Harrington is a township municipality

Types of municipalities in Quebec

The following is a list of the types of local and supralocal territorial units in Quebec, including those used solely for statistical purposes, as defined by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec....

 in the Laurentides

Laurentides (region)

The Laurentides is a region of Quebec. While it is often called the Laurentians in English, the region includes only part of the Laurentian mountains...

 region of Quebec, Canada, part of the 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:...

. It is located in the Laurentian Mountains

Laurentian mountains

The Laurentian Mountains are a mountain range in southern Quebec, Canada, north of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River, rising to a highest point of 1166 metres at Mont Raoul Blanchard, north east of Quebec City in the Reserve Faunique des Laurentides. The Gatineau, L'Assomption, Lièvre,...

, about 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) north-west of Lachute.

Its population centres include Harrington, Lac-Keatley, Lakeview, Lost River, and Rivington.

Geography

Harrington is a land of lakes and rivers, stocked with abundant fish. The Rouge River

Rouge River (Quebec)

The Rouge River is a river in western Quebec, Canada,which empties into the Ottawa River near Pointe-au-Chêne and flows north of Mont Tremblant.It is located in the Laurentides,about halfway between...

 is the main river flowing through it, and the largest lakes include Big McDonald Lake, Green Lake, and Harrington Lake, each attracting a large number summer cottage vacationers. Its territory has a characteristic appearance of the Laurentian region with dense forests, rising to an elevation of 457 metres (1,499.3 ft) in the north-east, which is 30 metres (98.4 ft) more than Mont Chauve which dominates Green Lake.

The Lost River flows for some miles from a spring that disappears under a calcareous

Calcareous

Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...

 rock between Gate Lake and Fraser Lake.

History

Harrington Township first appeared on the Gale and Duberger Map of 1795, but was not settled until 1830 when Scottish pioneers settled in the Lost River area in the east. In 1841, the township is officially established and in 1855, the township municipality was formed.

It is believed that the name Harrington may be attributed to a location in England, however, the local post office was identified under the name of Rivington between 1878 and 1961.

Demographics

Population:

• Population in 2006: 777
  • 2001 to 2006 population change: -1.0 %
• Population in 2001: 785
• Population in 1996: 730
• Population in 1991: 729

Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 403 (total: 1276)

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 59 %
• French as first language: 28 %
• English and French as first language: 12 %
• Other as first language: 1 %