Historic Locations

Municipality of Saint-André-d'Argenteuil

Carillon

34 - Collector’s House
- La centrale hydro-électrique de Carillon
c. 1959

Carillon hydroelectric power station was built in 1959 by Hydro-Québec.  In operation since 1962, it is the largest power station on the Ottawa River with a capacity of 654,500 kilowatts and an average flow of 2,000 cubic metres per second.  A unique lock allows vessels to cross the 19-foot drop in a single operation.  In the reception hall, an exhibition relates the Station’s history.  A park with two picnic areas borders the dam.

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35 - Collector’s House
- Maison du percepteur
c. 1843

Route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec

National Historic Site of Canada
Lieu historique national du Canada

Constructed in 1842 and 1843, this grey stone construction was called “The Tax Collector’s House”.  A man collected the toll from the vessels that went through the canal.  To make his task easier, his house was constructed on a high piece of land so that he could see any boat drawing near the passage.  The metal-sheeted mansard roof bears a dormer window at the front and two brick chimney stacks.  Today this building with regular and symmetrical openings, houses a small museum and also serves as a place for exhibitions.

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36 - Carillon Canal
- Canal-de-Carillon
c. 1826 to 1833

Route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec

National Historic Site of Canada
Lieu historique national du Canada

The Carillon Canal, opened in 1833, bypassed the rapids of the Ottawa River, especially those at Long Sault.  Originally built for military purposes, the canal was used for commerce from the beginning.  Its location on the Ottawa River places it within the Montreal-Ottawa-Kingston inland shipping route.  The present-day canal is used almost exclusively for pleasure boating and includes only one lock, which raises and lowers boats 19 meters in a single operation.  Combined with a hydroelectric power station, the lock is part of a network of canals linking Montreal to Ottawa by water.  Its “guillotine” gate, weighing 182 tonnes, is unique in North America.

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37 - Superintendent’s House
- Maison du surintendant
c. 1843

2, route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec
National Historic Site of Canada
Lieu historique national du Canada

The house of the superintendent is of grey stone construction. It was built near the Carillon canal circa 1840.  Initially used as an administration centre for the canal, the building became a residence in 1857.  The mouldings that decorate the top of the columns add charm to the residence.  With its gable roof, Victorian veranda and small annex of a different architectural style, the House of the superintendent plays a significant part in beautifying the historic village of Carillon.

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38 - Saint-Joseph Church
- Église Saint-Joseph
c. 1915

8, route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec

At the request of priest Josaphat Verner, the small Saint-Joseph Catholic Church was built in 1915.  Located in the heart of the village, it is a plain, wooden construction.  A humble steeple crowns its pitched roof and a bull’s-eye window pierces its façade.  The side windows with their pointed shape are typical of Gothic style.

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39 - Dollard des Ormeaux Monument
- Monument de Dollard-des-Ormeaux
c. 1919

Route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec

Constructed in 1919 by the sculptor Joseph Laliberté, the Dollard des Ormeaux monument is located in a small park on the left of Saint-Joseph Catholic Church.  It honours the memory of Dollard des Ormeaux who died during the Battle of the Long-Sault (May 1660), the most important battle ever waged by the French against the Iroquois.  It is believed that the sacrifice of Dollard des Ormeaux and his friends saved New France.  Actually, New France is represented on the granite monument by a woman’s head crowned with oak and maple leaves. 

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40 - Desormeaux House
- Maison Desormeaux

36 and/et 38, route du Long-Sault, Carillon, Québec

Halfway through the 19th century, James Barclay, a Scot, owner of many buildings in Carillon, purchased this beautiful brick edifice and converted it to an inn.  Due to the shape of the lots, the buildings could not squarely face the road. To solve the problem, this House of neoclassic style, very popular in New-England, was built according to the same diamond shape as the land on which is stands. The wall intersections and the outline of the front openings are made of grey ashlar (cut stone). The well-preserved House has an entrance of doric style and two chimney stacks stand on its metal-sheeted roof. Designated an historic monument by the Québec government in 1973, the Desormeaux house shows what great influence military architecture can have on the style of residential buildings.

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41 - Argenteuil Regional Museum
- Musée régional d’Argenteuil
c. 1836

44, route du Long-Sault
Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Québec

This imposing stone building was constructed between 1834 and 1836.  Originally a warehouse where the materials needed to build the Carillon canal were stored, it was turned into military barracks during the Patriot’s Rebellion (1837 – 1838) of Lower and Upper Canada.  This Georgian-style building opened it’s doors to the public as a museum in 1938 and displays numerous artifacts in each room of the building.

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