Lac des Sables

Probably frequented by the Weskarini Algonquin up to that point, the region around Lac des Sables had its first settlers in the early 1850s. A village core began to form around the chapel. Artisans, business owners, public figures and retirees settled there, especially on the lands that would become Rue Principale and Rue Saint-Vincent.

First known as Lac-des-Sables, the current town changed its name to Sainte-Agathe in 1862 and to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts in 1915. 

The “Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts Heritage Tour,” available on BaladoDiscovery, will take you into the heart of a town heavily influenced and shaped by tourism.

You’ll discover heritage treasures from a town that twice, in 1907 and 1923, had to literally rise from the ashes after being damaged by fire. Its built heritage includes a magnificent church, luxury villas and sanatoriums, which are now a hostel and a hospital administration centre. At one time, tuberculosis patients were housed in a number of private homes with verandas. 

Like many Laurentian towns, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts owes its prosperity to the arrival of the railway in 1892. Its beautiful lake, stunning scenery and reknowned superb air quality made it a tremendous holiday spot and an oasis of health and well-being.

It also became a popular destination for winter sports, especially skiing, given its multitude of cross-country trails and downhill ski areas. The later featured a cable lift system said to have been invented by Sainte-Agathe mechanic Moïse Paquette. 

Little known fact: Bonhomme Carnaval originated in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts in the 1950s. Bonhomme’s creator, Adélard Ratelle, made him the symbol of the annual Carnival. He also wasn’t afraid to show him off in Times Square, New York City, where Bonhomme and his duchesses got into a snowball fight!