Repentigny, Quebec, is a charming off-island suburb of Montreal, nestled on the lower end of the L'Assomption River and the Saint Lawrence River. As part of the Lanaudière region, Repentigny, along with Charlemagne, holds the distinction of being the first towns off the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal.
Founded in 1670 by Jean-Baptiste Le Gardeur, son of Seigneur Pierre Le Gardeur, Repentigny, Quebec, was initially an agricultural community inhabited by a few hundred peasants. The first population census in 1677 recorded only 30 inhabitants. The town's first mayor, Benjamin Moreau, took office in 1855.
Repentigny underwent significant expansion on June 1, 2002, when it merged with its neighbouring city of Le Gardeur. This merger resulted in a 70% population increase and the city's area growing from 29 to 69 km2. Repentigny also served as the western terminus of the Chemin du Roy, a road extending eastward towards Quebec City.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Repentigny, Quebec, had a population of 86,100 living in 34,174 of its 34,710 total private dwellings. This represented a 2.2% increase from its 2016 population of 84,285. The city's population density stood at 1,399.5/km2 (3,624.8/sq mi) in 2021.
The city's demographic makeup was diverse, with 81.4% white/European, 17.6% visible minorities, and 1.0% Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups were Black (9.9%), Arab (3.3%), and Latin American (2.2%). French was the mother tongue for 85.8% of residents, with other common first languages including Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, English, Kabyle, and Italian.
Religion-wise, 70.3% of the population identified as Christian, with 59.0% being Catholic. Non-religious and secular people made up 23.3% of the population, and 6.4% followed other religions and spiritual traditions, with Islam being the largest non-Christian religion.
Repentigny, Quebec, is a vibrant hub of cultural festivities. The city hosts numerous events throughout the year, including the Festival de Feu et de Glace, Festival de spectacles jeune-public de Lanaudière, Rendez-Vous Estival, Festival Gospel, National de Soccer, Internationaux de Tennis junior du Canada Banque Nationale, and Fête du Petit-Village. The Fête Nationale du Québec, la St-Jean, is a major event featuring various shows and performances on stage in L'île Lebel.
Repentigny, Quebec, serves as the central point for transit in South-Central Lanaudière. Its Centre d'Échange Rive Nord-Est, administered by Réseau de transport métropolitain, is the main infrastructure for transit in the region. Repentigny is directly connected to several cities and towns, including Terrebonne, Charlemagne, L'Assomption, Montreal, Montréal-Est, Saint-Sulpice, Lavaltrie, Lanoraie, Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier, Berthierville, La Visitation-de-l'Île-Dupas, Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola, Saint-Paul-d'Industrie, Crabtree, Sainte-Marie-Salomé, and Joliette.
The city is part of the L'Assomption MRC public transportation network and the pan-regional Lanaudière Regional Transport Commission. Repentigny is also connected to Montreal's Central Station by commuter rail via the Repentigny Station of Réseau de transport métropolitain's Mascouche Line.
