Boucherville, a city in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada, is a charming suburb of Montreal located on the South shore of the Saint Lawrence River. As part of both the urban agglomeration of Longueuil and Montreal Metropolitan Community regional government, Boucherville offers a unique blend of history, culture, and modern amenities.
Boucherville was founded as a seigneurial parish in 1667 by Pierre Boucher, a native of Mortagne-au-Perche, Normandy, France. After living in Quebec City and Trois-Rivières, Boucher moved to the Percées Islands by the southern shores of Saint Lawrence River, where he founded Boucherville. The first Catholic church of the village was built in 1670, replaced by a brick building in 1712, and then by the current Sainte-Famille Church in 1801. Several families left Boucherville in the 18th century to found the communities of Sainte-Julie and Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
In July 1843, a devastating fire destroyed much of the village. The fire started from a wooden building owned by Mr. Weilbrenner and quickly spread, destroying the church, the chapel, two schools, 51 homes, pastures, and 92 other buildings. The village was progressively rebuilt, with a new church built on the site of the old one over the following two years. A stone school was built in 1851 at the intersection of Notre-Dame and Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine streets.
The municipality of the parish Sainte-Famille de Boucherville was established in 1845, encompassing the village of Boucherville. In 1856, it was divided into two separate municipalities: the parish Sainte-Famille de Boucherville and the village of Boucherville. The village became an important vacation resort by the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, accessible by train or ferry from Montreal. Boucherville experienced significant growth after World War II, confirmed by the construction of the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel.
The village of Boucherville gained city status in 1957 and merged with the Sainte-Famille de Boucherville parish in 1963, bringing Boucherville to its current city limits. The city opened a new 'civic centre' in 1966, which included an indoor and outdoor pool, municipal offices, and an indoor arena. The centre was later renamed in memory of the murdered cabinet minister Pierre Laporte. Today, Boucherville is home to more than 40,000 inhabitants and a large industrial park. The city's founder, Pierre Boucher, is commemorated by a museum in his name at the Séminaire Saint-Joseph and a statue erected at the National Assembly of Quebec, in addition to a monument on Boucherville's waterfront.
Boucherville is divided into several neighbourhoods, each with its unique charm. The Harmonie neighbourhood is known for its upscale houses and green spaces, while the Quartier des villes et provinces de France neighbourhood is named after provinces of France. Old Boucherville, the original section of the city, contains the former village and Sainte-Famille Church, with many buildings officially classified as historic monuments. The industrial section of Boucherville covers the western part of the city and is home to three industrial parks and two research centres.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Boucherville had a population of 41,743 living in 17,291 of its 17,733 total private dwellings, a change of 0.2% from its 2016 population of 41,671. With a land area of 71.02 km2 (27.42 sq mi), it had a population density of 587.8/km2 (1,522.3/sq mi) in 2021.
The Îles-de-Boucherville National Park on the Boucherville Islands is a Quebec National Park located in the Saint Lawrence River facing the rest of the city. They are uninhabited but serve as a natural/recreational area for residents and tourists.
Boucherville is home to the Quebec internet comedy website Têtes à claques and the Maison des Jeunes, a youth drop-in centre opened in 1973.
Boucherville has established sister city relationships with Mortagne-au-Perche, France since 1966, Les Abymes, France since 1988, and Kingston, Canada.
