Rosemère, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Rosemère is an off-island suburb of Montreal
, in southwestern Quebec
, Canada
on the north shore
of the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the Regional County Municipality of Thérèse-de-Blainville. The town is noted for its green look, due to the high density of trees. Some wooded areas in the town have been left intact as the town has grown around them. Homes are mostly upscale, varying from renovated cottages to unique character homes. It is almost entirely residential, with no significant industries. Boulevard Curé-Labelle
, the town's main commercial artery, is lined up by suburban shops and shopping malls, the largest of which is Place Rosemère
.
Its most famous resident is likely Alexandre Bilodeau
, who became the first Canadian athlete to win a gold medal in an Olympics held on Canadian soil when he took the podium in the Men's Moguls event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC.
Home language (2006)
" an old English word for a lake. The Mille-Îles river is wide and has the appearance of a lake at this location. So the English meaning would be "lake of roses". After the town's incorporation documents were forwarded to Québec City, an accent was added to the middle e; according to statements by residents. In French, the name does not mean "Mother of Roses", which would be said "Mère des Roses" in French. The town's name has no sensible meaning in French, though in typical Canadian fashion, the name has become bilingual.
In the first half of the last century, Rosemère had several natural sandy beaches on the Rivière des Mille-Îles and many cottages along the shoreline that were only used during the summer. These beaches fell into disuse in the early 1960s because of pollution. A majority of the year-round residents were francophone
and many of the summer-only residents were anglophone
. After World War II
, Rosemère was transformed into a bedroom community of Montreal
with the construction of homes in farmland and forested areas NW of Grande Cote. By 1964, 65% of Rosemère's residents were anglophone. While the French and English residents of Rosemère have always enjoyed the ambience of the area in harmony, the English population has declined over the years to today's 16% (Statistics Canada 2001 Census).
commuter rail station on the Agence métropolitaine de transport
's Blainville–Saint-Jérôme Line. Local bus service is provided by CIT Laurentides
.
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...
, in southwestern Quebec
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...
on the north shore
North Shore (Laval)
The North Shore is the general term for the northern suburbs of Montreal. The North Shore is located in southwestern Quebec on the northern shores of the Rivière des Prairies and the Rivière des Mille Îles, opposite the Island of Montreal and the Island of Laval. It consists of twenty...
of the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the Regional County Municipality of Thérèse-de-Blainville. The town is noted for its green look, due to the high density of trees. Some wooded areas in the town have been left intact as the town has grown around them. Homes are mostly upscale, varying from renovated cottages to unique character homes. It is almost entirely residential, with no significant industries. Boulevard Curé-Labelle
Quebec route 117
Route 117 is a provincial highway within the Canadian province of Quebec, running between Montreal and the Quebec/Ontario border where it continues as Highway 66 east of Kearns, Ontario...
, the town's main commercial artery, is lined up by suburban shops and shopping malls, the largest of which is Place Rosemère
Place Rosemère
Place Rosemère is a super regional mall in Rosemère, Quebec. It is at the intersection of Quebec Autoroute 640 and Boulevard Curé-Labelle, and only away from Quebec Autoroute 15. Its general manager is Jacques Farley and assistant is Nino Bruni. Its anchor stores are Wal-Mart, Sears, la Baie and...
.
Its most famous resident is likely Alexandre Bilodeau
Alexandre Bilodeau
Alexandre Bilodeau is a Canadian freestyle skier from Montreal, Quebec. Bilodeau currently resides in Rosemère, Quebec. Bilodeau won a gold medal in the men's moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, becoming the first Canadian to win a gold medal at an Olympic Games held in Canada after...
, who became the first Canadian athlete to win a gold medal in an Olympics held on Canadian soil when he took the podium in the Men's Moguls event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC.
Demographics
According to the Town of Rosemère website:- Total population: 14,407
- Dwellings: 5,258
- Area (km².): 12.35
- Density (persons per km².): 1166
- Mayor: Dr. Hélène Daneault
Home language (2006)
| Language | Population 15000 | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French | 10,855 | 77.48% |
| English | 2,785 | 19.89% |
| Non official language | 230 | 1.64% |
| English and french | 135 | 0.96% |
History
The area that would become Rosemère was first settled in 1714, with the establishment of the Mille-Îles Seigneury. By 1780, the Seigneury was well established, with large tracts of land under cultivation. Rosemere was named by J.P. Withers, of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who moved to the area in 1880. At first he called his new home "Rose", after the many wild roses growing there. Later he added "mereMere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
" an old English word for a lake. The Mille-Îles river is wide and has the appearance of a lake at this location. So the English meaning would be "lake of roses". After the town's incorporation documents were forwarded to Québec City, an accent was added to the middle e; according to statements by residents. In French, the name does not mean "Mother of Roses", which would be said "Mère des Roses" in French. The town's name has no sensible meaning in French, though in typical Canadian fashion, the name has become bilingual.
In the first half of the last century, Rosemère had several natural sandy beaches on the Rivière des Mille-Îles and many cottages along the shoreline that were only used during the summer. These beaches fell into disuse in the early 1960s because of pollution. A majority of the year-round residents were francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
and many of the summer-only residents were anglophone
English Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Rosemère was transformed into a bedroom community 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...
with the construction of homes in farmland and forested areas NW of Grande Cote. By 1964, 65% of Rosemère's residents were anglophone. While the French and English residents of Rosemère have always enjoyed the ambience of the area in harmony, the English population has declined over the years to today's 16% (Statistics Canada 2001 Census).
Transportation
Rosemère is served by the RosemèreRosemère (AMT)
Rosemère is a commuter train station in Rosemère, Quebec, Canada on the Blainville-Saint-Jerome Line of the Agence métropolitaine de transport , the umbrella organization that plans, integrates, and coordinates public transportation services in the Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada area...
commuter rail station on the Agence métropolitaine de transport
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...
's Blainville–Saint-Jérôme Line. Local bus service is provided by CIT Laurentides
CIT Laurentides
CIT Laurentides provides local bus service for the southern portion of the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, mainly the suburban area on the northwest side of Montreal...
.