In the middle of the 19th century, the government of United Canada tried to set up a system of municipal government in Lower Canada. The municipality of Hochelaga was established on the island of Montréal on July 1, 1845. In 1874, the community of Rivière Saint-Pierre became aware of its unity and wanted to make sure that it had suitable infrastructures that would specifically meet its needs.
On December 23, 1874, the Québec government created the Village of Rivière Saint-Pierre, bounded on the southeast by the St. Lawrence River, on the northeast by the Montréal aqueduct and on the southwest by the parish of Lachine. The new municipality also included l’Île des Sœurs. On February 15, 1875, John Smythe Hall was elected the first Mayor of the municipality. On December 28, 1876, the Village of Rivière Saint-Pierre became the Village of Verdun.