Rigaud, Quebec
Encyclopedia
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
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the county of Vaudreuil-Soulanges at the junction of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
(Riviere des Ouatouais) and the Rigaud River
Rigaud River
The Rigaud River is a river in eastern Ontario and western Quebec. It rises south of Vankleek Hill, Ontario and flows east, entering the province of Quebec...
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
was 6,780. It is the farthest western suburb of Montreal.
History
The town was named for Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-CavagnalPierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal was a Canadian-born French colonial governor in North America...
, the last governor of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
.
Population
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 6,780 | 11.2% |
| 2001 | 6,095 | 0.6% |
| 1996 | 6,057 | 5.0% |
| 1991 | 5,770 | N/A |
Language
Mother tongue language (2006)| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 5,120 | 77.52% |
| English only | 1,160 | 17.56% |
| Both English and French | 55 | 0.83% |
| Other languages | 270 | 4.09% |
Rigaud Mountain
Ski Mont Rigaud
Ski Mont Rigaud is an alpine ski facility on the slopes of Rigaud Mountain , in the municipality of Rigaud, Quebec. It is in the suburbs of Montreal, near the Ontario border, one of two alpine ski hills that still operate in the suburbs of Montreal, the other being Ski Mont Saint Bruno. The hill is...
), a private school (Collège Bourget
Collège Bourget
Collège Bourget is a Roman Catholic French-language private school and former classical college in Rigaud, Quebec, Canada operated by the Clerics of Saint Viator. It was founded in 1850, and is named after Ignace Bourget, bishop of Montreal from 1840 until 1876...
), a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, and a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes). The mountain is also home to an unusual, natural rock garden known as the "champs de patates", 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. On 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 fugitive Charlie Wilson, one of the leaders of the notorious 1963 Great train robbery
Great Train Robbery (1963)
The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
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.
Also located in Rigaud is a training center for the Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....
.
The communities of Dragon and Rigaud are found within the municipality.
Transportation
The RigaudRigaud (AMT)
Rigaud was a commuter rail station, formerly served by the AMT Dorion-Rigaud Line in Rigaud, Quebec, Canada. It was previously served by only one round trip train per day.-Discontinuation of service to Rigaud:...
station was the former terminus of the AMT
Agence métropolitaine de transport
The Agence métropolitaine de transport is the umbrella organization that plans, integrates, and coordinates public transportation services across Canada's Greater Montreal Region, including the Island of Montreal, Laval , and communities along both the North Shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles...
commuter train to downtown Montreal.
On July 1, 2010, service to Rigaud was be 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 at Hudson
Hudson (AMT)
Hudson is a commuter rail station on the AMT Vaudreuil–Hudson Line in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. It is served by only one round trip train per day....
.