La Plaine

La Plaine

  La Plaine, Qué, pop 15 673 (2001c), 14 413 (1996c), incorporated in 1995 as a city, in 2001 it was amalgamated with 2 other cities to form the new city of TERREBONNE. La Plaine is located on the rich agricultural land of the ST LAWRENCE LOWLAND. The part of this plain north of Rivière des Mille Îles was first called la plaine ("the plain") by Louis Lepage de Sainte-Claire, the seigneur of Terrebonne.

In the mid-1600s the first of 3 seigneuries (Repentigny, 1647; Des Plaines, 1731; and Lachenaie, 1752) was granted in the area, but the first settlers did not arrive until 1760-65. In 1877 the Laurentian Railway between SAINTE-THÉRÈSE and Saint-Lin was completed but development remained slow. In 1921 the parish of Saint-Joachim was recognized. The following year it became the parish municipality of Saint-Joachim de La Plaine; its name was shortened in 1969.

La Plaine did not experience rapid growth until the late 20th century when families from the MONTRÉAL Urban Community began to move there. This growth led to an upgrade of its municipal status in 1995 (dissolved 2001) and the opening of its industrial park a year later. Agriculture is still the main industry.