Rawdon, Quebec

The township was established in 1799 and named after Sir Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings. The town was primarily home to people of Irish background up until 1844, when more and more French-Canadians settled the region and small shops and industries emerged. After the First World War and the October Revolution, Rawdon saw a considerable number of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian noble families arrive to settle in its countryside from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Rawdon was originally part of Montcalm County. From 1920 to 1998, there were two separate municipalities named "Rawdon," the Township of Rawdon and the Village of Rawdon; in 1998, they were united into a single municipality. On November 8, 2021, former pro-wrestler Raymond Rougeau was elected mayor. == Geography ==

Rawdon is located at the south edge of the Canadian Shield mountains. Its lakes and mountains make it a destination for summer tourism with its many camps and cottages. It is also home to a number of natural landmarks, including Dorwin Falls, Cascades Park, Manchester Falls and a municipal beach. In summer, temperatures can soar as high as while temperatures as cold as can be felt in winter. The nearest mountain to Rawdon is Mont Pontbriand. == Demographics ==

Population In summer, the population is said to increase drastically due to tourism and the presence of many cottages in the vicinity. Private dwellings occupied by usual residents (2021): 5,447 (total dwellings: 6,109) Language Mother tongue (2021): • English as first language: 8.8% • French as first language: 85.7% • English and French as first language: 2.2% • Other as first language: 3.2% ==Education==

Commission scolaire des Samares operates francophone public schools: • École Ste-Anne (primary) • École St-Louis (primary) • École secondaire des Chutes (secondary) A private francophone school is also offered: • Collège Champagneur (secondary) Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates anglophone public schools: • Rawdon Elementary School • Joliette Elementary School • Joliette High School in Joliette == Notable people ==

• Ludmilla Chiriaeff, (1924-1996), ballet artist • Martin Deschamps, singer • Firmin Dugas (1830-1889), businessman and politician • Jonathan Girard, former Boston Bruins hockey player • Jean-Paul Jeannotte (1926–2021), operatic tenor, academic teacher and opera administrator ==See also==