Ormstown, Quebec

Ormstown, Quebec
—  Municipality  —
Location within Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality.
Coordinates (81, rue Lambton [1]): 45°07′34″N 73°59′27″W / 45.12611°N 73.99083°W / 45.12611; -73.99083
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Le Haut-Saint-Laurent
Incorporated	January 26, 2000
Electoral Districts Federal	Beauharnois—Salaberry
Provincial	Huntingdon
Government[1][2][3]
– Mayor	Jacques Lapierre
– Federal MP(s)	Anne Minh-Thu Quach (NDP)
– Quebec MNA(s)	Stéphane Billette (PLQ)
Area[4]
– Land	141.72 km2 (54.7 sq mi)
Population (2006)[4]
– Total	3,651
– Density	25.8/km2 (66.8/sq mi)
– Change (2001-06)	0.1%
– Dwellings	1,522
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code(s)	J0S
Area code(s)	450
Access Routes[5]	Route 138 Route 201

Ormstown is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, which is situated on the Chateauguay River in the heart of the Chateauguay Valley. It is approximately one hour southwest of Montreal and 20 minutes north of New York State in the United States. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 3,651, of which Francophones comprise about 65%.

Ormstown has two elementary schools, one high school (Chateauguay Valley Regional), and two adult education facilities, several restaurants and churches. Ormstown is also well known for its numerous antique dealers and unique gift shops. There is a park north of the centre of town which is home to Ormstown Beach, an urban legend created and memorialized in the 1970s with "I've been to Ormstown Beach" bumper stickers. It is a popular summer activity to cycle along the Chateauguay River. The town has traces of an old dam, which was once the source of power for the mill. People living outside the town only gained access to electricity following World War II.

Ormstown will be the host of the 34th Quebec 4-H Rally, happening the first weekend of July. 4-H members from across the province will visit the area with their projects that consist of cattle, horses, handicrafts, public speaking and more.

History

In the 1950s, Ormstown became the site of a significant microwave radio relay station, part of the Trans Canada Telephone System. Initially, the system passed through the major cities of Canada via towers located on top of downtown telephone buildings. Subsequently, concerns were expressed that a disaster affecting any of those city cores, such as a war or uprising, would result in an interruption of the continuity of the transcontinental communications system. The solution was to locate a "bypass" microwave site outside each of those cities with links to the east and west, as well as a short link into the city. The Ormstown facility was the bypass point for Montreal, but had further significance as it also included a link to the AT&T Long Lines TD2 microwave system in the United States.

In 2000. the town merged with the surrounding parish of St-Malachie d'Ormstown to form the Municipality of Ormstown.^[6]

Demographics

Population

Population trend^[7]

Census	Population	Change (%)
2006	3,651	0.1%
2001	3,647 (+)	56.0%
1996	1,604	1.7%
1991	1,577	N/A

(+) Amalgamated with Saint-Malachie-d'Ormstown in 2000.

Language

Mother tongue language (2006)^[4]

Language	Population	Pct (%)
French only	2,220	62.89%
English only	1,205	34.13%
Both English and French	50	1.42%
Other languages	55	1.56%

Arts and culture

Ormstown Fair

One of the town's main attractions is the Ormstown Fair, which was started in 1910. It is held annually during the second week of June, making it Quebec's earliest spring fair. Several competitions take place at the fair: farm animals, crafts, horticulture and baked goods are evaluated by judges and can be viewed by fairgoers. Other competitions include a tractor pull, demolition derby, and equestrian events. Additionally, there are carnival rides, arcades, a petting zoo, and live musical performances. The Ormstown fair attracts people from all surrounding areas.

Attractions

Allan's Corners

Located near Ormstown, in the hamlet of Allan's Corners, is the site of the Battle of the Chateauguay, where on October 25, 1813 Canadian and Native forces fought and repelled an invading American force that was planning to attack Montreal during the War of 1812. There is a National Parks of Canada museum near the site of the battle.

Government

Jacques Lapierre was elected to fill the post of mayor on November 1, 2009, replacing interim mayor Luc Lavigueur. Lavigueur took over the post after former mayor John McCaig resigned for health reasons.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The CIT du Haut-Saint-Laurent provides commuter and local bus services.

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ministère des Affaires Municipales et Régions: Ormstown
2. ^ Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History - BEAUHARNOIS--SALABERRY, Quebec
3. ^ Chief Electoral Officer of Québec - 40th General Election Results - HUNTINGDON
4. ^ ^{a b c} 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Ormstown, Quebec
5. ^ Official Transport Quebec Road Map
6. ^ www.rootsweb.com
7. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census

External links

• Battle of the Châteauguay National Historic Site of Canada
• Ormstown Fair

Coordinates: 45°08′N 74°00′W / 45.133°N 74°W / 45.133; -74