Val-des-Monts, Quebec, is a picturesque municipality nestled in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Ottawa, Ontario, this charming community is home to 13,328 residents as of 2021. Established in 1975 through the merger of the towns of Perkins, Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield, and Poltimore, Val-des-Monts is a blend of farms and mountainous forests. Many of its residents commute to Ottawa or Gatineau for work, while its numerous lakes attract summer cottagers, boosting the population during the warmer months.
The name Val-des-Monts is derived from the French words 'Val' meaning "small valley" and 'Monts' meaning "mounts". This name is a nod to the municipality's landscape, which is characterized by several valleys and mountains.
Val-des-Monts is situated approximately 10 km north of Gatineau and 220 km west of Montreal. It is part of Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality within the Outaouais region and the National Capital Region, which includes Ottawa and Gatineau, along with some adjacent municipalities. The territory of Val-des-Monts is composed mainly of lakes, farming lands, and forests, with McGregor, Grand, l'Écluse, and Newcombe being the largest lakes. The municipality shares its borders with the municipalities of Denholm and Bowman to the north, Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette and L'Ange-Gardien to the east, La Pêche to the west, and Cantley and Gatineau to the south. The two main highways crossing Val-des-Monts are provincial highways 307 and 366, with the municipal road network spanning more than 270 km of roads.
The first settlers of Val-des-Monts arrived during the 19th century. The region experienced an economic boom from 1878 due to the discovery of phosphate. However, by 1892, phosphate production began to decline while mica production started to develop. The Blackburn brothers' mine, located northeast of Perkins, was recognized as the largest mica mine in Canada. By the end of the 1910s, mica production was falling, and after exploiting the mining and forestry resources, the inhabitants started to leave the region. The municipality of Val-des-Monts was created in 1975 by merging the municipalities of Perkins, Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield, and Poltimore. Today, the allure of living around the lakes draws a large part of the population. On June 23, 2010, at 1:41 p.m. ET, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit Val-des-Monts, felt as far away as Montreal, Boston, and Cleveland.
According to the 2021 Canadian Census by Statistics Canada, 62% of Val-des-Monts' population speak both official languages of Canada, while 32% speak only French and 6% speak only English. At home, 84% speak only French, 13% only English, and 2% both English and French. Among the population who worked, 68.9% use French most often at work, 24.5% English, and 6.5% both English and French.
Val-des-Monts is part of the Outaouais touristic region. The main touristic attractions are outdoor activities, campgrounds, and snowmobile trails. The municipality is also known for fishing, boasting 125 lakes suitable for the sport. Since 2011, Val-des-Monts has hosted an annual country music festival, adding to its appeal as a tourist destination.
