IllustrationTown · MRC de Papineau
Mulgrave-et-Derry
130-plus lakes, and twice the people on a summer weekend.
- Population
- 519 (2026)
- Area
- 317.85 km²
- Founded
- 1870
- Town hall
- 565, avenue de Buckingham, Gatineau (Québec) J8L 2H2 · 819 986-9519
Mulgrave-et-Derry is really two areas in one: Mulgrave to the east, reached by Route 315, and Derry to the west, by Route 309. Together they cover nearly 318 km², the second-largest territory in the MRC, all hills, forest and more than 130 lakes. About 500 people live here year-round, and cottagers double that on weekends.
It was founded in 1870, mostly by German and Irish immigrants, and plenty of families still descend from them. The heritage shows it: St. Matthew Lutheran church and rectory, the Ave Maria chapel, and the former Our Lady of Light church, now a cultural centre. The motto, "Ad harmoniam cum natura", says the rest.
One thing that confuses newcomers: the municipal office isn't in the municipality. It's in Gatineau, on avenue de Buckingham.
Good to know
- Municipal office: 565, avenue de Buckingham, Gatineau (Buckingham sector).
- Mulgrave sector via Route 315, Derry sector via Route 309.
- 130+ lakes, including Lac La Blanche on the Mayo line.
- About 155 km of snowmobile trail groomed by the Club Les Voyageurs des Collines et Ravins.
- Historical society exhibit in the St. Matthew rectory, by appointment.
- Part of the protected Forêt-la-Blanche old-growth forest.
Places in Mulgrave-et-Derry
Farms, sugar shacks & drinks 1
IllustrationWhere to stay 1
IllustrationCampground
LaLièvre Nature, camping du lac La Blanche
22 rustic, no-hookup sites in private forest with water access for canoeing and fishing. Bring everything.
Outdoors 1
IllustrationSnowmobile club
Hill and Gully Riders
155 km of trail and a clubhouse north of Lac La Blanche, open weekends, where you can gas up and warm up before heading back out.
Lakes, beaches & marinas 7
Illustration
IllustrationIllustrationLake
Lac La Blanche
The best known of Mulgrave-et-Derry's 130-odd lakes. Its east shore belongs to the protected old-growth forest.
IllustrationIllustrationIllustrationCulture & heritage 2
IllustrationLibrary
Bibliothèque de Mulgrave-et-Derry
A young library, opened in 2020 on chemin de la Mine. Closed on statutory holidays.
IllustrationMuseum
Mulgrave & Derry Historical Society exhibit
In the St. Matthew Lutheran parsonage, the historical society shows photos and keepsakes from the German and Irish families who opened up the…
Services 1
IllustrationService
Municipalité de Mulgrave-et-Derry
Mulgrave-et-Derry's office isn't on its own territory. It's in Buckingham, on avenue de Buckingham. The municipal site also lists 565, unit 3, so…
Groups & organizations
Community · Mulgrave-et-Derry
Mulgrave & Derry Historical Society
The local history society, based by St. Matthew Lutheran Church at 643 chemin d'Inlet. Visits by appointment only.
Sports & recreation · Mulgrave-et-Derry
Les Voyageurs des Collines et Ravins club
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.
Community · Mulgrave-et-Derry
Mulgrave & Derry Historical Society
Founded in 2000 after the township's millennium celebration, it keeps the memory of the area's German and Irish families. Its exhibit is in the St. Matthew Lutheran parsonage. Membership is $5.
Exhibit by reservation, June to September
Magazine
Winter in La Petite-Nation, from cross-country skis to snowmobiles
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.
Moving to La Petite-Nation, the guide we wish we'd had
No hospital in the MRC, no buses, cell service that drops in the woods. But a CLSC with an ER, a welcome passport and 25 town halls that actually pick up the phone.
Churches, presbyteries and old villages, La Petite-Nation's heritage
A replica Irish shrine in Mayo, Scottish churches in Lochaber, a century-old Casavant organ in Montebello and presbyteries turned into cafés. La Petite-Nation, steeple by steeple.
Nearby: Mayo · Saint-Sixte · Montpellier · Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette · Ripon