Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts

In 1849, the first European families arrived on the northern fringe of the area. Beginning in 1850, a rapid colonization of the region began. The arriving families were primarily of French Catholic background. In 1865, the land on which the church stands was donated to the parish by Dr. Luc-Eusèbe Larocque, brother of the Monsignor. Dr. Larocque had amassed a fortune in the California Gold Rush and had decided to live the life of a seigneur. He bought several farms around Lac à la Truite (Trout Lake) and area but was too kind-hearted to ask for the rents. The English Protestant community grew from the time the train first arrived in 1892.

With the completion of a railway to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts in 1892, the town experienced a rapid increase in population. Between 1892 and 1911, spas and hospitals were established. In 1899, a tuberculosis hospital was founded by Dr. Arthur Richer. Elizabeth Wand, a nurse from New York City established a spa, which still operates as Auberge Tour du Lac. It was believed at the time that fresh mountain air could help cure tuberculosis and other pulmonary diseases.

By 1910, many wealthy families from Montreal and northern United States had built residences along the shoreline of Lac des Sables. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the town was a popular tourist centre with large resort hotels and many shops and restaurants. In the 1980s, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts grew as a four-season tourist destination.

Next to Mont Tremblant, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts has the largest population of English-speaking summer cottage residents in the Laurentians (with a smaller but still sizable winter cottage population as well, particularly on the weekends). Generations of cottagers from English Montreal, Ontario, New York, and New Jersey vacation amidst the lakes and mountains surrounding the town.

• Autobus Maheux. Service from Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda. (updated Feb 2021)
• Autobus Galland. 2-3 times a day from Montreal's rue Berri bus terminal (2 hr 30 min, $18-26), with onward service to Mont-Tremblant, and, on some runs, to Mont-Laurier. (updated Jan 2019)

Two highways enter Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts

• Autoroute 15, a freeway from Montreal that ends just north of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, where the highway combines into Highway 117. At 95 km in length, the fastest route to Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts from Montreal on Autoroute 15 to Exit 86, then west on Route 117.
• Route 117, a highway running northwest and south-east. Route 117 is part of a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, that starts from its interchange with Autoroute 40 (Trans-Canada Highway's main route) in Montreal, which becomes Highway 66 in Ontario. Highway 66 ends as part of the Trans-Canada Highway about 14 km west of Kirkland Lake, where Highway 66 intersects with Highway 11, which is another branch of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The nearest big airport is Montreal Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport.

The closest train station served by VIA Rail is in Montreal.

• Camping Sainte-Agathe, 2, chemin du Lac-des-Sables, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, ☏ +1 819-561-0482, toll-free: +1-800-561-7360, info@parcdescampeurs.com. 

• Auberge & Restaurant Chez Girard, 18 Rue Principale Ouest, ☏ +1 819-326-0922. Three rooms with private bath, microwave oven, coffee maker, mini-fridge, air conditioning, Wi-fi. Part of a gastropub. Double $110-130. (updated Jan 2019)
• Auberge aux Nuits de Reve, 14, rue Larocque ouest, ☏ +1 819-326-5042, toll-free: +1-888-326-5042. A romantic 7-room inn on the lake with breakfast served in room. From $152. (updated Jan 2019)
• Motel Clair-Mont, 1591 rue Principale ouest, ☏ +1 819-326-1444, toll-free: +1-800-520-1444. Most of the rooms are non-smoking, equipped with wood floor and equipped with bath and shower, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, HD TV, mini fridge, microwave oven, coffee maker with coffee, tea, sugar and milk, and hair dryer. Dogs or cats are welcome (additional fee). In summer, a heated outdoor pool and a propane grill are available. Parking is free. From $60. (updated Jan 2019)