Country Canada Constituted July 1, 2000 Postal code(s) J5W Area 100.8 km² Population 20,065 (2011) Number of airports 1 | Settled 1670s Time zone EST (UTC−5) Area code(s) 450 and 579 Local time Sunday 9:19 PM Province Québec | |
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Weather -4°C, Wind SW at 2 km/h, 70% Humidity RCMs Lanaudière, L'Assomption Regional County Municipality | ||
L'Assomption is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption. It is located on the outer fringes of the Montreal urban area.
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Map of L'Assomption, QC, Canada
Most of the economy depends on the agricultural industries of the surrounding plains. It is also the cultural centre of the region.
History
In 1647, the L'Assomption Seignory was granted to Pierre Legardeur de Repentigny, named after the river already named such since the seventeenth century. Between 1640 and 1700, a settlement formed inside a large horseshoe-shaped meander of the L'Assomption River. Amerindians had already been visiting this site since ancient times and called it Outaragasipi meaning widening river, in reference to the river's course. They would drag their canoes across the peninsula as a short-cut for the meander, and therefore the settlement was first called Le Portage.
In 1717, the parish was formed, known thereafter as Saint-Pierre-du-Portage-de-l'Assomption and also as Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul-du-Portage. In 1766, the village saw an influx of Acadian settlers. Between 1774 and 1888, L'Assomption was the most prosperous and important town between Montreal and Trois-Rivieres.
In 1845, the L'Assomption Municipality was established, abolished in 1847, but reestablished as a parish municipality in 1855. In 1846, the village itself became a separate Village Municipality and obtained town status in 1888.
In 1992, the town and parish municipality were merged again, and on July 1, 2000, the neighbouring Parish Municipality of Saint-Gérard-Majella was amalgamated with Ville de L'Assomption.
In December 2010, the 1,300-worker Electrolux factory announced that it would close, relocating to Memphis, Tennessee.