The town was founded in 1917 to house workers of the Canadian Explosives Limited which operated until 1998. The town is named after the first chairman of that company, William McMaster.
Geography
McMasterville is located along the Richelieu river, on the shore facing Mont St-Hilaire and Otterburn Park.
In September 2023 the Swedish upstart Northvolt formally announced plans to build a 60 GWh/year battery cell factory on the grounds of the former CIL factory around which McMasterville was once founded. The factory was expected to start producing cells in 2026 and to employ a staff of 3000. The factory would be heavily subsidised by Canada, Quebec and Ottawa.
The town is host to the École d'éducation internationale which offers secondary level education where students can follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme as defined by the IBO. A primary school, École la Farandole, is also present.