History and Heritage
Rawdon, strong through its diversity.
After the Second World War, Rawdon, with its vibrant heritage, welcomed a large number of families from immigrant communities.
Rawdon was formerly recognized on July 13th 1799. The Township of Rawdon was thus born and its borders defined. The municipality was named in honor of Lord Francis Rawdon, Earl of Moira and Marquis of Hastings.
In 1824, Rawdon numbered 132 households. At that time, the population continued to grow and saw the establishment of industries and businesses.
Nearly a century later, in 1919, Rawdon was divided into the Township and the Village of Rawdon. During this same period, shortly after the First World War, the tourist industry began to develop, to meet the needs of city dwellers and their love of nature. French-speaking, English-speaking, Russian, Hungarian, Polish, Ukrainian, Czechoslovakian and German families were charmed by the landscape and settled in Rawdon. Consequently, they created a new momentum in the municipality’s cultural and economic life.
Since that time, Rawdon has been recognized as a small community that includes a ‘’part of the whole world’’. Indeed, more than 40 cultural communities live here. Its churches (Russian Orthodox, Catholic), with their exotic beauty, are also a precious heritage of this wonderful diversity! Rawdon is particularly proud of this cultural mosaic that characterizes it and distinguishes it from other municipalities.
For more information on the churches
Inhabitants: Rawdonnoise, Rawdonnois
Population in 2023: 12 427
Area km2: 197 km2
Statistics: Décret 1516-2021 concernant la population des municipalités locales, des villages nordiques et des arrondissements pour l’année 2022, Gazette officielle du Québec, December 8th 2021, p. 7700
Heritage Committee
In 2022, a group of committed citizens, passionate about history, are working on the design of a new website tracing the history and development of Rawdon. Among the topics covered : the origins of the village, the founding families, built heritage, culture, sport, tourism, nature and, of course, the richness of cultural communities.
Histoire de Rawdon Rawdon history
