By an edict of the King of France, the Civil Parish of St-Joachim de Pointe-Claire was established on March 3^rd 1722, said parish came under the control of the Clergy on July 1^st  1845 and, on July 1^st 1855, became the municipality of the Parish. The Town of Kirkland was incorporated on March 24^th 1961 and named after the Honorable Dr. Charles-Aimé Kirkland, local member of the National Assembly from 1939 until his death in 1961. 

In 1961, the character of our Town changed rapidly, the main reason being the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway. Although it bisects our Town, it allowed us to have an industrial park on both sides of the highway, provided ease of access to the balance of our territory which was designated strictly residential. The urban design of our Town was planned in such a way as to discourage traffic in residential areas, thus permitting our citizens to have not only a green area around their homes, but also a development suitable for family and social life.

Kirkland grew rapidly at the beginning of the seventies, and after a slowdown in 1976, resumed its normal growth in 1979. As of October 2005, our population was 21,735. The majority of our citizens are young families, thus creating a very active and social community.