Pierrefonds, Quebec

For the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, see Pierrefonds-Roxboro. For the former Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Senneville, see Pierrefonds-Senneville.

Pierrefonds
Former city
Pierrefonds Location of Pierrefonds in Montreal
Coordinates: 45°28′0″N 73°53′0″W
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
City	Montreal
Borough	Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Area [1]
• Land	24.91 km^2 (9.62 sq mi)
Population  (2006)[1]
• Total	59,093
• Density	2,372.5/km^2 (6,145/sq mi)
• Change (2001-2006)	7.5%
• Dwellings (2006)	22,510
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span	H8Z, H9H, H9K
Area code(s)	(514) and (438)

Pierrefonds (Quebec French pronunciation: [pjaɛ̯ʁˈfõ]) is a former city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located along the Rivière des Prairies on the northwestern part of the Island of Montreal (part of what is colloquially called the West Island). It was merged into Montreal on January 1, 2002, and is today part of the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

History

Its origin dates back to the eighteenth century, and is intimately linked to that of Sainte-Geneviève, which was composed at the time of Pierrefonds, L'Île-Bizard, Sainte-Geneviève, Roxboro and Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

In 1904, following several previous divisions, the Town of Sainte-Geneviève was split into two new villages: Sainte-Geneviève and Sainte-Geneviève de Pierrefonds. This was the first appearance of the name Pierrefonds. At the heart of the conflict leading to the separation was the notary and local member of the Legislative Assembly Joseph-Adolphe Chauret, who, in 1902, had a "seigniorial" residence built for himself reminiscent of the community of Pierrefonds in France’s Department of Oise. He named his thatched home "Château Pierrefonds", apparently providing the name for the future city.

In 1935 the two villages of Sainte-Geneviève and Sainte-Geneviève de Pierrefonds merged once again into a single village called Sainte-Geneviève. The name Pierrefonds disappeared, resurfacing on December 18, 1958, when the rest of the territory of the old parish became the City of Pierrefonds.

Dissolution

Main article: Pierrefonds-Roxboro

On 2002-01-01, as part of a province-wide municipal reorganization, Pierrefonds was joined with Senneville and they became a borough of the city of Montreal named Pierrefonds-Senneville. In the demerger referendums of 2004, Senneville demerged from Montreal but Pierrefonds did not. On 2006-01-01, Pierrefonds merged with the former city of Roxboro to form the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Origin of the name Pierrefonds

The new Château Pierrefonds. The original burned down in 1993 and was rebuilt in 1994.^[2]

Joseph-Adolphe Chauret

One of the leading figures who brought about the 1904 split was a famous (or infamous), fiery notary named Joseph-Adolphe Chauret. Always in the limelight, this colourful fellow was praised by some and criticized by others. His reputation remains controversial to this day, mostly because of his stormy and ostentatious lifestyle.

Inspired by an engraving of the feudal Castle of Pierrefonds in Oise, France, in 1902 Chauret built a turreted, gabled residence with the inscription Château de Pierrefonds on two of its socles. The building only somewhat resembled the much heralded fortress Chauret finally visited in 1911 when he journeyed in Europe. At a time when few people travelled abroad, his trip aroused considerable curiosity among local residents – so much so that crowds greeted him upon his return to Canada.

The name Pierrefonds therefore can be traced to Chauret’s residence.

In 1987, Chauret's property was converted into a residence for the elderly named "Château Pierrefonds".^[3]

Demographics

Pre-amalgamation demographics, Canada 2001 Census.^[4]

• Total Population - 54,310
• Visible minority population - 13,995
• Male - 27,285
• Female - 25,020
• Land area - 24.90 km² (9.61 sq mi)
• Population density per km² - 2,207.2/km² (5,717/sq mi)

Note: last census figures before annexation by Montreal.

Notable people

• Paul Brousseau - ice hockey player, born in Pierrefonds^{[citation needed]}
• William Carrier - ice hockey player, grew up in Pierrefonds^[5]
• Mylène Farmer - singer and lyricist, born and grew up in Pierrefonds^[6]
• Kathleen Fraser - kayaker, born in Pierrefonds^[7]
• Alexander Julien - musician, member of Vision Eternel, grew up in Pierrefonds^[8][9]
• Normand Lacombe - ice hockey player, born in Pierrefonds^{[citation needed]}
• Marc Lépine - mass murderer, grew up in Pierrefonds^[10][11]
• Justin McInnis - football player, grew up in Pierrefonds^[12]
• Harley Morenstein - internet personality, resident of Pierrefonds^[13]
• Adam Kelly Morton - actor, writer and producer, grew up in Pierrefonds^[14]
• Rene Paredes - football player, grew up in Pierrefonds^[15]
• Geneviève Robic-Brunet - cyclist, lived in Pierrefonds^[16]
• Peter Worrell - ice hockey player, grew up in Pierrefonds^[17]

References

1. "Community Profile — Pierrefonds". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2010-12-06. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
2. Château Pierrefonds is celebrating its 20th Anniversary^{[permanent dead link]}
3. www.iclic.com, iClic-. "Résidence pour personnes âgées West Island". Château Pierrefonds de Sainte-Geneviève (in French). Retrieved 2020-11-19.
4. "Community Highlights for Pierrefonds". Statistics Canada. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
5. "William Carrier prospect profile". hockeysfuture.com. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
6. "Au pays de Mylène Farmer". La Presse+ (in French). 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
7. KC Fraser. Canadian Olympic Committee
8. Breznikar, Klemen (December 24, 2020). "Vision Eternel Interview". It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
9. Montoya, John (December 27, 2020). "Examining Vision Eternel's New Record "For Farewell of Nostalgia," as Alexander Julien explains heartbreak". Idioteq. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
10. Weston, Greg; Aubry, Jack (February 7, 1990). "The making of a massacre: The Marc Lepine story Part I". The Ottawa Citizen.
11. Lépine & Gagné 2008, p. 154 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFLépine_&_Gagné2008 (help)
12. Adams, J.J. (September 21, 2023). "Who the heck is Justin McInnis? B.C. Lions receiver out to make a name for himself". The Province. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
13. "Un souper presque Epic". Fagstein. April 17, 2011. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
14. Michel, Jason (2017-06-07). "The Fountain by Adam Kelly Morton". PULP METAL MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
15. "Stampeders sign kicker Rene Paredes to contract extension". The Globe and Mail. January 10, 2013.
16. "BAnQ numérique". Le Soleil (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
17. "The racist incident I'll never forget". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 23, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2023.