Pont-Rouge is a charming city nestled along the Jacques-Cartier River in southern Quebec, Canada. With a population of 10,121 inhabitants as per the Canada 2021 Census, this city offers a unique blend of history and modernity.
The history of Pont-Rouge dates back to 1769 when the first efforts to colonize the area were made. On April 15, 1867, the archbishop of Quebec, Charles-François Baillargeon, founded the parish of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Neuville from portions of Cap-Santé, Saint-Basile, and Neuville.
In 1911, the parish was divided into two - the village of Pont-Rouge and the parish of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge. These two municipalities merged on January 3, 1996, leading to the establishment of the new City of Pont-Rouge.
Transportation played a significant role in the development of the parish. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge in 1874 and the two bridges, particularly the Royal Bridge (now called Pont Déry), greatly influenced the city's growth. The Royal Bridge, despite being reconstructed several times due to its weak center, served as a crucial transportation route for heavy loads and mail between Quebec and Montreal.
The Royal Bridge was a toll bridge, and the collected money was used to construct a second bridge, le pont Rouge, which was free. This bridge connected the western part to the eastern part of Dupont Street, named in honor of Father Charles-François Dupont, who served as a priest there from 1917 to 1933. In 2009, a newer bridge replaced the pont Rouge.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pont-Rouge had a population of 10,121 living in 4,178 of its 4,344 total private dwellings. This was a 9.5% increase from its 2016 population of 9,240. With a land area of 121.12 km2 (46.76 sq mi), the city had a population density of 83.6/km2 (216.4/sq mi) in 2021.
The population trend over the years is as follows:
In terms of language, 0.7% of the population speaks English as their first language, 98.2% speaks French, and 1.1% speaks other languages. No residents reported speaking both English and French as their first language.
