Municipality of Ormstown

Introduction and Background

The Municipality of Ormstown was constituted on January 26th, 2000 upon the merger of the Village of Ormstown (founded in 1889) and the Parish of Saint-Malachie (1840). It is recognized for its fertile farmland, bathed by the Chateauguay and Outardes Rivers, and its early reputation as the centre of Quebec's brick-making industry.

There are two hypotheses as to the origins of the municipality's name. One is based on the premise that when the seigneury was divided by the surveyor (1800), it was named in honour of one of Seigneur Ellice's sons, as was the custom at that time. The second is based on the belief that Ellice never had a son named Orms and that the new territory was named after the Scottish town of Ormiston, home of some of the area's early settlers (Quebec's Toponomy Commission).

In the 1940's, Ormstown enjoyed an economic boom with the construction of the Barrie Memorial Hospital, named in honour of local philanthropist, Margaret Barrie, and later with the construction of new educational institutions. In the 1970's, there was another burst of rapid development with the construction of a shopping centre, centre d'accueil (residential health care facility) and affordable housing.

Residents and visitors alike are enchanted by the grace and elegance of Ormstown's old brick buildings, with their Victorian cachet, particularly along Bridge, Church and Lambton Streets, which stand as stately symbols of the prosperity this town has known over the years. The Chateauguay Valley Regional High School (CVR) and the Chateauguay Valley Career Centre, the municipal library, which is affiliated with Réseau Biblio, the Recreation Centre, Ormstown Fair and the Branches and Roots Music Festival are all vital elements in the social and community life of the municipality.

*Source, Population and Surface: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population.

For a view of Ormstown revitalization.

August 2008 - Ormstown in brief
- Revitalization