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Saint-Lambert, Quebec, population 21,861 (2016 census), 21,555 (2011 census). Saint-Lambert was settled beginning in the 17th century. It was first incorporated as a city in 1921 and reincorporated in 2006. Saint-Lambert was amalgamated into the city of Longueuil from 2002 until 2006 when it regained its municipal status. It is located along the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River across from Montreal, and is connected to that city by the Victoria bridge (completed 1859).
Saint-Lambert is situated on the ancestral lands of the Kanyen’kehà:ka. The land remains unceded and is considered Indigenous territory.
Settlement and Development
In 1636, a large concession was given to François de Lauzon by the Compagnie des Cent-Associés. La Citière, as it was known, stretched along the St. Lawrence River and included the areas of La Prairie de Magdelaine and La Prairie de Saint-Lambert. The area was most likely named after Raphaël-Lambert Closse, a clerk of the court and a major in the garrison of Ville-Marie. The area of present-day Saint-Lambert was initially referred to as Mouille-Pied, meaning "wet feet" since the hunters of the area often encountered swampy lands and frequently returned with wet feet. In 1647, Lauzon donated some of his land, including Mouille-Pied, to the Jesuit Fathers. In 1688, colonists erected Fort Saint-Lambert against Haudenosaunee attacks.
In the 19th century, the area continued to develop as new infrastructures were built. The arrival of the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Railroad in 1852 brought in an influx of settlers. Two years later, Victoria Bridge was under construction, thus eventually linking Saint-Lambert to Montreal. The opening up of the area led to this primarily farming community's incorporation as a municipality in 1857. It then became a village in 1892, a town in 1898, and a city in 1921. The city was dissolved in 2002 but reconstituted in 2006 after a brief amalgamation period with Longueuil. The town of Préville was annexed in 1969.
Cityscape
Saint-Lambert is primarily a residential suburb with most people commuting to Montreal to work. It is also the gateway to the Saint Lawrence Seaway, where the Saint-Lambert lock attracts many tourists. Along Riverside Drive there are many historic houses, including Maison Marsil (1749), which is now a textile and clothing museum, Musée Marsil.
