Saint-Thomas, Quebec

Saint-Thomas is a town in Joliette Regional County Municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada.

For other places in Quebec named Saint-Thomas, see Saint Thomas (disambiguation)#Canada.
Saint-Thomas
Municipality
Location within Joliette RCM.
Saint-Thomas
Location in central Quebec.
Coordinates: 46°01′N 73°21′W[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionLanaudière
RCMJoliette
Settled1790
ConstitutedJuly 1, 1855
Government
 • MayorMarc Corriveau
 • Federal ridingJoliette
 • Prov. ridingJoliette
Area
 • Total94.80 km2 (36.60 sq mi)
 • Land95.05 km2 (36.70 sq mi)
 There is an apparent
contradiction between two
authoritative sources
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total3,193
 • Density33.6/km2 (87/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011
 11.6%
 • Dwellings
1,340
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
J0K 3L0
Area code(s)450 and 579
Highways
A-31
Route 131
Route 158
Websitewww.saintthomas.qc.ca

Prior to January 22, 1992, it was in D'Autray Regional County Municipality.[4]

History

Starting in 1790, the first few settler families arrived from the La Noraye Seignory and settled in the North and South concessions of the area, then called North Jersey. The origin of this name is not known but may be a phonetic deformation of Chertsey, the name of a neighboring district. In the 1830s, the parish of Sainte-Élisabeth became overcrowded and many of its inhabitants moved to North Jersey, forming a new village called Saint-Thomas-de-North-Jersey from 1838 onwards. That same year, the Parish of Saint-Thomas was formed on November 15. It was named in honour of Thomas-Léandre Brassard (1805-1891), pastor of Sainte-Élisabeth-de-Joliette at that time. By 1839, Saint-Thomas had 930 inhabitants.[5][6]

In 1845, the Municipality of Saint-Thomas-de-North-Jersey was formed when it separated from parts of Sainte-Élisabeth, Lanoraie, and Saint-Paul-de-Lavaltrie. One of the leading persons advocating for its formation was Louis Voligny, a former French officer who is considered the founder of St. Thomas. He donated land for the construction of the church, the presbytery, and for the establishment of the cemetery. Voligny was also elected as the first mayor and his son Felix Voligny was secretary-treasurer. Consequently, the place was also known as Saint-Thomas-de-Voligny for a period of time.[5][6]

In 1847, the municipality was abolished but reestablished in 1855 as a parish municipality, with Joseph Masse elected as mayor. In 1993, it changed status and became the Municipality of Saint-Thomas.[5][6]

Because of Saint-Thomas' sandy soil, tobacco began to be cultivated in the area starting in the 1930s. It became the dominatant crop, making Saint-Thomas the national tobacco capital and the largest tobacco producer in the province until 1980. Since then, tobacco has been supplanted by potatoes and is no longer cultivated there.[5][6]

Demographics

Population trend:[7]

  • Population in 2011: 3193 (2006 to 2011 population change: 11.6%)
  • Population in 2006: 2861
  • Population in 2001: 2915
  • Population in 1996: 2987
  • Population in 1991: 2748

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 1307 (total dwellings: 1340)

Mother tongue:

  • English as first language: 0.4%
  • French as first language: 96.3%
  • English and French as first language: 0%
  • Other as first language: 3.3%

Education

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates anglophone public schools, including:

See also

References
  1. Reference number 279877 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (in French)
  2. Geographic code 61027 in the official Répertoire des municipalités (in French)
  3. Statistics Canada 2011 Census - Saint-Thomas census profile
  4. http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/publications/referenc/pdf/Mod1992.pdf%5B%5D
  5. "Saint-Thomas (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  6. "Histoire de la municipalité de Saint-Thomas (pages 3, 4, 5, and 6)" (in French). Municipalité de St-Thomas. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  7. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  8. "JOLIETTE ELEMENTARY ZONE." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 17, 2017.
  9. "Joliette High School Zone Sec 1-5." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 5, 2017.



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