Aylmer, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
and Route 148
Quebec route 148
Route 148 is a major east-west highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Autoroute 25 in Laval in the Montreal region to the Ontario-Quebec border in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes in western Quebec. For most of its length, Route 148 follows the north shore of the Ottawa River where it acts as the principal...
it is a part of the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (Canada)
The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau. It is named after Lord Aylmer
Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer
Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer was a British military officer and colonial administrator.- Napoleonic Wars :...
, who was a Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
and a Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
from 1830 to 1835. It remains primarily a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
It bills itself as the "Recreation Capital of the National Capital", given its many golf courses, green spaces, spas
Spas
The article is about localities in Eastern Europe.Spas in the Slavic languages means saviour and past-tense of to save ....
, marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
and bicycle paths. There is little industry in the sector, the area being mainly residential. Virtually all the major shops, services and restaurants are located along Chemin d'Aylmer
Chemin d'Aylmer
Chemin d'Aylmer is an east-west main arterial in Gatineau, Quebec. It starts in near les Galeries d'Aylmer shopping center and ends at Boulevard Saint-Raymond where it becomes Boulevard Alexandre-Tache heading towards downtown Gatineau and Ottawa...
. The sector's indoor swimming pool and skateboard park are also located on that road.
Aylmer's population is about 40% anglophone and 60% francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
; much of its workforce commutes across the river to Ottawa. As such it tends to be a very federalist area, with much of the population being bilingual.
History
Prior to its foundation, Aylmer, like most surrounding areas of the Ottawa region, was occupied by the Algonquin First Nation population. The first explorers to reach the actual location of Aylmer were Nicolas-du-Vigneau and Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
during the early 17th century when they continued exploration for new lands west of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. It was only during the early 19th century that colonization began in the region; during the same period the foundations of the communities of Hull and Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
were being established. Agricultural lots were given to Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in the early 19th century and Charles Symmes was among the first developers of the area. The post office and county registration office in Aylmer were opened in 1831; it was named after then Governor General Lord Aylmer
Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer
Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, 5th Baron Aylmer was a British military officer and colonial administrator.- Napoleonic Wars :...
. The village was incorporated in 1847. http://www.gatineau.ca/docs/histoire_cartes_statistiques/archives/docs/AylmerHis.pdf
During most of the 19th century, the town of Aylmer, like much of the Outaouais, was an important center for the wood industry. During that period several steam boats were built alongside the Deschênes Rapids and the Ottawa River across from Britannia
Britannia (Ottawa)
Britannia is a neighbourhood and also a street in the west end of Ottawa, on the Ottawa River across from Aylmer.It was once a small cottage town to the west of Ottawa, but rapid growth in all directions during the 20th century meant that it was soon surrounded by the western suburb of Nepean. ...
. Railroad construction began during the early Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
years. Meanwhile, the economy of Aylmer was more focused on the wood and wood pulp
Wood pulp
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
industries and much later, on tourism. In 1921, a destructive fire ravaged large sections of the village destroying dozens of homes and businesses. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Aylmer's biggest sawmill closed its doors. http://www.gatineau.ca/docs/histoire_cartes_statistiques/archives/docs/AylmerHis.pdf
Aylmer would regain importance during the second half of the 20th century when, due to urban sprawling from the Ottawa and Gatineau areas, it became an important suburb to the region. In 1975 the villages of Lucerne and Deschênes, located just east of downtown Aylmer, were amalgamated. Several new residential developments were created on the northern and eastern side of old Aylmer. Numerous businesses and shopping malls were built along the Main Street including les Galeries Aylmer and the Glenwood Plaza, the latter being destroyed by a fire in 2005 and rebuilt. In addition, several golf courses, a Sheraton
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
hotel, and a movie theater were added through the city. On August 4, 1994, a destructive tornado tore through the city damaging nearly 400 to 500 homes (including a dozen homes that were completely destroyed) and injuring at least 15 people. Damage figures were estimated at about $15 million. http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/em/nh/to/to-sig-eng.aspx Rated F3 on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, the tornado tracked for 8 kilometers and was one of the most intense tornadoes in history across the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (Canada)
The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
. http://www.amateurradio.ca/DL16%20Canadian%20Disasters.doc Aylmer also saw many power outages and very dangerous driving conditions throughout the North American ice storm of 1998
North American ice storm of 1998
The North American ice storm of 1998 was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms which combined to strike a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada, and bordering areas from northern New York to central Maine in the...
, which left more than 4 million people without electricity, most of them in southern Quebec, western New Brunswick and Eastern Ontario, some of them for an entire month. The Canadian Forces were called in to assist with the relief efforts.
Before the amalgamation of the Urban Community Region of the Outaouais, Aylmer had a population exceeding 40,000 with additional growth after 2002 stemming from development in several areas of the sector, including the expansion of the Plateau de la Capitale neighbourhood which started in the former city of Hull in the early 1990s.
Roads and Recreational Pathways
Aylmer is served by provincial Route 148Quebec route 148
Route 148 is a major east-west highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Autoroute 25 in Laval in the Montreal region to the Ontario-Quebec border in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes in western Quebec. For most of its length, Route 148 follows the north shore of the Ottawa River where it acts as the principal...
, known as the boulevard des Allumettières within the city of Gatineau, which extends from the Ontario border near Pembroke
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
, to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, about two hours away.
Other main roads include the Chemin d'Aylmer
Chemin d'Aylmer
Chemin d'Aylmer is an east-west main arterial in Gatineau, Quebec. It starts in near les Galeries d'Aylmer shopping center and ends at Boulevard Saint-Raymond where it becomes Boulevard Alexandre-Tache heading towards downtown Gatineau and Ottawa...
/rue Principale, Lucerne Blvd., Vanier, Eardley, Broad/Klock, Wilfrid-Lavigne, Mountain Rd., Pink Rd.
Aylmer is connected to Tunney's Pasture
Tunney's Pasture
Tunney's Pasture is an area within the City of Ottawa, Ontario, that is exclusively developed for Canada's federal government buildings. It is bordered by Scott Street to the south, Parkdale Avenue to the east, the Ottawa River Parkway to the north and Northwestern Avenue to the west...
and Westboro
Westboro
Westboro is a neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada, often referred to as Westboro Village. Located along the Ottawa River, the neighbourhood is bordered on the east by Island Park Drive, and on the west by Woodroffe Avenue. The Southern border can be stretched up to Carling Avenue...
in Ottawa by the Champlain Bridge
Champlain Bridge (Ottawa)
The Champlain Bridge crosses the Ottawa River about west of Parliament Hill, joining the communities of Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. It is the westernmost link between the two cities....
, at the southeast corner.
It has been proposed to build an extension from Autoroute 50
Quebec Autoroute 50
Autoroute 50 is an Autoroute in western Quebec. Once completed, it will link the Outaouais region to the Greater Montreal area....
in Gatineau that would come though Chelsea and central Aylmer to become a bridge between Deschênes and Brittania, but the plan is only tentative, mainly due to strong local opposition from the Brittania sector.
Aylmer is home to an effective and generally well-maintained network of bicycle paths that encircle the central portion of the area and run past many scenic locations, such as the Aylmer Marina and the Deschênes Rapids. The bike path system is maintained by the National Capital Commission
National Capital Commission
The National Capital Commission , is a Canadian Crown corporation that administers the federally owned lands and buildings in Canada's National Capital Region, including Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission , which had been...
.
Public Transit
Public transit is provided by the Société de transport de l'OutaouaisSociété de transport de l'Outaouais
Société de transport de l'Outaouais is the transit service of the Outaouais region of Quebec. It operates public transit routes in Gatineau, Quebec, including the Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, plus limited service to suburban communities such as Chelsea and...
or STO, which runs twelve bus lines through the region (although many only operate during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
). The STO has been criticized by Aylmer residents—particularly youth—for not providing enough service to the area, and for not providing enough inter-sector bus lines (the eastern terminus for most Aylmer lines is in the Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre
Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street , the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street....
in downtown Ottawa). The STO is planning a bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system known as Rapibus
Rapibus
The Rapibus is a planned and approved bus-only roadway for the Société de Transport de l'Outaouais in the city of Gatineau, Quebec. The project aims to speed up the service for commuters in growing sub-divisions in the northern and eastern areas of the city by alleviating the congestion on key...
that would connect the Hull and Gatineau sectors, with the possibility of an expansion to Aylmer.
The railroad bedding still exists from Aylmer's now-defunct rail line, and pressure has been put on the STO to set up a light rail system in Gatineau that could connect to Ottawa's O-Train network via the Prince of Wales Bridge
Prince of Wales Bridge
The Prince of Wales Bridge is a rail bridge across the Ottawa River joining Ottawa, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec. It connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway line just west of Lebreton Flats, and crosses the south channel of the river to Lemieux Island; it then continues across the northern...
. If this were to happen, Aylmer could theoretically be served by light rail as well, but at present this appears highly unlikely.
Federal
In terms of population, Aylmer makes up about one third of the ridingElectoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Hull—Aylmer
Hull—Aylmer
Hull—Aylmer is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917....
, which has elected a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in every federal election since its conception in 1984 — its predecessors, the ridings of Hull and Wright, in place from 1892 to 1984, also only ever elected Liberals. This, however, changed when the riding elected NDP MP Nycole Turmel
Nycole Turmel
Nycole Turmel, MP is the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Canadian Parliament. She was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 federal election, representing the electoral district of Hull—Aylmer, and became interim leader of the New Democratic Party after leader Jack...
to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 2011 federal election.
Municipal
In the 2005 Gatineau municipal election, Aylmer voters showed particularly strong support for current mayor Marc Bureau, over incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
and former mayor of "old" Hull Yves Ducharme
Yves Ducharme
Yves Ducharme was the mayor of Hull, Québec, in the Outaouais region, from 1992 to 2002 and from 2002 to 2005 mayor of Gatineau after the city had been merged with its neighbours, part of the supra-organization the Communauté Urbaine de l'Outaouais. He was defeated in an election in 2005 by Marc...
. Similar voting patterns appeared in the sectors of Buckingham
Buckingham, Quebec
Buckingham was a city located in the Outaouais region of the province of Quebec. Since January 1, 2002, it has been part of the amalgamated city of Gatineau which merged five former municipalities, including Masson-Angers, Buckingham, Hull, Aylmer and Gatineau, into a single entity...
and Masson-Angers, the other two "outlying" regions of Gatineau. This could be due to a perception among residents that the Ducharme administration was more focused on the urban core of the new city, as opposed to the periphery, as well as the rapid development of green-spaces
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
into residential subdivisions
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
. However, six months after the November election, residents are showing the highest level of dissatisfaction with the Bureau administration out of all the sectors, citing Aylmer's being left out of municipal processes, poor quality of municipal services, and little to no action to halt suburban sprawl. Interestingly, Masson-Angers and Buckingham residents are presently showing the most support for the new government.
Recently, the City of Gatineau administration had plans to reuse a former landfill site on Cook Road in the north end of the sector to build a new composting plant. A deal was planned with a non-profit organisation called La Ressourcerie to operate the site. However, local residents are strongly opposed with health and environmental concerns especially due to the past of the landfill site. Despite displaying their fierce opposition, which included acts of intimidation and threats towards some councillors, at a Gatineau City Council Meeting, Mayor Marc Bureau mentioned that he will still build the plant at the Cook site, and that according to him it was the best possible site. He later added that he will study other possibilities for the plant.
Aylmer's three wards are presently represented on the Gatineau city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
by Stefan Psenak
Stefan Psenak
Stefan Psenak is a Québécois poet, playwright and novelist. He lives in Outaouais.-External links:* *...
, André Laframboise
André Laframboise
Andre Laframboise is a Quebec municipal politician in Gatineau, Quebec. He is the councillor for the Lucerne district in the Aylmer sector of the city....
and Alain Riel
Alain Riel
Alain Riel is a Quebec municipal politician in Gatineau, Canada. He is the councillor of the Deschênes District in the Aylmer sector.Riel studied at the University of Ottawa and obtained a bachelor's degree in history and geography and a master's degree in physical geography.After being a teacher...
.
Amalgamation and de-Amalgamation
In 2002 the City of Aylmer became a part of Gatineau when the then-Parti QuébécoisParti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
government forcibly merged several clusters of cities and metropolitan areas throughout Québec. Residents of Aylmer were particularly against the amalgamation, citing fears of reduced municipal services, more suburban development, and a loss of cultural identity, as well as geographic differences (Hull and Gatineau arguably constitute a region of conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
, whereas Aylmer was at the time separated by an expanse of sparsely inhabited green space).
A movement was started to halt the "forced fusion" of five cities surrounding Gatineau. The movement had particularly strong support in Aylmer. Signs reading "Je me souviendrai des fusions forcées" (literally, "I will remember forced fusions," a play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
on Québec's motto "Je me souviens") were a common sight.
When the Québec Liberal Party
Parti libéral du Québec
The Quebec Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955....
won the 2003 provincial election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
, the newly amalgamated former cities were given the opportunity to demerge. A referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held to decide the fate of the City of Gatineau which required a double vote: at least 35% of eligible voters from a given sector had to cast ballots, and more than 50% of these had to be in favour of de-amalgamation. Aylmer voters chose to separate from Gatineau but not enough ballots were cast, meaning Aylmer remained a sector of the larger city.
The voting outcome itself was done in such a way that even if Aylmer succeeded in de-amalgamating from Gatineau, they would only do so in name. The de-amalgamation claimed that once Aylmer was its own area once again, it would have to pay for all its own changes, while Gatineau would still be in control of the administration. This meant that the sector of Aylmer would receive no support from the administration that determined what was built where, but would still have to contribute 100% to the costs of the changes voted by the city of Gatineau.
Prior to the merger, Aylmer's residents and municipal laws had strongly opposed extensive construction programs. Following the amalgamation, many of the sector's prized green spaces were cut down for residential construction. Ex-Aylmer neighbourhoods like Wychwood and Village Lucerne have seen their undeveloped spaces sold to contractors. As a result of this unchecked development, there is a strong resentment of the current municipal administration among Aylmer Sector citizens.
List of pre-amalgamation mayors
Sources:- John Egan (1847–1855)
- Charles Symmes (1855–1858, 1860–1862)
- Robert Conroy (1858–1860, 1866–1868)
- Harvey Parker (1862–1866)
- William McLean (1868–1872)
- Alexandre Bourgeau (1872–1873, 1880–1881, 1881–1882)
- Charles Devlin (1873–1878, 1890–1891)
- Thomas B. Prentiss (1878–1879)
- John Gordon (1879–1880)
- James Henry Mulligan (1881–1882)
- William J. Conry (1882–1884, 1891–1892)
- Narcisse E. Cormier (1884–1890)
- Thomas Ritchie (1892–1898)
- Jean Joseph Emond Woods (1898–1900)
- George C. Rainboth Jr. (1900–1902)
- Thomas John Symmes (1902–1904)
- Thomas D. Sayer (1904–1907)
- Robert Howard Wright (1907–1911)
- Leon Chartier (1911–1913)
- William George Mulligan (1913–1914, 1929–1935)
- James Baillie (1914–1916)
- Armand de Bruyne (1916–1919, 1927–1928)
- Hercule Therien (1919–1921)
- George R. Nash (1921–1925)
- Kenny Edey (1925–1927)
- Amable Elie Beaudry (1928–1929)
- Wilfrid J. Lavigne (1935–1941)
- F. Lloyd Pilgrim (1941–1947)
- Jean-Rene Therien (1947–1948, 1949–1953, 1959–1960)
- Oscar E. Guertin (1949)
- Telesphore G. Lortie (1953–1959)
- J. Neil O'Donnell (1960–1965)
- Eric Acland (1965–1967)
- Edgar Whelan (1967–1970)
- Ernest Lattion (1970–1975)
- Neil O'Donnell (1975–1979)
- Patrick T. Asselin (1979–1983)
- Constance Provost (1983–1995)
- Marc Croteau (1995–2001)
English School Board
Western Quebec School BoardProvides English and French immersion education to primary and secondary students.
Primary schools
South Hull: Immersion primary school, located in Lakeview Terrace.Rapides Deschênes: A francophone primary school, located on Vanier road, just south of Lakeview Terrace. Occupying three buildings, it teaches school from kindergarten to grade 6.The schools were originally known as St George ( grades 1 and 2 ), Notre Dame ( for girls, with a convent attached ) and St Medard ( for boys ). The schools had English and French classes in the 1950s and 1960s.
Vieux-Verger: A francophone primary school, located on Wilfrid-Lavigne boulevard. It teaches school from kindergarten to grade 6. Before the school was built, an orchard was present on that lot, which inspired the name for the school, which is French for "Old Orchard".
Euclide-Lanthier: A francophone primary school, located on Elizabeth street. It teaches kindergarten to grade 6.
Trois-Portages: A francophone primary school, located on Broad street, in the lot next to École Secondaire Grande-Rivière
École secondaire Grande-Rivière
École secondaire Grande-Rivière, commonly abbreviated as ESGR or E.S.G.R. , is the only francophone secondary school in Aylmer, Quebec. Its total population is over 2000, including just over 1900 students and more than 100 faculty members...
. It teaches kindergarten to grade 6.
École du Village:A francophone primary school divided into two separate buildings: Limoges and St-Paul. It teaches grades 1 through 6. Limoges (grade 1 to 3) is located on Symmes. St-Paul (grade 4 to 6) is located on Dalhousie.
Lord Aylmer School : Re-named after the amalgamation of Saint Mark's Elementary and Aylmer Elementary. The school has two campuses (located only across the street from each other). The former St. Mark's (known as the "Junior Campus") teaches students from kindergarten to grade 3. Aylmer Elementary (the "Senior Campus") teaches grades 4 to 6. Lord Aylmer Elementary has a program in English and French immersion. Located on Frank Robinson street.(Historical note: Aylmer Elementary was previously Aylmer High School, an English-language secondary school which was de-commissioned with the opening of the Philemon Wright High School
Philemon Wright High School
Philemon Wright High School is an anglophone high school located in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is administered by the Western Quebec School Board and named after Philemon Wright, founder of Hull. Philemon Wright High school also offers an Enriched French program course to...
in Hull in 1969.)
Montessori de l'Outaouais: Based on the Montessori theory of education, this French preschool and kindergarten is thirty years old. It is located at 161 Principale Street.
Secondary schools
École secondaire Grande-RivièreÉcole secondaire Grande-Rivière
École secondaire Grande-Rivière, commonly abbreviated as ESGR or E.S.G.R. , is the only francophone secondary school in Aylmer, Quebec. Its total population is over 2000, including just over 1900 students and more than 100 faculty members...
: a francophone high school, located on Broad street, this school teaches well over 2000 students, and supports an additional 100+ staff members, including teachers, administrators, janitors, and other service personnel. It is the largest secondary school in the sector. It sports a standard programme, a musical concentration programme, an artistic concentration programme, an IB Middle Years Programme
IB Middle Years Programme
The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme is an educational programme intended for students aged approximately 11 to 16 . Thus, in the United States the programme is often taught throughout the middle school years and the first two years of high school...
, the International Programme (P.E.I) , and several support programmes for students in difficulty. It also has a small community of highly active students who participate in the organization of school activities.
Other secondary schools are Symmes Junior High School (grades 7 and 8) and the recently constructed École secondaire D'Arcy McGee High School (grades 9, 10 and 11), both located on Blvd. du Plateau, this is because they are joined together.
Notable Aylmer individuals
- Paul DuchesnayPaul DuchesnayPaul Duchesnay was an ice dancer who competed for both Canada and France. He and his sister Isabelle Duchesnay were a successful pair in the sport, winning a world championship in 1991 and an Olympic silver medal in 1992.Raised in Canada, the Duchesnays started skating at an early age...
- Polly ShannonPolly ShannonPolly Shannon is a Canadian actress.She is best known for her portrayal of Margaret Trudeau in the 2002 miniseries Trudeau, a film about the late Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau.Brioux, Bill . , Canadian Online ExplorerShannon was born in Kingston, Ontario, and raised in Aylmer, Quebec...
Actress now living in Hollywood, CA. - Isabelle DuchesnayIsabelle DuchesnayIsabelle Duchesnay is an ice dancer who competed for both Canada and France. She and her brother Paul Duchesnay were successful ice dance partners in figure skating, winning a world championship in 1991 and an Olympic silver medal in 1992.Raised in Canada, the Duchesnays started skating at an...
- Dean DeBloisDean DeBloisDean DeBlois is a Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, animator and editor. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing The Oscar-nominated animated films Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon , and for directing the acclaimed Sigur Rós documentary/music film...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0213450/ - Peter MachPeter MachPeter Mach is a Canadian luthier who lives in Aylmer , Quebec. Mach makes violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, and bows, and repairs string instruments and bows.-Training:...
- Merlin BronquesMerlin BronquesMerlin Bronques is the controversial nightlife personality behind the website lastnightsparty.com. Based in New York, he is the site’s founder and sole photographer and travels frequently to Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and a...
- Charlie MajorCharlie MajorCharlie Major is a Canadian country music artist. He has recorded six studio albums and released more than twenty singles....
born in Aylmer - Matthiew KlinckMatthiew KlinckMatthiew Klinck is a film director and producer.-Upcoming projects:Hampton Roads Publishing has announced the release of the book version of Tuning In, co-authored by David Thomas and Matthiew Klinck, in the winter of 2011....
(Hollywood film director) born in Aylmer - Marc Parizeau also born in Aylmer
- Dan AykroydDan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
(Ghostbuster) lived in Aylmer as a youth - Larry ArchambeaultLarry ArchambeaultLarry Andrew Archambault is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.Between 1938 and 1953, Archambault played for various teams in the Eastern Hockey League, American Hockey League, Pacific Coast Hockey League and the United States Hockey League.His name was actually Andre Laurier...
born in Aylmer, former hockey player - Yannick LupienYannick LupienYannick Lupien is a freestyle swimmer from Canada, who competed for his native country at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. His best Olympic result was the sixth place in the 4x100m Medley Relay in Sydney .-References:*...
Olympic swimmer (2000,2004) silver medal World aquatic Montréal 2005
Pauline Lambton
Geographic Location
Neighbourhoods
- Aylmer Nord
- Champlain Park
- Des Cèdres
- Deschênes
- Glenwood/Vieux Moulin
- Jardins Lavigne
- La Seigneurie
- Lakeview Terrace
- Marina
- McCleod
- Projet Pilon
- Rivermead
- Vieux Aylmer
- Wychwood