The new settlement, formed by families from Saint-Eustache, Portneuf, Bellechasse and the Mauricie, was therefore first called Abana.

In 1945, the place was incorporated, taking the name of the mining corporation whose name in turn is a portmanteau for "northern" and "metal".

In 1956, the mine had a peak production of 900 tons of ore per day and employed over 600 persons.

In 2005, work began on rehabilitation of the mine site by removing the tailings and planting vegetation.

[4][5] The town of Normétal is the setting of an award-winning movie, The Legacy from filmmaker Bernard Émond (2009), in which a family medicine physician from Montreal takes over the practice of an aging physician in need of respite.