Known as the "Capital of the Haute-Laurentides", the motto of the town is Laurus elationis praemium, which translates to "Lift the laurels of reward".

The European settlers came from Sainte-Adèle in 1866, and the place was originally called Rapide-de-l'Orignal (English: Moose Rapids) in 1885, by Solime Alix.

[5] The name referred to, according to a legend, a panicked moose that made a huge leap at a waterfall on the Lièvre River.

[1][6] Just before the founding of the village municipality, the railway from Montreal through the Laurentides reached Mont-Laurier, with the first train arriving on September 15, 1909.

As the terminus of the railway, it served as transit point for passengers and a center for receiving and shipping goods, handling between 100 and 125 freight cars every week.

It is surrounded by numerous lakes and mixed forests that support hunting, fishing and leisure, and the mainstay logging industry.

Route 309 follows the Lievre and leads to Gatineau, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario, 216 kilometres (134 mi) to the south.

It is strongly influenced by its inland position, with significant differences between the warm summers and the very cold winters.