Pierrefonds, Quebec, a former city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, is a place where history and modernity coexist. Nestled along the Rivière des Prairies on the northwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Pierrefonds is part of what locals fondly call the West Island. Since its merger with Montreal on January 1, 2002, it has become an integral part of the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
The history of Pierrefonds dates back to the eighteenth century, closely tied to that of Sainte-Geneviève, which at the time comprised Pierrefonds, L'Île-Bizard, Sainte-Geneviève, Roxboro, and Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
In 1904, the Town of Sainte-Geneviève was divided into two new villages: Sainte-Geneviève and Sainte-Geneviève de Pierrefonds, marking the first appearance of the name Pierrefonds. The name was inspired by the "seigniorial" residence of local notary and Legislative Assembly member Joseph-Adolphe Chauret, who named his home "Château Pierrefonds" after the community of Pierrefonds in France’s Department of Oise.
In 1935, the two villages merged back into a single village called Sainte-Geneviève, causing the name Pierrefonds to disappear. However, it resurfaced on December 18, 1958, when the rest of the territory of the old parish became the City of Pierrefonds.
On January 1, 2002, as part of a province-wide municipal reorganization, Pierrefonds joined with Senneville to form a borough of the city of Montreal named Pierrefonds-Senneville. In the demerger referendums of 2004, Senneville separated from Montreal, but Pierrefonds remained. On January 1, 2006, Pierrefonds merged with the former city of Roxboro to form the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
The name Pierrefonds can be traced back to the residence of Joseph-Adolphe Chauret, a notary who played a significant role in the 1904 split. Chauret, known for his flamboyant lifestyle, built a turreted, gabled residence in 1902, inspired by an engraving of the feudal Castle of Pierrefonds in Oise, France. He named his home "Château de Pierrefonds," which later became the name of the city. In 1987, Chauret's property was converted into a residence for the elderly, retaining the name "Château Pierrefonds".
As per the pre-amalgamation demographics from the Canada 2001 Census, Pierrefonds had a total population of 54,310, with a visible minority population of 13,995. The gender distribution was almost equal, with 27,285 males and 25,020 females. The land area of Pierrefonds was 24.90 km2 (9.61 sq mi), with a population density of 2,207.2/km2 (5,717/sq mi). These were the last census figures before Pierrefonds was annexed by Montreal.
