Town · MRC de Papineau
A village that grew out of a general store, surrounded by woods and lakes.
The village started as a store. In 1892 Louis Beaulieu dit Montpellier opened a post office and general store for settlers scattered between Ripon and Chénéville. Before that, the W.C. Edwards company already had a logging camp at Lac du Rat Musqué, and log drivers sent timber down through "lac à Schraire", now Lac Schryer. The municipality dates from 1920.
Montpellier covers almost 270 km², mostly forest, hills and water. Route 315 runs through the village, and rue Principale has a grocery, a garage, a motel and a snack bar. In winter, snowmobiles and ATVs ride straight in on the trails.
Cottagers have loved the area for fifty years, in good part because the Papineau-Labelle wildlife reserve is right there. For residents, the Lac Croche site is the town's year-round playground.
Outdoors
An ice-fishing morning to get kids hooked, run by Montpellier with Chénéville and Lac-Simon. Free permits for ages 6 to 17, a free hot-dog…
Sports
A day of horseback skill challenges, second edition in 2026. Riders can arrive the day before and camp on site, with stalls for rent.
Festival
Jousting, knight fights, a Viking camp, a forge, a craft market, a banquet and fire shows at dusk. The 2026 theme was Caravans & Street…
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IllustrationRestaurant
Family snack bar with poutine, burgers, hot chicken sandwiches, spaghetti, and breakfast on weekends.
IllustrationGrocery
Grocery, butcher counter, ready-to-eat meals, bakery and SAQ outlet under one roof. Reviewers keep bringing up the homemade pies.
IllustrationCampground
Seasonal and overnight sites with a lake view, fishing and a beach on site.
IllustrationIllustrationCampground
107 acres with a river, waterfall and beaches, 11 km of bike trails and 5 km of hiking. Two cabins, Le Rustique and Le Zen, rent year-round.
IllustrationLodging
Waterfront family cottage with a private sand beach and hot tub. Plenty of bass for anglers.
IllustrationLodging
Private estate above Lac Viceroy, rented for weddings and large groups, with lodging on site.
IllustrationLodging
Renovated motel in the village with a big lot for trailers and direct access to snowmobile and ATV trails.
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IllustrationGolf
A par-72 18-holer along Lac Simon. The 19th-hole restaurant has been redone, and the mixed nights draw a crowd.
IllustrationLake
A stone's throw from Lac Croche and known for its wind. Unlike Croche, it closes to fishing on December 20.
IllustrationLake
Linked to Lac Croche by trail. Unusual for the area, trout stays open here through the winter.
IllustrationLake
A stocked lake 14 km from Montpellier with a wood-heated shelter. Better yet, trout fishing stays open in winter here, December 20 to March 31.
IllustrationLibrary
One of the few libraries open Sunday mornings. Book drop for returns.
IllustrationAttraction
A small family outfit where you drive your own team. Night rides and overnight trips in the woods if you're up for it.
IllustrationService
Borrow outdoor gear for free instead of buying it. The Montpellier library is one of the lending points.
IllustrationService
Electrician who also installs Generac generators, handy when the power goes out at the cottage.
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IllustrationGarage
General repairs, tires, brakes, suspension and steering, part of the Tech-Net network. Reviews mention fair prices and travellers helped without an…
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IllustrationCommunity · Montpellier
Founded in 1943. Montpellier's Fermières weave, sew, knit and crochet, and get together every week for their 'Petits lundis' at their space on rue du Bosquet.
Mondays ('Petits lundis'), 4C rue du Bosquet
Seniors · Montpellier
Montpellier's FADOQ seniors' club (K061), for the 50-plus crowd.
Lake association · Montpellier
Keeps Lac Schryer residents informed and involved in protecting the water and shoreline, with water sampling and work against Eurasian watermilfoil. The board meets monthly.
Lake association · Montpellier
The Lac Vert association runs a busy little website with news on the environment, loons and biodiversity around the lake.
Health & support · Montpellier
Two Alliance alimentaire Papineau projects: a small-group garden behind the church since 2007 (March to October), and a monthly community kitchen at the community centre from September to May.
Kitchen: once a month, Sept. to May, community centre
Sports & recreation · Montpellier
Day-use outdoor site 14 km from the village via chemin de la Baie-de-l'Ours: 30 km of trails, fishing in a stocked lake, skiing and snowshoeing in winter and a big wood-heated pavilion. Local ATV riders make it their meeting spot year-round.
Sports & recreation · Mulgrave-et-Derry
Trail club maintaining about 155 km of trails, from Lac La Blanche to Thurso and from Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette toward Montpellier and Duhamel. Featured on the Mulgrave-et-Derry town website.
A log château, an 1898 Victorian full of artists, an old post office, teepees next to the wolves. Our rundown of the ways to spend the night out here.
Free ski trails behind the high school, 40 km groomed by volunteers for $15, hundreds of kilometres of snowmobile and ATV trail. Your winter guide, club by club.
Kayak sentinels on Lac Gagnon, water samples on Lac des Plages, an old guard on Viceroy since 1973. Who watches over our lakes, and how cottagers can pitch in.
Nearby: Lac-Simon · Chénéville · Ripon · Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix · Mulgrave-et-Derry
