Nestled north of the Saint Lawrence River in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada, lies the charming municipality of Les Cèdres. With a population of 7,184 as per the Canada 2021 Census, this quaint town is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. The name Les Cèdres translates to "The Cedars" in English, a nod to the area's lush natural beauty.
The history of Les Cèdres dates back to the late 17th century when the area was known for the large rapids on the St. Lawrence River, marked by tall cedars (French: les cèdres) that grew there in abundance. The location was originally known as Cedars Rapids, or as mentioned by cartographer Deshayes in 1695, as Rapide du Costeau des Cèdres. Over time, it was also known as Coteau-des-Cèdres, Portage-du-Coteau-des-Cèdres, or simply Les Cèdres.
Numerous explorers and military expeditions passed through Les Cèdres to portage around the rapids. The first settlers arrived in 1715. In 1845, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Joseph-de-Soulanges was created, named in honour of Joseph-Dominique-Emmanuel Le Moyne de Longueuil, Seigneur of Soulanges. This was followed by the creation of the Village Municipality of Soulange in 1852.
In 1967, the Village Municipality of Soulange was renamed to Les Cèdres. In 1985, Les Cèdres and Saint-Joseph-de-Soulanges were merged to form the current Municipality of Les Cèdres.
During the American Revolution, the Battle of the Cedars was fought in the vicinity of Les Cèdres. In 1959-1960, Swedish writer Stig Claesson lived in the village at a place called Point Charlie and later wrote a book about it called My friend Charlie.
The west end of Quebec Autoroute 30, a Montreal Island bypass route, runs through Les Cèdres, linking up with Autoroute 20. The Montréal/Les Cèdres Airport, a single-runway general aviation airport, is located north of Quebec Autoroute 20 in the Les Cèdres area. This makes Les Cèdres easily accessible for both local and international visitors.
