Nestled in the Laurentian Mountains region of Quebec, Canada, Morin-Heights is a charming town that offers a rich blend of history, culture, and outdoor activities. Located west of Saint-Sauveur and north of Lachute, this town is part of the Regional County Municipality of Les Pays-d'en-Haut.
Morin-Heights is primarily a tourist town, boasting a large ski hill, Ski Morin Heights, which is a popular destination during the winter months. The town is also home to a recreational trailway, the Aerobic Corridor, which is used year-round.
A dense network of hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking trails surround Morin-Heights, making it the closest multi-recreational outdoor hub to Montreal. The old train station on Lac Écho road serves as the starting point for most recreational activities, year-round. The Rivière à Simon offers enjoyable canoeing and kayaking experiences, extending all the way down to Christieville and beyond.
Morin-Heights was once home to a renowned recording studio, Le Studio, which was used by numerous Canadian and international artists, including The Tragically Hip, Rush, Nazareth, Pilot, April Wine, Asia, Rainbow, Barenaked Ladies, Sting, The Police, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Bee Gees, Cat Stevens, and Lawrence Gowan, as well as Quebec artists Jean-Pierre Ferland, Richard Séguin, Lucien Francœur and Garolou.
In 1994, another significant music recording facility, Studio Nomade, was built in Morin-Heights. The town also hosts a theatre company featuring mostly English-language plays, as well as a choir.
The first European settlers arrived from Ireland around 1850, followed by French Canadians from Lachute, Saint-Jérôme, and Saint-Eustache. In 1852, the Morin Township was formed, named after its founder and 19th-century politician Augustin-Norbert Morin.
The town gained notoriety in 1994 when members of the Order of the Solar Temple took part in a mass suicide, after setting fire to the ski chalet they occupied in the community. On March 12, 2008, a roof collapse in the Gourmet du Village bakery warehouse killed three women, suspected to be caused by an excessive accumulation of snow.
Morin-Heights is home to 2211 residents, with a total of 2762 dwellings. The home language is predominantly French (74.8%), followed by English (17%), and other languages (4.5%).
