Posted on September 1, 2023 | in Uncategorized
Mont-Tremblant is a beautiful city with a deep and interesting history. If you want to get to know your destination a bit before visiting, we’ve put together a brief guide to the history of Mont-Tremblant below for your enjoyment!
17th Century
The 17th century is when the story of Mont-Tremblant first begins! The Weskarini Algonquin Native American tribe were the first residents and inhabitants of the valley. The Riviere du Diable Valley featured fresh food and water for the Native Americans to use in their civilization. The Algonquins called the surrounding area ‘Soutana Trembling’ mountain due to its incredible stature and their belief it was made and inhabited by a Great Spirit.
19th Century
After the initial civilization in the 17th century, the Native American tribes were undisturbed for the next 200 or so years. That is, until approximately 1870, when the very end of the 19th century was marked by an influx of technology, people, settlers, and labor. Lumberjacks began moving into the area to chop down trees, the printing press was now used in the North, and workers started utilizing the Riviere du Diable and Le Boule et Rouge for transportation and extra work.
Other notable achievements during the 19th century included the founding of Pariosse Saint-Jovite, the founding of the municipality of the united townships of Salaberry and Grandison, and the arrival of the first train locomotive at the railway station.
20th Century
At the very beginning of the 20th century, transportation and opportunities for those in Mont-Tremblant expanded as the P’tit Train du Nord expanded and extended as far as Lac Mercier, one of the most famous and widely known lakes in the area. Electricity saw a change in the way the town was run, as a small-scale hydroelectric center on the Riviere du Diable provided electricity for homes by the village, railway station, and the Ruisseau Clair.
Just one year later, the Gray Rock Inn was built on the banks of the lake and run by the famous Wheeler family. 5 years later, a new hydroelectric center was built on the Ruisseau Noir and created a new electric distribution to more areas of the town. Three years later, in 1915, the Municipality de Lac-Trembalnt-Nord was officially founded.
Throughout the 20th century, the town saw many important changes begin to take place and alter the way in which the inhabitants lived and flourished within the country. Joseph Bondurant Ryan became the first owner of the Mont-Tremblant Lodge, which would later go on to be called Mont-Tremblant Resort, back in 1938. One year later, they launched the first ski lift that runs from the mountain lodge to 4,200 feet high above the ground. Just 12 months after the chair lift innovation, the Municipality de Mont-Tremblant was founded, creating the beautiful area and municipality we know, and love, today.
Mont-Tremblant Resort was then acquired by Intrawest, a real estate development company, at the end of the 20th century, seeing it become the focus of even bigger and broader projects.
21st Century
At the turn of the century, the Ville de Mont-Tremblant was formed through the combination of four municipalities: Municipalité de Mont-Tremblant, Municipality de la Paroisse de Saint-Jovite, Ville de Saint-Jovite, and Municipalité de Lac-Tremblant-Nord. The Quebec government allowed Quebec citizens to then merge into these municipalities.
In the period between 2006-2008, the Municipal Court, Passerelle du Ruisseau Clair, and Municipal Garage were all created. The Jackrabbit Bridge was built one year later and provided access via the La Villageoise de Mont-Tremblant Trail and the Beauvallon Bridge.
Current Times
Today, Mont-Tremblant is home to almost 11,000 inhabitants, with most of the people living in approximately 5,400 dwellings. Mont-Tremblant features a land area of just under 91 square miles and has a population density of almost 122 people per square mile, according to the latest 2021 Census Population by Statistics Canada.
The population has steadily grown throughout the years, showing how the tourism industry and media have influenced the town today. The population was just over 8,300 in 2001 and has since increased to almost 11,000 in 2021, showing a growth of almost 3,000 people in the last 20 years. 87% of individuals here speak French as their first language, with 8% speaking English and 2.8% speaking other languages.
Understanding the history of a place can make you appreciate the location even more. That is why we think that knowing just how Mont-Tremblant came to be can give you even more love and respect for just how beautiful this town really is. The surrounding nature, bright blue lake waters, snow-capped peaks, lush green forests, and downtown shops bring people in from all over the world. And we think that you should use Tremblant Living to find the vacation home of your dreams – get started today!
