Lachine () is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

(''

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...

'') within the city of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

on the

Island of Montreal The Island of Montreal (french: Île de Montréal) is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities including most of the city of Montreal and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main ...

in southwestern

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It was an autonomous city until the municipal mergers in 2002.

History

Lachine, apparently from the French term ''la Chine'' (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

), is often said to have been named in 1667, in mockery of its then owner René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, who explored the interior of North America trying to find a passage to China. When he returned without success, he and his men were derisively named ''les Chinois'' (the Chinese). The name was adopted when the parish of Saints-Anges-de-la-Chine was created in 1676, with the form Lachine appearing with the opening of a post office in 1829. An alternative etymology attributes the name to the famous French explorer

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...

, who also hoped to find a passage from the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...

to China. According to this version, in 1618 Champlain proposed that a customs house would tax the trade goods from China passing this point, hence the name Lachine. On August 4, 1689, more than 1500

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...

warriors raided the small village and burned it to the ground in retaliation for the ravaging of the

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

lands, which was accused having been committed by the

governor of New France The governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French nobleman, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Chatea ...

, the

Marquis de Denonville A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

. The

Lachine massacre The Lachine massacre, part of the Beaver Wars, occurred when 1,500 Mohawk warriors launched a surprise attack against the small (375 inhabitants) settlement of Lachine, New France, at the upper end of Montreal Island, on the morning of August 5, ...

left 80 dead. Lachine was incorporated as a village in 1848, then it became a town in 1872 and a city in 1909. In 1912 it annexed the neighbouring Town of Summerlea, itself founded in 1895. It merged with the town of Saint-Pierre in 1999, and the combined municipality merged into Montreal on January 1, 2002. Lachine's logo during its municipality days is still in use today.

Geography

The borough is located in the southwest portion of the

island of Montreal The Island of Montreal (french: Île de Montréal) is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities including most of the city of Montreal and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main ...

, at the inlet of the

Lachine Canal The Lachine Canal ( in French (language), French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroug ...

, between the borough of LaSalle and the city of

Dorval Dorval () is an on-island suburban city on the island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. In 2016, the Canadian Census indicated that the population increased by 4.2% to 18,980. Although the city has the largest surface area in Montré ...

. It was a separate city until the municipal mergers on January 1, 2002, and it did not demerge on January 1, 2006. The borough is bordered to the northwest by the city of

, to the northeast by Saint-Laurent, to the east by

Côte Saint-Luc Côte Saint-Luc (; also spelled Côte-Saint-Luc, and known historically in English as Cote St. Luke) is a city on the island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. Geography Along with Hampstead and Montreal West, Côte Saint-Luc forms an enclave within ...

Montreal West Montreal West (French: Montréal-Ouest) is an Greater Montreal, on-island suburb in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the Island of Montreal. Montreal West is a small, close-knit community made up primarily of single-family dwellings. The town is ...

and a narrow salient of

Le Sud-Ouest Le Sud-Ouest ( en, "the southwest") is a borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Geography Le Sud-Ouest is an amalgam of several neighbourhoods with highly distinct histories and identities, mainly with working-cla ...

, and to the south by LaSalle. Its western limit is the shore of

Lake Saint-Louis Lake Saint-Louis is a lake in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. The Saint Lawrence Seaway passes through the lake. Lake St. Louis is a widening of the St. Lawrence River in the Hochelaga Arch ...

and the

. It has an area of 17.83 km² (7 sq. mi.) and a population of 44,489 per the 2016 Canadian Census.

Demographics

Government

Municipal government

As of the November 7, 2021 Montreal election, the current borough council consists of the following members:

Federal and provincial districts

The entire borough is located within the federal riding of Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle, and within the provincial electoral district of Marquette.

Infrastructure

Autoroute 20 passes through Lachine, which is also served by the Lachine commuter train station. Most noticeable of Lachine's features is the

and its recreational facilities, including the

Lachine Canal National Historic Site The Lachine Canal ( in French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, La ...

. Around the canal's inlet, in the southern part of the borough, are located

The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site (''Lieu historique national de la Commerce-de-la-Fourrure-à-Lachine'') is a historic building located in the borough of Lachine in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the western end of the Lachine Canal ...

René Lévesque René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...

Park (on a long peninsula extending into

Lac Saint-Louis Lake Saint-Louis is a lake in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. The Saint Lawrence Seaway passes through the lake. Lake St. Louis is a widening of the St. Lawrence River in the Hochelaga Ar ...

), and the Musée de Lachine, which has collections of modern outdoor sculpture both on its own grounds, in

René Lévesque Park __NOTOC__ René Lévesque Park (french: Parc René-Lévesque) is an urban park in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the borough of Lachine on a jetty between the Saint Lawrence River and the end of the Lachine Canal. Approximately in ...

, and in other sites throughout the borough. Other historic buildings are also located near the canal's inlet.

Parks

A memorial to

Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi–Bombay route. On 23 June 1985, it was operated using Boeing 747-237B registered ''VT-EFO''. It disintegrated in mid-air en route from Montreal to Lond ...

is located in Monk Island, in Lachine. It was inaugurated in 2010.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The ''

Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys The Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board (') was a French language public School Board on Montreal Island, Quebec, Canada. Its headquarters was in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal. Its education centre was in LaSalle, also in Montreal. It was ...

'' operates Francophone public schools. Adult schools include: * ''Centre d'éducation des adultes de LaSalle'', ''Édifice Boileau'' Professional development centres include: * ''Centre de formation professionnelle de Lachine'' (CFP), ''Édifice Dalbé-Viau'' and ''Édifice de la Rive'' Secondary schools include: * ''

École secondaire Dalbé-Viau École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

'' * ''

Collège Saint-Louis In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

'' * ''College Sainte-Anne de Lachine'' Primary schools include: * ''École Primaire Catherine-Soumillard''
''École Primaire Victor Therrien''
Victor-therien-2

* ''École Primaire des Berges-de-Lachine'' * ''École Primaire Jardin-des-Saints-Anges'' * ''École Primaire Martin-Bélanger'' * ''École Primaire Paul-Jarry'' * ''École Primaire Philippe-Morin'' * ''École Primaire Très-Saint-Sacrement'' The

Lester B. Pearson School Board The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB, french: Commission scolaire Lester-B.-Pearson, CSLBP) is one of the largest school boards on the island of Montreal and one of the nine English school boards in the province of Quebec. It is headquartere ...

(LBPSB) operates Anglophone public schools. * Lakeside Academy (a merger of

Lachine High School Lachine (French: ''La Chine'', China) may refer to: * Lachine, Quebec, a borough of Montreal ** Lachine (electoral district), a federal electoral district from 1968 to 1988 * Lachine Rapids, Quebec * Lachine Canal, Quebec * The Fur Trade at Lachine ...

and

Bishop Whelan High School A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

) *Maple Grove Elementary School in Lachine, a merger of the Meadowbrook School in Lachine and the Bishop-Whelan School in

, opened in August 2010 *A portion is zoned to LaSalle Elementary Junior and Senior Campus in LaSalle *The Pearson Electrotechnology Centre (PEC; ''Centre d'électrotechnologie Pearson''), a public vocational school of the LBPSB, is in Lachine.

Public libraries

The

Montreal Public Libraries Network The Montreal Public Libraries Network (, previously ''Réseau des bibliothèques publiques de Montréal'') is the public library system on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is the largest French language public library system in North A ...

operates the Saint-Pierre Branch and the Saul-Bellow Branch in Lachine.Les bibliothèques par arrondissement
"

. Retrieved on December 7, 2014.

Notable residents

Jean-Louis Besnard Jean-Louis Besnard (dit Carignant) (November 22, 1734 December 3, 1791) was a merchant trader based out of Montreal, Province of Quebec (now Canada). Jean-Louis Besnard was in the fur trade by 1770. He was outfitting voyageurs and, in turn, relying ...

(dit Carignant) (1734–1791), merchant trader *

Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; 10 July 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only wr ...

(1915–2005), author *

Tim Harkness Thomas William Harkness (born December 23, 1937) is a Canadian former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1964 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The native of Lachine, Quebec, ...

(1937), Baseball player for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Shmuel Schecter Shmuel Halevi Schecter ( he, שמואל הלוי שכטר, February 21, 1915 – September 30, 2000) was a Canadian–American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, educator, and author. Born in Quebec and raised in Baltimore, he traveled to Eastern Europe to stu ...

(1915–2000), rabbi and

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...

educator *

M. Wylie Blanchet Muriel Wylie "Capi" Blanchet, née Muriel Wylie Liffiton (2 May 1891 – 28 September 1961) was a Canadians, Canadian travel literature, travel writer. She is best known for her 1961 book ''The Curve of Time'', which recounts summer tr ...

(1891-1961),

travel writer The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern period ...

, was raised in Lachine

References

External links

Borough website
{{Authority control Boroughs of Montreal Populated places established in 1872 Populated places disestablished in 2002 Former cities in Quebec Hudson's Bay Company trading posts 1872 establishments in Quebec Quebec populated places on the Saint Lawrence River