A Pivotal Point

From early settlement and quaint village to prosperous town and city, Pointe Claire is rich in Canadian history

Jeannie Walbridge Blevins

Pointe-Claire, Que., has been my beloved hometown for 70 years to date. Now part of the Greater Montreal region, the city of about 31,000 was settled in the late 1600s during the French regime. In 1710, a stone windmill was built on a point of land on the southwestern part of Montreal island, on the shore of Lac St. Louis. The windmill was primarily used to grind corn into meal, and occasionally for protection from hostile warriors from across the river. The Parish of Pointe-Claire was established in 1713; the area consisted of French seigniories —farms sectioned in strips stretching inland from the water. Early transportation was by boat, or by horse and wagon once the Bord du Lac/Lakeshore Road was built during the 1700s.

In 1759, British General Wolfe won the battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, thus winning the area for Britain. The existing French settlers were allowed to keep their farms, language, and civil/religious governance.