Oka, Quebec

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Situation with respect to Montreal, to the East
Situation with respect to Montreal, to the East

Oka, Quebec is a village on the northern bank of the Ottawa River ("Rivière des Outaouais" in French), northwest of Laval on Route 344. It was founded in 1721 by the Roman Catholic Sulpician Order.

In the summertime, the community's long stretch of beachfront along the Ottawa River and the Lake of Two Mountains and marina draws people from the urban cities around Montreal to the area, as does the Abbey of Notre-Dame du Lac, famous for its Oka cheese produced by the Trappists monks living at the monastery. A small ferry service operates between Oka and the town of Hudson at the opposite side of the lake (Ottawa River). There is also connection with the AMT Deux-Montagnes Train to and from Montreal's Central Station and Deux-Montagnes Station by the OKA Express mini-bus [1].

In 1990, the small community gained international attention in what became known as the Oka Crisis following a confrontation between the Quebec Police Force and some members of the Mohawk nation in the adjacent community of Kanesatake.

There used to be a Niobium mine (also known as Columbium) just of the Ste-Sophie road not far from the monastery.

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Coordinates: 45°28′N 74°05′W / 45.467, -74.083 (Oka, Quebec)