Val-des-Bois, Quebec, is a charming town and municipality nestled in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Situated on the eastern shores of the Du Lièvre River, Val-des-Bois is a mere 47 kilometers (29 mi) north of Buckingham. The town's economy thrives on cottage tourism, with the eastern half of the municipality forming part of the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve.
Val-des-Bois, Quebec, is a part of the Laurentian Highlands, a region known for its picturesque lakes. The town's territory is dotted with lakes such as Écho, de l'Argile, de l'Aqueduc, Vert, and Delphis. Echo Lake, located at an altitude of 243 meters (797 ft), is surrounded by relief that rises to 472 meters (1,549 ft) above sea level.
The history of Val-des-Bois, Quebec, dates back to 1873 when the Township of Villeneuve was formed. Named after Léonard-Vincent-Léon Villeneuve, a member of the Society of Saint-Sulpice and a professor at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal, the township saw the establishment of the local post office in 1878, named "Val-des-Bois". In 1883, the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde was formed, and two years later, the United Township Municipality of Bowman-et-Villeneuve was established.
In 1913, the townships separated, forming the Township Municipality of Bowman and the Township Municipality of Villeneuve. The year 1929 saw James Maclaren begin construction on a dam at the High Falls of the Lièvre River, displacing 156 families due to the rising waters. The majority of these families were German settlers who received compensation from the MacLaren Co. based on their acreage.
In 1958, Villeneuve was renamed to Val-des-Bois, a French term translating to "Valley of the Woods", in reference to the beautiful forest adorning the banks of the Lièvre River. The town experienced a significant event on 23 June 2010 when a 5.0 earthquake struck the region, with its epicentre 8 km from Val-des-Bois, making it the closest settlement.
The linguistic diversity of Val-des-Bois, Quebec, is evident in the mother tongue of its residents. While French is the first language for 91.9% of the population, English is the first language for 5.8%. A small percentage of the population, 1.2%, speaks both English and French as their first language, and 0.6% speak other languages.
