Oka, Quebec

Oka
—  Municipality  —
Municipalité d'Oka
Oka village and Lake of Two Mountains as seen from Mount Oka
Oka
Coordinates: 45°28′N 74°05′W / 45.467°N 74.083°W / 45.467; -74.083Coordinates: 45°28′N 74°05′W / 45.467°N 74.083°W / 45.467; -74.083
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Laurentides
Regional county	Deux-Montagnes
Settled	1721
Established	September 8, 1999
Government[1]
– Type	Municipality
– Mayor	Richard Lalonde
– Federal riding	Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel
– Prov. riding	Mirabel
Area[1][2]
– Total	67.21 km2 (25.9 sq mi)
– Land	57.29 km2 (22.1 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
– Total	3,300
– Density	57.6/km2 (149.2/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	J0N
Area code(s)	450
Website	www.municipalite.oka.qc.ca

Oka waterfront

Oka is a Canadian village on the northern bank of the Ottawa River (Rivière des Outaouais in French), northwest of Montreal, Quebec. Located in the Lower Laurentians near the Lake of Two Mountains, the main thoroughfare through town is Quebec Route 344. It was originally settled by Europeans in 1721 by the Sulpician Order branch of the Roman Catholic Church.

History

The area was inhabited for thousands of years by cultures of First Nations peoples. At the time of European contact, when Montreal was founded, the Mohawk Nation, an Iroquoian-speaking people based in upstate New York, used this territory as a hunting ground.

The Sulpician Order established a Roman Catholic mission and trading post at what became the adjacent Kanesatake. The Mohawk made this a new base and were granted a nine-mile square portion of land by the French king in 1716. The Sulpician Order was granted a narrow strip next to theirs. Unhappy with that, they arranged a change to the grant without informing the Mohawk.

A niobium mine (also known as columbium) was operated just off the Ste-Sophie road not far from the Trappist monastery.

Oka Crisis

Main article: Oka Crisis

In 1990, the small community gained international attention in what became known as the Oka Crisis. During a 78-day confrontation, the Quebec Police Force (and later national army units) were opposed to members of the Mohawk nation of the adjacent community of Kanesatake, who had barricaded the dirt road to the land. Numerous members of the Mohawk nation, First Nations and Native American tribes came to Kanesatake from other areas to show support. In addition, for several weeks, Mohawk at Kahnawake blockaded the approach to the Mercier Bridge, which ran through their land.

The Mohawk were protesting the city of Oka's decision to develop a pine grove and cemetery for another nine holes of a private golf course and new luxury housing. The Mohawk considered this land sacred, as they had traditionally used it. Standing tombstones marked their ancestors' graves. Several years before they had lost a land claim court case in which they tried to retrieve this historic land, taken by deception by the French Sulpician Order in the 18th century and later sold.

Attractions

In the summertime, the community's long stretch of beachfront along the Ottawa River and the Lake of Two Mountains and marina draw people from Montreal and neighboring cities to the area. Another attraction is the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac, famous for its Oka cheese produced by Trappists monks living at the monastery.

A small ferry service operates between Oka and the town of Hudson across the Ottawa River; this is replaced by a tolled ice bridge during the winter months.^[3] There is also connection with the AMT Deux-Montagnes Train to and from Montreal's Central Station and Deux-Montagnes Station by the OKA Express mini-bus [1].

Demographics

Population:^[4]

• Population in 2006: 3300 (2001 to 2006 population change: 3.3 %)
• Population in 2001: 3194
• Population in 1996:
  • Oka (municipality): 1514
  • Oka (parish): 1498
• Population in 1991:
  • Oka (municipality): 1658
  • Oka (parish): 1656

Total private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 1311 (total: 1367)

Mother tongue:

• French as first language: 92.3 %
• English as first language: 4 %
• English and French as first language: 1.2 %
• Other as first language: 2.5 %

Climate

Climate data for Oka
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	13 (55)	14 (57)	25.6 (78.1)	30 (86)	32.8 (91.0)	35 (95)	36.1 (97.0)	35.6 (96.1)	32.5 (90.5)	27.8 (82.0)	23.9 (75.0)	16.5 (61.7)	36.1 (97.0)
Average high °C (°F)	−6.4 (20.5)	−4.2 (24.4)	1.6 (34.9)	10.3 (50.5)	18.8 (65.8)	23.4 (74.1)	25.9 (78.6)	24.4 (75.9)	19.2 (66.6)	12.2 (54.0)	4.4 (39.9)	−2.9 (26.8)	10.6
Daily mean °C (°F)	−11.3 (11.7)	−9.4 (15.1)	−3.3 (26.1)	5.1 (41.2)	12.7 (54.9)	17.5 (63.5)	20 (68)	18.7 (65.7)	13.7 (56.7)	7.3 (45.1)	0.7 (33.3)	−7.2 (19.0)	5.4
Average low °C (°F)	−16.2 (2.8)	−14.6 (5.7)	−8.1 (17.4)	−0.2 (31.6)	6.6 (43.9)	11.6 (52.9)	14.1 (57.4)	12.9 (55.2)	8.1 (46.6)	2.4 (36.3)	−3.1 (26.4)	−11.5 (11.3)	0.2
Record low °C (°F)	−38.3 (−36.9)	−38.3 (−36.9)	−30 (−22)	−16.1 (3.0)	−6.1 (21.0)	−2 (28)	2.2 (36.0)	−0.6 (30.9)	−5 (23)	−10 (14)	−24 (−11)	−34.4 (−29.9)	−38.3 (−36.9)
Precipitation mm (inches)	91.2 (3.591)	70 (2.76)	79.2 (3.118)	84.8 (3.339)	86.9 (3.421)	99 (3.9)	106.4 (4.189)	103.1 (4.059)	96.5 (3.799)	90 (3.54)	97.3 (3.831)	86 (3.39)	1,090.3 (42.925)
Source: Environment Canada[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ministère des Affaires Municipales, Régions et Occupation du territoire - Répertoire des municipalités: Oka
2. ^ ^{a b} "Oka community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=2472032&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=oka&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2010-11-22. 
3. ^ "Hudson-Oka ice bridge opens". The Gazette. 2009-01-22. http://www.westislandgazette.com/news/5640. Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
4. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
5. ^ Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 14 July 2010