This virtual exhibition will introduce you to the main ethnic communities among the forty present in Rawdon, this municipality of 12,000 inhabitants located at the base of the Laurentians north of Montréal. At the beginning of the 20th century, nationals mostly from Eastern Europe came to join the Irish and the French Canadians who had settled in Rawdon a century earlier. By sharing their cultures, these communities created a unique multicultural environment in Canada. Discover the reasons why these populations chose Rawdon, the measures taken to preserve this rich heritage and the benefits of this legacy for the people.

Subject

The residents of the municipality of Rawdon are proud of the forty or so ethnic communities who live here. This website project presents these communities who marked the history of Rawdon, indicating the reasons that led them to settle in Rawdon and describing a few of the customs and traditions of their countries of origin. By bringing and sharing their significant cultural backgrounds, these communities created a unique multicultural environment, which this site will present by depicting their various contributions to the community, artistic, economic, social and sports life of Rawdon. Through images and stories, this project will demonstrate that this multicultural environment constitutes a rich heritage. In keeping with Rawdon’s motto, “Strength through diversity,” this project will show that, notwithstanding the differences, it is possible not only to live in harmony but also to benefit from this exposure to various cultures. The values of respect, community support and openness to the world transmitted to recent generations serve to promote Rawdon beyond our borders. It will be up to future generations to preserve their values, authenticity and humanity. 

Hôtel de ville de Rawdon avec 11 drapeaux en 2013

Municipality of Rawdon town hall with flags of some of its different communities

Themes

The history of this exceptional Quebec municipality will take you on a voyage that will bring you to the four corners of the world. In fact, Rawdon is home to nationals from more than forty ethnicities. We aim to have you discover this multicultural heritage through 15 pages under three main themes.