Rawdon, Quebec

Rawdon is a municipality located on the Ouareau River in southwestern Quebec, Canada, about 60 kilometres 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
Location within Matawinie RCM.
Rawdon
Location in central Quebec.
Coordinates: 46°03′N 73°43′W[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionLanaudière
RCMMatawinie
Settled1799
ConstitutedMay 28, 1998
Government
  MayorBruno Guilbault
  Federal ridingJoliette
  Prov. ridingBertrand
Area
  Total193.00 km2 (74.52 sq mi)
  Land187.07 km2 (72.23 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[3]
  Total10,416
  Density55.7/km2 (144/sq mi)
  Pop 2006-2011
3.6%
  Dwellings
5,422
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
J0K 1S0
Area code(s)450 and 579
Highways Route 125
Route 337
Route 341
Route 348
Websitewww.rawdon.ca

The town of Rawdon is a mostly French-speaking tourist resort and is home to one English public school and four French public schools as well as a medium-size ski resort.

Geography

Dorwin Falls, Rawdon, QC

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 (−22 °F) can be felt in winter.

History

Canadiana historic village in 1948
Rawdon, postcard

The township was established in 1799 and named after Sir Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings. The town 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. After the First World War and the October Revolution, Rawdon saw a considerable number of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian noble families arrive to settle in its countryside from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Rawdon 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 united into a single municipality.

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Rawdon, Quebec[4]
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1991 6,841    
1996 8,254+20.7%
YearPop.±%
2001 8,648+4.8%
2006 10,058+16.3%
YearPop.±%
2011 10,416+3.6%

In summer, the population is said to double and even sometimes triple due to tourism and the presence of many cottages in the vicinity.

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 4532 (total dwellings: 5422)

Language

Mother tongue:[3]

  • English as first language: 13.5%
  • French as first language: 84.8%
  • English and French as first language: 1.3%
  • Other as first language: 3.8%

Education

Commission scolaire des Samares operates francophone public schools.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates anglophone public schools:

Notable people

See also

References



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