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'Hudson', Quebec, Canada, is a town with a population of 4796 (2001 Census), and an area of approx. 7 km² on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in the county of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Situated about 60 kilometres west of downtown Montreal, many residents commute to work "downtown" or onto the island of Montreal by car or train. As of February 5, 2007, a trial shuttle bus service was launched to move people about within the immediate area, to the campus of John Abbott College CEGEP, or to the Ste-Anne's train station^[1].
Hudson is a municipality within the Montreal Metropolitan Community. Although a rural agglomeration since the early part of the 19th Century, the Town of Hudson was founded in July 1969 by merging the villages of Hudson, Hudson Heights and Como. Unlike the surrounding mainly French-speaking municipalities, Hudson has a majority English-speaking population (65% according to 2001 Census). A relatively wealthy town, Hudson is known for its large, turn-of-the century houses, many of which border the Lake of Two Mountains. Surprisingly, Hudson has only recently instituted any architectural by-laws, in stark contrast to many other quaint and historical towns in Canada and the US. A ferry from Hudson takes cars across the lake to the village of Oka.
Hudson has been dubbed "the leafy Anglo-enclave" (one of a few in Quebec) but in reality local residents pride the town for its active bilingualism and genuine warmth between English and French citizens. Hudsonites are also known for their strong community ties and views, reflected in the controversy surrounding the 2003 name change of "Hudson High School" by the area school board and the 2001 victory in Canada's Supreme Court of by-law 207, which bans pesticide use on public and private property for cosmetic (purely aesthetic) purposes.
Although much larger in population, Hudson is culturally and demographically similar to Eastern Townships villages North Hatley, Quebec and Brome Lake (Lac-Brome) as well as nearby Senneville. All four municipalities border a body of water (used extensively for recreation year-round) and include a harmonious blend of French and English residents (which can be rare in largely polarized Quebec).
The Town is largely upper-middle class and composed of professionals, artists and artisans, corporate executives, and a wide variety of successful entrepreneurs. It has a certain cachet in the Montreal region, reflected in its relatively high property values.
The Town has three schools, of which two are Anglophone and one Francophone, as well as four churches: one Catholic, two Anglican and one United.
There are some 140 businesses in town, 50% of which are of an arts and crafts nature.
Other attractions of Hudson include:

★ The Village Theatre (located in the historical train station)

★ Finnegan's antique market

★ The Auberge Willow Place Inn restaurant

★ Greenwood Centre for Living History

★ St. James', St. Mary's, Wyman Memorial United and St. Thomas Aquinas churches

★ Chateau du Lac (bar in a historic building)
Notable annual events in Hudson include the Hudson Street Fair, the Hudson Yacht Club Labour Day Regatta, the FruitBowl Regatta (North America's most well-attended youth sailing event), Canada Day festivities, Shiver Fest (a winter carnival) and the Santa Claus Parade. The town was also put under the spotlight in a recent taping of the reality television series, Road Hockey Rumble. Residents of the town were selected to play a game of road hockey.
A fixture in Hudson, the Hudson Yacht Club (HYC) is a boating and social club founded in 1909 on the shores of Lake of Two Mountains (Lac des Deux Montagnes). Boasting several hundred members and boats, it has expansive grounds, decades-old trees, multiple sailing programs, and hosts the popular FruitBowl. Now drawing participants from across Canada and into the United States, FruitBowl was established in 1996 for the purposes of attracting young sailors and high quality coaches to Hudson, as a showcase event for youth regattas in Canada. The grounds and shoreline of the Hudson Yacht Club comprise arguably some of the best real estate in Hudson; a testament to the collective vision of the Club's founders. Each Labour Day weekend the HYC opens its property and facilities to hundreds of Montreal-area sailors and revelers for its annual Mount Gay Regatta.

Contents

Municipal Government

External links

References

Municipal Government

The Quebec ''Cities and Towns Act'' requires all towns the size of Hudson to have a municipal council of six councillors and one mayor, elected by the local population every four years. The mayor is elected by all Hudson residents, while the town is divided into six wards to elect the councillors. Given the small size of the town, council seats are often won by acclamation. The current mayor is Elizabeth Corker (since 2004). Council meets once per month in the Stephen Shaar Community Centre, named after the previous mayor. Municipal administrators work in the Town Hall. Town council is responsible for things such as water supply, local road maintenance, zoning, construction permits, and administration of parks. Some responsibilities, such as regional planning, is shared with the county. Council receives its revenues through property taxes, which it establishes. The town maintains its own volunteer fire department and a local patrol to enforce municipal by-laws.

External links

★ Town of Hudson official site

★ Hudson Village Information

★ new Hudson Community and Business Portal

★ Contact Hudsonites

★ A Young Teen's Life and Impressions of Hudson

★ Quebec ''Cities and Towns Act''

★ The Hudson Historical Society

★ Greenwood Centre for Living History

★ Hudson Yacht Club

★ Annual Hudson Street Fair

References

1. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/westisland/story.html?id=7835c647-c808-4c30-85d5-81d9c7d79549

	'North:' Ottawa River
'West:' Rigaud	'Hudson'	'East:' Vaudreuil-Dorion
	'South:' Saint-Lazare

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