Ahuntsic

Whispers of history echo in Ahuntsic. Ahuntsic a Montreal borough boasts a rich past. It’s a place where old villages meet modern life. The story begins long ago. The Sulpicians established the fortified Sault-au-Récollet settlement in 1696. This marked the start of colonization in the area. Sault-au-Récollet one of Montreal’s oldest villages still retains its charm. Many houses date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Fort Lorette a trading post and mission stood here. It served to convert the local First Nations people. The village thrived with a mill built on the Rivières des Prairies rapids. The village’s name Sault-au-Récollet or Recollet Falls comes from this mill. A dam controlled the river’s flow between the village and Visitation Island. The Maison du Pressoir museum preserves this history. A later hydroelectric dam still exists further down the river. Ahuntsic itself was founded in 1897. It remained a separate village until 1910. Then it became part of Montreal. Ahuntsic’s growth was intertwined with its neighbors Cartierville and Sault-au-Récollet. These villages too joined Montreal in later years creating the Ahuntsic-Cartierville we know today. Cartierville’s rise began with the Montreal Park and Island Railway. This tramway line reached Cartierville in 1898. Named after Sir George-Étienne Cartier it officially became a village in 1906. Belmont Park an amusement park thrived here from 1929 until the 1980s. Ahuntsic-Cartierville today is a vibrant community. It has large parks like Parc-Nature de l’Île de la Visitation. It also has a bustling commercial area on Fleury Street. Ahuntsic-Cartierville is not just a borough. It is a living testament to Montreal’s history. It shows the evolution of a quiet village to a thriving modern district. The story of Ahuntsic continues. Its future is as bright as its past is rich.