Rosemère

Rosemère is a Canadian city in Quebec, located in the Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality (MRC) in the Laurentians region. Approximately 30 km northwest of downtown Montreal, it stretches along the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles for about 4.5 km. It is a bilingual French-English municipality.

The City of Rosemère holds an enviable position, particularly with regard to the development of its green spaces and the protection of its natural environment. Over the past 25 years, the city has received some fifty awards and distinctions in various Quebec and Canadian competitions for its initiatives in horticultural beautification, landscaping, and urban forestry. For the period 2015-2017, the city was awarded five "fleurons" (flowers) by the Corporation des fleurons du Québec, the highest distinction in this national horticultural classification program.

In 2008, Rosemère celebrated its 50th anniversary.

History

Rosemère is one of the few cities in Quebec to recognize French and English as official languages. Its population, predominantly Francophone, includes a substantial number of Anglophones, representing 15.8% of the population in 2001, a percentage higher than the regional (4%) and provincial (7%) averages. This percentage has decreased significantly over time, as it stood at 65% in the 1960s. This recognition of bilingualism is very evident throughout the city, where almost all road signs are bilingual. Furthermore, the city's socio-historical profile is clearly reflected in its street names, which are composed of French and English names in equal proportions.

Following an order from the Office québécois de la langue française (Quebec Office of the French Language), the town of Rosemère was required in the fall of 2005 to change its signs to prioritize French, in accordance with signage standards.

Geography

The Rivière des Mille Îles (Thousand Islands River) forms the southern boundary of the municipality. The Rivière aux Chiens (Dog River) forms the northwestern boundary and flows through the northern part of the municipality from west to east.