MUNICIPALITY

History

"Moonbeam, where the moon beams blend in with northern lights"

The History of Moonbeam

The transcontinental railway was finished in 1912, starting in Eastern Canada and passing through Moonbeam all the way towards the West. Pioneers from Montreal, Ste-Agathe and St-Jovite were looking for new land to call home where they could settle and start their own family. They were looking for resources to exploit such as rich soil for farming or mining.

The Origin of the Name Moonbeam

The small town got its name from old-time resident pioneers who often saw flashing lights which they called "moonbeams" falling from the sky near creeks and lakes. A stream flowing on the west side of Strickland bears the name of Moonbeam Creek, which flows into Moonbeam's Rémi Lake. Northern lights also often accompanied these moon rays. However, there are no official documents that prove the origin of the name Moonbeam.

Moonbeam also means "a ray or beam from the moon". After travelling many miles through the dark forest by train, early travelers were struck by the brilliance of the moon on the snow from the natural clearing as they approached Moonbeam. Moonbeam is a unique name in Canada and we are very proud of our name.

The Origin of Rémi Lake

Rémi Lake was named after an employee working for the Great Trunk Pacific Railway who drowned there in 1905. Passersby retained that name to indicate the big, beautiful and peaceful lake teeming with fish north of Moonbeam.

Firsts for Moonbeam

The first family to establish in Moonbeam was Théodule and Valentine Léonard in 1909
The first baby born in Moonbeam was Marie Régina Lecuyer in 1914.
Moonbeam's first priest was Ovila François Paquette O.M.I. who arrived in 1916.
The first school opened its doors in September 1919.
The first church to be built in Moonbeam was in 1919-1920, called Nativité de Moonbeam.
The first cottage on Remi Lake was built in 1920 by Henry Douglas Buell, a vacationer from Rochester, New York who loved the north woods.
The first Reeve of Moonbeam was Joseph Girouard in 1922.
The first St-Jean Parade was in 1922.
The District of Fauquier was incorporated on January 9th, 1922.
The first doctor in the region was Doctor Nicole in Fauquier in 1924.
The first airplane in Moonbeam was an HS21, piloted by C.A. Schiller in 1925.
The first butter factory was opened in 1927. It cost $3,689.60 to build and $5,954.00 for all the machinery.
The first doctor to open an office in Moonbeam was Doctor Soucie in 1934.
1930-1940, the speed limit was raised to 15 miles per hour.
The chapel at Rémi Lake celebrated its first mass in 1960.
The sewage system in the village was installed on November 1st, 1965.

Héritage Moonbeam - Jean Lagacé