Date Published:
April 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Verchères

Town and County

Verchères, a county in Quebec, fronting on the St. Lawrence river, arid bounded on the south-west by Chambly county, and on the east by St. Hyacinthe county. Chief town, Verchères. Pop. 14,214 [in 1948].

Verchères, county town of Verchères county, Quebec, is situated on the south bank of the St. Lawrence river, and on the Quebec Southern Railway, 22 miles east of Montreal . It is on the site of the fort of Verchères, defended so gallantly against the Iroquois by Madeleine de Verchères in 1692. It is the centre of an agricultural district; but it is especially noted for the flat-bottomed boats known as "Verchères boats", which are made here, and it has also a canning factory. It has a model school directed by the Christian Brothers and a convent of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary; and during the summer it is popular as a tourist resort.

Source  : W. Stewart Wallace, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. VI, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 398p., pp. 233-234.