Area History
The region of the Upper-Laurentians is young, but its territory, inhabited by magnificent forests, has long been host to humans.
Indeed, research has revealed there was primitive living in the region over 4 000 years ago! They have ascended the St. Lawrence River through the many streams to ensure their livelihood. They have even named one of the most famous rivers in the Upper Laurentians, the Lièvre River, named in honor of a good spirit, the Great Hare.
The Lièvre River is found to be officially documented in 1613 by none other than Samuel de Champlain himself as he passed by canoe in the mouth of the river, founding it very beautiful and vast. Subsequently, the Europeans penetrated deeper into the territory to the fantastic landscapes to meet their needs for fur.
In 1759, Canada now a British colony, the Hudson's Bay Company sets up a trading post on the Lièvre River. In 1800, the forest of Upper-Laurentians becomes an important ressource for the English. Already at that time, the exploitation of the forest industry is a mainstay in the region. The establishment of paper mills on the Lièvre River attracts thousands of workers in the area. This is the first effort to colonize the region.
In the 1880s, the now famous Curé Labelle, considered the father of the settlement of the Upper-Laurentians, managed to convince his "flock" to colonize the northern territory of St. Jerome's parish. Courageous farmers have cleaned and cultivated the land that often became the embryo of our existing villages. In the High Laurentians, the first traders settled near the Rapide de l’orignal, a place that later became the town of Mont-Laurier. Construction of Chapleau Road, in 1885, and the railway the P'tit train du nord in 1910, has greatly facilitated access to these remote regions.
Since that time, on the edge of lakes and rivers, among the Laurentian forests, vibrant, warm and friendly people are just waiting to reveal to the visitors the region of the Upper-Laurentians and its many activities and attractions.