Notre-Dame-du-Nord is a charming municipality nestled in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is situated in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality, at the northern end of Lake Timiskaming, where the Ottawa River flows into the lake. This picturesque town is a must-visit for history buffs and adventure seekers alike.
The municipality is conveniently located along Route 101. Rue Ontario, a local street, extends westward from Route 101 to the Quebec-Ontario border, where it transforms into Ontario Highway 65. This highway traverses through the townships of Casey and Harris, leading to the city of Temiskaming Shores in Ontario.
Notre-Dame-du-Nord is renowned for hosting the annual truck drag race event, Rodéo du Camion (Truck Rodeo). Held over the August Civic Holiday each year, this event attracts over 650 trucks and 60,000 spectators, making it a significant highlight of the town.
Other local attractions include the Lake Timiskaming Fossil Centre, a museum and research institution dedicated to the fossils of the Témiscamingue region, and the adrenaline-pumping Heath Racing motocross track.
The area has been known by various names throughout history. It was initially referred to as Tête-du-Lac, meaning "Head-of-the-Lake," due to its position at the head of Lake Timiskaming. In 1858, it was named Pointe à Polson, after a First Nations family residing there. By 1862, it was known as Murray City, in honor of Thomas Murray of Pembroke, whose company was logging in the area. Towards the end of the 19th century, it was called North Temiscaming.
In 1895, the mission located on the north bank of the Rapids des Quinze became a parish under the name of Notre-Dame-du-Nord. The place was incorporated as the Township Municipality of Nedelec-Partie-Sud in 1919. However, it was partially destroyed in the Great Fire of 1922. In 1928, it was renamed after the parish. The Municipality of Notre-Dame-des-Quinze, which had developed concurrently on the other side of the rapids, was merged into Notre-Dame-du-Nord in 1951.
The linguistic diversity of Notre-Dame-du-Nord is quite fascinating. As of 2021, 14.2% of the population reported English as their first language, while a significant 80.9% identified French as their first language. A small percentage, 2.9%, reported both English and French as their first language, and 2.5% reported other languages as their first language.
