Municipality of Cayamant

Discover Cayamant’s hidden treasures!

Established

1906

Population

863

Area

389,07 km²

Welcome to Cayamant

Cayamant’s history dates back to the 1880s, when the forestry industry began operating in the Dépôt-de-l’Aigle area.

This logging site was accessible via the Picanoc River. Among the forestry workers who travelled this route, several eventually settled with their families along the shores of Cayamant Lake.

The name “Cayamant” is believed to be of Algonquin origin. It may be derived from the words Kakgama, Kandikagamaw or Kandikagama, meaning “porcupine lake,” or from the word kantuagama, meaning “lake with a bay at the end.”

Before long, the growing community was served by its first post office, located in a house built by Louis Lachapelle before 1883, as recounted by Louis-André Hubert in his book Une rivière qui vient du nord… Histoire de Maniwaki et du pays de la Gatineau.

The first post office opened in 1902 under the name Lake Cayamont.

Forty years later, in 1942, the Caisse populaire de Lac-Cayamont opened in the village.

The spelling “Cayamant” first appeared in 1943, when the name of the post office was changed.

The municipality itself was officially established on October 10, 1906. At the time, it was part of Pontiac County and was known as the Municipality of Dorion Township. The name was chosen in honour of Antoine-Aimé Dorion (1818–1891), a longtime Liberal Member of Parliament and minister. The municipality officially adopted the name Cayamant in 1988.