Saint-Jerome, Quebec
The town is named after Saint Jerome (ca. 347 – September 30, 420), a church father best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. His translation is known as the Vulgate.
History
The territory where the present city of Saint-Jérôme now stands was granted in 1752 by the marquis de la Jonquière, governor of New France, as the seignory of Augmentation des Mille-Iles (literally "enlargement" of the seignory of Mille-Iles). From the 1760s to the 1840s, the seignory was owned by the Dumont and Lefebvre de Bellefeuille families, living in the town of Saint-Eustache, 25 kilometers (16 mi) to the south. The Dumont and the Lefebvre conceded the farmland to colonists coming mostly from the region lying north of Montreal. The emerging town was then known under the name of Dumontville. The Catholic parish of Saint-Jérôme was constituted on November 15, 1834, and the village was constituted on July 1, 1845, by governor Metcalfe.
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle, a Roman Catholic priest who was the great "colonizer" (promoter of settlement) of the North of Montreal, was in charge of the pastoral administration of Saint-Jérôme in 1868 until his death, in 1891. Eight years after his arrival, he had a railway built linking Saint-Jérôme and Montreal.
Antoine Labelle was the parish priest of Saint-Jérôme for 22 years, from 1868 until his death, at 57 years of age, on January 4, 1891. He was called "the king of North, the apostle of colonization".
The opening of roads and the arrival of a railway became essential with the development of the small communities in the Laurentians. These transportation routes for the movement of goods and people would ensure the establishment of trade and industry.
Labelle promoted the idea of a railway towards the North beginning in 1869. The railway reached Saint-Jérôme in 1876, partly because a railway was seen as a way to meet the needs for firewood and construction materials for urban centres like Montreal and Quebec.
In 2002, Saint-Jérôme was amalgamated with the municipalities of Bellefeuille (2006 census population 15,866), Saint-Antoine (2001 population 11,488) and Lafontaine (2001 population 9,477).
Saint-Jérôme is the seat of the judicial district of Terrebonne.
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1861 | 705 | — |
1871 | 1,159 | +5.10% |
1881 | 2,032 | +5.78% |
1891 | 2,868 | +3.51% |
1901 | 3,619 | +2.35% |
1911 | 3,473 | −0.41% |
1921 | 5,491 | +4.69% |
1931 | 8,967 | +5.03% |
1941 | 11,329 | +2.37% |
1951 | 17,685 | +4.55% |
1956 | 20,645 | +3.14% |
1961 | 24,546 | +3.52% |
1966 | 26,511 | +1.55% |
1971 | 26,524 | +0.01% |
1976 | 25,175 | −1.04% |
1981 | 25,119 | −0.04% |
1986 | 23,316 | −1.48% |
1991 | 23,384 | +0.06% |
1996 | 23,916 | +0.45% |
2001 | 24,583 | +0.55% |
2006 | 63,729 | +20.99% |
2011 | 68,456 | +1.44% |
2016 | 74,346 | +1.66% |
2021 | 80,213 | +1.53% |
Source: Statistics Canada |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Jérôme had a population of 80,213 living in 37,371 of its 38,776 total private dwellings, a change of 7.9% from its 2016 population of 74,346. With a land area of 90.18 km (34.82 sq mi), it had a population density of 889.5/km (2,303.7/sq mi) in 2021.
Race and ethnicity
Saint-Jérôme is mostly made up of European descents. As of the 2021 census the racial make up of Saint-Jérôme is:
- 91.8% White
- 1.8% Indigenous; 1.0% First Nations, 0.6% Métis
- 1.3% Latin American
- 3.2% Black
- 0.1% South Asian
- 0.2% East Asian; 0.2% Chinese, 0.0% Korean, 0.0% Japanese
- 1.0% Arab
- 0.3% Southeast Asian; 0.1% Filipino
- 0.1% West Asian
- 0.1% Multiracial; 0.7% including Métis
- 0.1% Other
Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Saint-Jérôme included:
- Christianity (51,465 persons or 66.1%)
- Catholic (45,960 persons or 59.0%)
- Christian, not otherwise specified (3,495 persons or 4.5%)
- Other (1,985 persons or 2.5%)
- No religion and secular perspectives (24,215 persons or 31.3%)
- Islam (1,475 persons or 1.9%)
- Buddhism (180 persons or 0.2%)
- Judaism (35 persons or <0.1%)
- Hinduism (25 persons or <0.1%)
- Other (280 persons or 0.4%)
Language
Canada Census Mother Tongue - St-Jerome, Quebec | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Census | Total | French
|
English
|
French & English
|
Other
| |||||||||||||
Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
2021
|
79,065
|
72,975 | 6.18% | 92.3% | 1,290 | 18.35% | 1.6% | 915 | 88.66% | 1.2% | 3,270 | 45.33% | 4.1% | |||||
2016
|
74,346
|
68,725 | 6.72% | 92.4% | 1,090 | 8.45% | 1.5% | 485 | 32.87% | 0.7% | 2,250 | 31.57% | 3.0% | |||||
2011
|
67,675
|
64,395 | 7.68% | 95.2% | 1,005 | 17.54% | 1.6% | 365 | 15.88% | 0.5% | 1,710 | 7.55% | 2.5% | |||||
2006
|
62,560
|
59,800 | 6.06% | 95.6% | 855 | 20.42% | 1.4% | 315 | 5.9% | 0.5% | 1,590 | 120.8% | 2.5% | |||||
2001
|
58,150
|
56,385 | 4.55% | 97.0% | 710 | 10.69% | 1.2% | 335 | 9.45% | 0.6% | 720 | 29.72% | 1.2% | |||||
1996
|
55,630
|
53,930 | n/a | 97.2% | 795 | n/a | 1.4% | 370 | n/a | 0.7% | 555 | n/a | 1.0% |
The 2021 census found that 92.3% of residents spoke French as their mother tongue.
The next most common languages were English (1.6%) and Spanish (1.4%).
Mother Tongue | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
French | 72,975 | 92.3% |
English | 1,290 | 1.6% |
English and French | 915 | 1.2% |
French and a non-official language | 440 | 0.6% |
English, French and a non-official language | 90 | 0.1% |
English and a non-official language | 70 | 0.1% |
Spanish | 1,095 | 1.4% |
Arabic | 535 | 0.7% |
Italian | 130 | 0.2% |
Haitian Creole | 115 | 0.1% |
Portuguese | 105 | 0.1% |
Russian | 100 | 0.1% |
Albanian | 95 | 0.1% |
Romanian | 90 | 0.1% |
Nepali | 85 | 0.1% |
Mandarin | 55 | 0.1% |
Kabyle | 45 | 0.1% |
Greek | 40 | 0.1% |
Swahili | 40 | 0.1% |
Economy
Industry
Uniroyal, Dominion Rubber
- In 1911, the first rubber industry in Saint-Jérôme, shoe production
- In 1926, the industry is renamed Dominion Rubber.
- In the 1950s, 37,000 shoes were produced for all over the world.
- In 1966, the company is renamed UNIROYAL LTD.
- In 1968, the company changed its production for automobile parts, crashpad.
- In 1981, the company was sold to many cities like Woodbridge and Waterville.
- In 1994 the building was demolished.
Attractions
- Roman Catholic cathedral, which includes a small museum
- Vieux-Palais modern art museum and public library
- Musée d'art contemporain des Laurentides
- Statue of Antoine Labelle, known as curé Labelle, who was principally responsible for the settlement of the Laurentians
- Several summer festivals
- Carrefour du Nord, a regional shopping mall
- Melançon Arena, an indoor arena
Infrastructure
Transportation
Road
Saint-Jérôme is served by Québec Autoroute 15, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, and Québec Route 117. In addition, Québec Routes 158 and 333 pass through the city.
Public transportation
Train
Saint-Jérôme is served by the Saint-Jérôme intermodal commuter rail station by Exo, the Greater Montreal Region's public transit system's Saint-Jérôme line (Line 12). Commuter trains to Montreal began to serve the station in January 2007, with four trains in each direction each business day.
Since upgrades to the line were made in 2013, which included work to double the track between Sainte-Rose station and Saint-Martin Junction and install Automatic Train Control (ATC) between Parc station and the end of the line in Saint-Jérôme, all trains now serve the station. There are 13 departures towards Montreal during the week, and six departures on the weekends and holidays.
Bus
The station is also served by bus routes operated by Exo, the neighbouring transit agency CRT Lanaudière, as well as three private intercity bus companies.
Trails
Saint-Jérôme is an important stop on the north-south trunk of the "route verte" cycling path which makes it possible for nature lovers who are also pedaling enthusiasts to make short trips or excursions lasting several days from as far south as Blainville on the outskirts of Montreal and as far north as Mont-Tremblant without ever sharing the road with a motorized vehicle. North of Saint-Jérôme, the trail is known as the "P'tit Train du Nord" linear park (rail trail) and is also used as a cross-country ski trail in winter.
Health
Institutional health care
The Centre de santé et de services sociaux de Saint-Jérôme (Health and Social Services Centre of Saint-Jérôme or CSSS) is the non-profit body that operates three different types of a health care institution in the city: an acute-care hospital (the Hôpital régional de Saint-Jérôme), the CLSC and long-term care facilities. By its regional vocation, it serves the entire Laurentides region. The history of the CSSS of Saint-Jérôme begins with the construction of the hospital in 1949 and its opening the following year.
In April 2007, the CSSS obtained accreditation from Accreditation Canada. This distinction confirms adequate standards of care and patient safety.
Education
Saint-Jérôme is home to the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, one of the Colleges of General and Vocational Education located in the province. It is also home to a new Saint-Jérôme branch campus of the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
The Commission scolaire de la Rivière-du-Nord operates French-language public schools. Secondary schools in the community operated by this school district include:
- École secondaire Cap-Jeunesse
- École secondaire des Hauts-Sommets
- École secondaire des-Studios
- École polyvalente Saint-Jérôme
- École secondaire Frenette
- École secondaire Saint-Stanislas
Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates English-language public schools. Schools serving the town:
- Laurentian Elementary School in Saint-Jérôme
- Laurentian Regional High School in Lachute
City council
The city council (in French: Conseil municipal de Saint-Jérôme) is the governing body of the city. The council consists of the mayor and 12 councillors:
- Marc Bourcier, mayor
- Ronald Raymond, District 1 councillor
- Stéphane Joyal, District 2 councillor
- Jacques Bouchard, District 3 councillor
- Dominic Boyer, District 4 councillor
- Carla Pierre-Paul, District 5 councillor
- Jean Désormeaux Jr., District 6 councillor
- Michel Gagnon, District 7 councillor
- Marc-Antoine Lachance, District 8 councillor
- André Marion, District 9 councillor
- Mario Fauteux, District 10 councillor
- Martin Pigeon, District 11 councillor
- Nathalie Lasalle, District 12 councillor
Sister cities
- Lisieux, France - since May 2010?
Notable people
- Tod Campeau, Professional hockey player
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Professional hockey player
- Boule Noire, singer
- Marc Nadon, Supreme Court nominee
- Little Beaver, wrestler
See also
References
- ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 151354". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- ^ "Histoire de Saint-Jérôme". Ville.saint-jerome.qc.ca. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 75017". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
- ^ "Profil du recensement, Recensement de 2021, Statistique Canada - Erreur de validation".
- ^ Auclair, Elie-J., Saint-Jérôme de Terrebonne, Imprimerie J.H.A. Labelle, 1934, pages 13-35.
- ^ Territorial Division Act. Revised Statutes of Quebec D-11.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2022-02-09). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Saint-Jérôme, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
- ^ "Saint-Jérôme (Code 2475017) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
- ^ "Saint-Jérôme, V". Detailed Mother Tongue (103), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2021 Census - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
- ^ "MAC LAU | Musée d'art contemporain des Laurentides". www.maclau.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "Programmation des activités et formulaires d'inscription - À propos de la Ville - Ville". www.vsj.ca. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "La Presse, 28 novembre 2006 "Saint-Jérôme aura son train de banlieue" par Jean-Paul Charbonneau". Cyberpresse.ca. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ "Schedules Saint-Jérôme (RTM)" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ "Government of Quebec – Parc Linéaire Le P'tit Train du Nord". Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
- ^ "LAURENTIA ELEMENTARY ZONE Archived 2014-12-11 at the Wayback Machine." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 4, 2017.
- ^ "LAURENTIAN REGIONAL HS ZONE Archived 2010-12-14 at the Wayback Machine." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 4, 2017.
- ^ "Membres du conseil municipal". 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
Bibliography
- Auclair, Elie-J., Saint-Jérôme de Terrebonne , Imprimerie J.H.A. Labelle, 1934, pages 13–35.
External links
- Ville de Saint-Jérôme, in French
- Saint-Jérôme City Council (in French)