rigaud andRaquetterivers; and, the flatterrace,which makes up most of the territory. The soils of the plain consist ofalluvial deposits,and Pointe à la Raquette is particularly alluvial and muddy.
Lake of Two Mountains and the Rigaud mountain dominate the landscape. The Rigaud mountain covers 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi), and is divided into three physiographic units: theescarpmentto the north-west; the central plateau modulated by local peaks; and the lower slopes to the east and north.
The forest mainly composed of rocky surface andloam,and approximately a third of its area is rocky and rugged. This bottom moraine consists of pieces of rock that a glacier has torn from its bed, the bedrock of theCanadian Shield,chunks he shrunk and rounded as he rolled over them, carrying them and losing them in this bowl, a few thousand years ago, at the end of theWisconsin Ice Age.8,500 years ago,when thelowlands of the St.Lawrencerose directly to theChamplain Sea,the Rigaud stadium was characterized by the powerful rivers which drained water from the present-dayGreat Lakes,transporting immense quantities of sand, thus forming the terraces of Rigaud and the plateau of Saint-Lazare.[9]Thelithologyof Rigaud is characterized by three zones:
- aCambrian substratecomposed ofsandstone,conglomerate,limestoneanddolomitein the waterfront area from Rigaud to Vaudreuil;
- dolomite and sandstone area ofOrdovicien,less than the circumference of the Rigaud River;
- and thegraniteof theProterozoicon Rigaud mountain.
The Rigaud Mountain is home to one of the only twoancient forestsof Suroît. The forest is generally intermediate there, with mature areas on the northern flank. Areas of young forest also line the shore of the Ottawa River.[10]The forest stand is characteristic of thebioclimatic domainof the maplehickorystand. The hill is populated mainly withmapleandbeechgroves.Theexceptional forest ecosystemsfoster an extensive catalogue, of which ahemlock grove/red spruce forest, ared oakgrove, a moistcedarforest withfir,a maple hickory and a maplelinden foreston Rigaud mountain, as well as asilver maplewith red ash, amaple hickory,and a group ofovalhickory around the edges ofBrazeau and Quesnel bays.The Rigaud Mountain is home to about 250white-tailed deer,as well as to thespotted salamander.It is also home to 250 species of birds,[11]including thegreat woodpecker,thewild turkey,theruffed grouse,as well as toowls.A large number of aquatic and migratory birds also live in wetlands, particularly on the shores of the Brazeau and Rigaud bays, as well as at Pointe à la Raquette.
Occupation of the territory
editThis sectionmay be a roughtranslationfrom French.It may have been generated, in whole or in part, by a computer or by a translator without dual proficiency.(August 2022) |
The plain offers favorable conditions for agriculture, infrastructure and urban development. Rigaud Mountain, because of its slope and the poor quality of its soil, has kept its forest cover, although it has had extensive residential and recreational development.[11]More than a third of the territory of Rigaud is forest.[11]
Farmland in Rigaud is mainly to the west, on the left bank of the Rigaud River, and primarily used for market gardening. The valley of theRivière à la Raquetteto the east is sparsely populated in the north due to the presence of swamps in the point; the land is used for various purposes including a sand pit, a transit service center, a campground and small horse farms. Rigaud mountain, along the crest of Chemin Saint-George and at the top of Rue Bourget, offers a view of the Ottawa River and the Laurentians. It is a wooded area, with hiking trails, a few isolated clusters of new country residences and old cabins, as well as recreational and tourism operations.[11]
The village of Rigaud, which roughly corresponds to the old town of Rigaud, is made up of old and of traditional Quebec architecture. It is organized around the primary roads, Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Saint-Pierre streets, as well as Saint-Viateur Street. It includes almost all the businesses, shops, services and institutions of the municipality. The industrial companies are located in three industrial parks on the edge of the urban core, namely the industrial parks of the Cooperative, Doctor-Oscar-Gendron and J.-Marc-Séguin.[12]
The cadastre and the arterial road network of Rigaud are structured around nine original concessions of the seigneury of Rigaud. Severalhamletsand built-up areas dot the countryside:
- La Baie, on the edge of Rigaud Bay to the west of the village;
- Rigaud-sur-le-Lac (Bas-de-la-Rivière), on the Ottawa River at the mouth of the Rigaud River, consists of old chalets, many of which have been transformed into residences, and is experiencing recent residential development;
- Dragon (Grande Ligne), near Pointe à la Raquette on the edge of the railroad, was developed during the First World War.
The toponym of the hamlet comes from the golden dragon represented on the logo of the companyNorthern Explosivewhich was established there;[13]
- Choisy(Anse-à-la-Raquette), old and rural, is located on the edge of Anse near Hudson; Petit-Brûlé — Haut-de-la-Chute, rural country sector bordering the Rigaud and Rigaud Est rivers. The soil in this area is subject to landslides;[14]
- Mountain Ranches, made up of recent rural residential pockets on the north side of the Rigaud mountain, accessible by the Town Hall path;
- Saint-Georges, on the Rigaud mountain plateau.
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 6,057 | — |
| 2001 | 6,095 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 6,780 | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 7,346 | +8.3% |
| 2016 | 7,777 | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 7,854 | +1.0% |
| Source: Statistics Canada[15] | ||
In the2021 Census of Populationconducted byStatistics Canada,Rigaud had a population of7,854living in3,311of its3,496total private dwellings, a change of1% from its 2016 population of7,777.With a land area of 99.2 km2(38.3 sq mi), it had a population density of79.2/km2(205.1/sq mi) in 2021.[16]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,854 (+1.0% from 2016) | 7,777 (5.9% from 2011) | 7,346 (+8.3% from 2006) |
| Land area | 99.20 km2(38.30 sq mi) | 99.23 km2(38.31 sq mi) | 99.12 km2(38.27 sq mi) |
| Population density | 79.2/km2(205/sq mi) | 78.4/km2(203/sq mi) | 74.1/km2(192/sq mi) |
| Median age | 46.4 (M: 46.4, F: 46.4) | 46.3 (M: 45.7, F: 47.0) | 45.1 (M: 44.8, F: 45.4) |
| Private dwellings | 3,496 (total) | 3,525 (total) | 3,254 (total) |
| Median household income | $79,500 | $64,175 | $56,775 |
| Canada Census Mother Tongue – Rigaud, Quebec[15] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Total | French
|
English
|
French & English
|
Other
| |||||||||||||
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
2021
|
7,760
|
5,465 |  7.7%
|
70.4% | 1,580 | 17.5%
|
20.4% | 260 | 108.0%
|
3.4% | 410 | 22.4%
|
5.3% | |||||
2016
|
7,745
|
5,920 | 5.4%
|
76.4% | 1,345 | 9.8%
|
17.4% | 125 |  0.0%
|
1.6% | 335 | 13.6%
|
4.3% | |||||
2011
|
7,260
|
5,615 | 9.7%
|
77.3% | 1,225 | 5.6%
|
16.9% | 125 | 127.3%
|
1.7% | 295 | 9.3%
|
4.1% | |||||
2006
|
6,605
|
5,120 | 8.0%
|
77.5% | 1,160 | 20.2%
|
17.6% | 55 | 8.3%
|
0.8% | 270 | 54.3%
|
4.1% | |||||
2001
|
5,940
|
4,740 | 1.4%
|
79.8% | 965 | 14.2%
|
16.2% | 60 | 14.3%
|
1.0% | 175 | 16.7%
|
3.0% | |||||
1996
|
5,930
|
4,805 | n/a | 81.0% | 845 | n/a | 14.3% | 70 | n/a | 1.2% | 210 | n/a | 3.5% | |||||
Attractions
editRigaud Mountain
edit
The main attraction is Mont-Rigaud, a hill with downhill ski runs (atSki Mont Rigaud), a private school (Collège Bourget), amonastery,and a shrine dedicated to theVirgin Mary(Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes). The mountain is also home to an unusual, natural rock garden known as the "champs de patates[22]",so named because of the local legend that it was once a potato field, turned to stone by God because the farmer worked on Sunday. There is also the open yearound Sucrerie de la Montagne,[23]a traditional sugar shack offering explanation of the maple syrup production and traditional sugaring off feast.
Other attractions
editOn the opposite side of the mountain is a residential community known as "Mountain Ranches." The middle to upper-middle class community features large, mostly secluded building lots in a wooded setting that draws residents because of its isolated tranquility and privacy. As such, it was the hiding place for fugitiveCharlie Wilson,one of the leaders of the notorious 1963Great train robberyinEngland.This area was also known for its "tree farms" in the 1960s and 1970s, providing a tax shelter for the well off, until the tax laws were later changed to require harvesting of those "tree farms".The" Pitcairn Tree Farm "was one such example.
Other attractions include its maple and blueberry products, and the local microbreweryLe Castor.[24]
A training center for theCanada Border Services Agencyis located in Rigaud.[25]
Government
editList of former mayors 1880–1995:[26]
- Alphonse Chevrier (1880–1882, 1889–1892, 1904–1907, 1908–1910)
- J. Baptiste Emedée Mongenait (1882–1889)
- Joseph Adrien Bélanger (1889)
- Charles Jean Fletcher (1892–1893, 1903–1904)
- Jean Baptiste Emery Alfred Lalonde (1893–1897)
- Joseph Archibald Duncan McDonald (1900–1903, 1904, 1910–1913)
- Benjamin Gustave Boyer (1907–1908, 1913–1920)
- Charles Laplante (1913)
- Elzéar Montpetit (1920–1923, 1924–1927)
- Joseph Louis Lafleur (1923–1924)
- Joseph Ovila Lévaque (1927–1933)
- Joseph Floribert Lefebvre (1933–1935)
- Alphonse Hector Chevrier (1935)
- Joseph Oscar Hector Gendron (1935–1948, 1951–1965)
- Ambroise Elzear Robillard (1948–1951)
- Joseph-Welly Antonio Bussière (1965–1968)
- Joseph Henri-Vital Marc Séguin (1968–1975)
- Joseph-Fernand Calixte Labbé (1975)
- Joseph Aimé Bruno Ernest Aubry (1975–1987)
- Joseph Alphée Fernand Jean Goupil (1987–1991)
- Gildor Ernest Roy (1991–1995)
List of former mayors of current city:[27]
- Gildor Ernest Roy (1995–1996)
- Jean-Guy Faubert (1996–1999)
- Joseph Raymond Réal Brazeau (1999–2013)
- Hans Gruenwald Jr. (2013–2021)
- Marie-Claude Frigault (2021- present)
Infrastructure
editTheRigaudstation was the former terminus of theAMTcommuter trainto downtown Montreal.
On 1 July 2010, service to Rigaud was discontinued, as the town was unable to pay the $300,000 annual fee to the AMT to allow service to continue to the town. After that date, the rail line ends atHudson.[28]
The town is served by the 61 bus fromExo La Presqu’Île.
Education
editCommission Scolaire des Trois-Lacsoperates Francophone schools.[29]
- École de l'Épervière
- Some areas are served by École Sainte-Marthe inSainte-Marthe[30]
Lester B. Pearson School Boardoperates Anglophone schools.[31]
- Soulanges Elementary School inSaint-Télesphoreor Evergreen Elementary and Forest Hill Elementary (Junior Campus and Senior campus) inSaint-Lazare
French-language private educational institution (Collège Bourget)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdef"Banque de noms de lieux du Québec:Reference number 311423 ".toponymie.gouv.qc.ca(in French).Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- ^abMinistère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Rigaud
- ^Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: VAUDREUIL—SOULANGES (Quebec)
- ^ab"Rigaud, Quebec (Code 2471133) Census Profile".2016 census.Government of Canada -Statistics Canada.
- ^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (9 February 2022)."Data table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Rigaud, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved15 March2022.
- ^"VAUDREUIL (entités initiales de 1845 ultérieurement composantes du Comté de Vaudreuil)"(PDF).www.mairesduquebec.com.Institut généalogique Drouin.Retrieved25 November2021.
- ^Brisson, Jessica (6 April 2023)."Pannes: le bilan est toujours lourd dans Vaudreuil-Soulanges"[Breakdowns: the toll is still heavy in Vaudreuil-Soulanges].Néomédia(in French).Retrieved28 April2023.
- ^Statistics Canada,Census Profile: Map: Rigaud, Municipalité (Census subdivision), Quebec.Ottawa,Government of Canada,2016read online.
- ^Valois, Jeanne (2001)."Mario FILLION, Jean-Charles FORTIN, Roland VIAU et Pierre LAMBERT, Histoire du Haut-Saint-Laurent".Recherches Sociographiques.42(1): 186.doi:10.7202/057439ar.ISSN0034-1282.
- ^»(Archive • Wikiwix • Archive.is •Google • Que faire?), 2010, pages 15, 35 et 44.
- ^abcd"Sites d'intérêt | Ville de Rigaud"(in French).Retrieved14 January2021.
- ^Rigaud, Jacques (1987)."Audiovisuel: Sur la privatisation".Le Débat.43(1): 180–184.doi:10.3917/deba.043.0180.ISSN0246-2346.
- ^"Fiche descriptive".www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca.Retrieved14 January2021.
- ^Tragédies à Rigaud,Centre d'histoire La Presqu'Île, 22 novembre 2012
- ^ab1996,2001,2006,2011census
- ^"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec".Statistics Canada.9 February 2022.Retrieved29 August2022.
- ^"2021 Community Profiles".2021 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. 4 February 2022.Retrieved27 April2022.
- ^"2016 Community Profiles".2016 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. 12 August 2021.Retrieved26 November2021.
- ^"2011 Community Profiles".2011 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. 21 March 2019.Retrieved21 February2014.
- ^"2006 Community Profiles".2006 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. 20 August 2019.
- ^"2001 Community Profiles".2001 Canadian census.Statistics Canada. 18 July 2021.
- ^Vanessa (19 May 2015)."The curious potato field of Rigaud".Au-delà du paysage.Retrieved23 September2024.
- ^"Sucrerie de la Montagne".www.sucreriedelamontagne.com/(in French).Retrieved23 September2024.
- ^"Welcome to Microlecastor.ca".Microbrasserie Le Castor Inc.Retrieved13 January2021.
- ^"The Canada Border Services College".Canada Border Services Agency.3 September 2021.Retrieved10 January2024.
- ^"Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Rigaud (ville) 28.8.1880 - 29.11.1995".www.mairesduquebec.com.Institut généalogique Drouin.Retrieved26 November2021.
- ^"Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Rigaud (ville) 29.11.1995 -..."www.mairesduquebec.com.Institut généalogique Drouin.Retrieved26 November2021.
- ^Montreal Gazette: "All aboard for the last train to Rigaud", April 23, 2010.
- ^"Les écoles et les centres".Commission Scolaire des Trois-Lacs.Retrieved18 January2013.
- ^"Liste des bassins desservis par les écoles en 2017–2018."Commission Scolaire des Trois-Lacs.Retrieved on 30 September 2017.
- ^"School Board Map."Lester B. Pearson School Board.Retrieved on 28 September 2017.
External links
edit