Lachine, Quebec

Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.

Geography

The borough is located in the southwest portion of the island of Montreal, at the inlet of the Lachine Canal, between the borough of LaSalle, and the city of Dorval. It was a separate city until municipal mergers on January 1, 2002 and did not demerge on January 1, 2006 [http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=3156,3575643&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL] .

The borough is bordered to the northwest by the city of Dorval to the northeast by Saint-Laurent, to the east by Côte-Saint-Luc, Montreal West and a narrow salient of Le Sud-Ouest, and to the south by LaSalle. Its western limit is the shore of Lac Saint-Louis and the Saint Lawrence River.

It has an area of 17.83 km² and a population of 41,391.

Languages

65% -- French
25% -- English
10% -- Other

Features

Autoroute 20 passes through Lachine, which is also served by the Lachine commuter train station.

Most noticeable of Lachine's features is the Lachine Canal and its recreational facilities, including the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. Around the canal's inlet, in the southern part of the borough, are located The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site, René Lévesque Park (on a long peninsula extending into Lac Saint-Louis), and the Musée de Lachine, which has collections of modern outdoor sculpture both on its own grounds, in René Lévesque Park, and in other sites throughout the borough. Other historic buildings are also located near the canal's inlet.

Lachine has seen rejuvenation in recent years with the development of condominiums. Local shops have historically had a high turn-around rate, but due to gentrification this community's economic situation is improving.

History

Lachine, apparently from French "la Chine" (China), is often said to have been named in 1669 in mockery of its then owner Robert Cavelier de La Salle, who explored the interior of North America, trying to find a passage to Asia. When he returned unsuccessful, he and his men were derisively named "les Chinois" (Chinese). The name was adopted when the parish of Saints-Anges-de-la-Chine was created in 1678, with the form Lachine appearing with the opening of a post office in 1829. [ [http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/odo.asp?Speci=98645 Commission de toponymie du Québec - Lachine (Ville)] ]

On August 5th, 1689, more than 1500 Mohawk warriors raided the small village and burned it to the ground in retaliation for the ravaging of the Seneca lands by governor Denonville and his men. The Lachine massacre left 80 dead and terrorized the other French colonists living on the island of Montreal, and more massacres of this kind were to take place on the island during the following decade.

Lachine was incorporated as a city in 1872. In 1999, it merged with the town of Saint-Pierre, Quebec before being merged into Montreal in 2002. Its logo, during its municipality days, is still in use as of today.

Federal and provincial elections

The entire borough is located within the federal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, and within the provincial electoral district of Marquette.

Borough council

The current borough mayor is Claude Dauphin.

The borough is divided into three districts:
*Fort-Rolland
*Canal
*J.-Émery-Provost

The current borough councillors are Claude Dauphin and Jane Cowell-Poitras; the additional borough councillor is Bernard Blanchet.The official fleet vehicle of the Lachine borough is a white Ford Aerostar.

External links

* [http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/page/arr_lach_en/accueil Borough website]

Canadian City Geographic Location
North=
Northwest=Dorval
Northeast=Côte-Saint-Luc
West=Dorval
Center= Borough of Lachine
East=
Montreal West
Southwest="Saint Lawrence River"
Southeast=
South="Saint Lawrence River"

Additional borough councillors are Bernard Blanchet, Jean-François Cloutier and Elizabeth Verge.

ee also

* Montreal Merger
* Municipal reorganization in Quebec