Rawdon, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Rawdon is a municipality located on the Ouareau River in southwestern Quebec
, Canada, 45 minutes north of Montreal
. It is the seat for the Regional County Municipality of Matawinie
, in the Lanaudière
region. Rawdon is part of the Joliette federal electoral district
.
Rawdon is home to one English public school and four French public schools as well as a medium-size ski resort.
. The town of Rawdon was primarily home to people of Irish background up until 1844, when more and more French-Canadians settled the region and small shops and industries emerged. Following the First World War, Rawdon saw a considerable number of Russian and East European families arrive to settle in its countryside. It was originally part of Montcalm County. From 1920 to 1998, there were two separate municipalities named "Rawdon": the township of Rawdon and the village of Rawdon; in 1998, they were reunited into a single municipality.
Population trend:
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4261 (total dwellings: 5191)
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....
, Canada, 45 minutes north 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...
. It is the seat for the Regional County Municipality of Matawinie
Matawinie Regional County Municipality, Quebec
300px|rightMatawinie is a Regional County Municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Rawdon. The population of the MRC according to the 2006 Census is 49,717-Municipalities:*Chertsey*Entrelacs*Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci*Rawdon...
, in the Lanaudière
Lanaudière
Lanaudière is one of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada, situated immediately to the northeast of Montreal. It has a total population of 429,053 inhabitants.-Geography:...
region. Rawdon is part of the Joliette federal electoral district
Joliette (electoral district)
Joliette is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1935 and since 1968.-Geography:...
.
Rawdon is home to one English public school and four French public schools as well as a medium-size ski resort.
Geography
Rawdon is located at the beginning of the Canadian Shield mountains. Its lakes and mountains make it a destination for summer tourism with its many camps and cottages. Rawdon is home to the Dorwin and Manchester falls, which lie less than a kilometre from downtown and offer a public beach on the artificial Rawdon Lake. In summer, temperatures can soar as high as 35 °C (95 °F) while temperatures as cold as −30 °C can be felt in winter.History
Rawdon township was established in 1799 and named after Sir Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of HastingsFrancis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
. The town of Rawdon was primarily home to people of Irish background up until 1844, when more and more French-Canadians settled the region and small shops and industries emerged. Following the First World War, Rawdon saw a considerable number of Russian and East European families arrive to settle in its countryside. It was originally part of Montcalm County. From 1920 to 1998, there were two separate municipalities named "Rawdon": the township of Rawdon and the village of Rawdon; in 1998, they were reunited into a single municipality.
Demographics
According to the 2006 census, the population of Rawdon is 10,058. In summer, the population is said to double and even sometimes triple due to tourism and the presence of many cottages in the vicinity.Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 10,058 (2001 to 2006 population change: 16.3 %)
- Population in 2001: 8,648
- Population total in 1996: 8254
- Rawdon Township: 4399
- Rawdon Village: 3855
- Population in 1991:
- Rawdon Township: 3544
- Rawdon Village: 3297
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4261 (total dwellings: 5191)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 10.4 %
- French as first language: 84.1 %
- English and French as first language: 0.6 %
- Other as first language: 4.9 %
Notable Rawdon natives
- Jonathan GirardJonathan GirardJonathan Girard is a former Canadian ice hockey player, who played for the Boston Bruins of the NHL. His career was cut short by a car accident in 2003.-Career:...
, former Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
hockey player - Firmin DugasFirmin DugasFirmin Dugas was a Quebec businessman and political figure. He was a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Montcalm from 1871 to 1887 and in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1874....
(1830-1889), businessman and politician - Martin DeschampsMartin DeschampsMartin Deschamps is a Canadian rock singer from Quebec. He records and performs both as a solo artist and as the lead vocalist for the reunited Offenbach.-Young age:...
Canadian rock singer