Saint-Apollinaire is a charming municipality nestled in the Municipalité régionale de comté de Lotbinière in Quebec, Canada. As part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region, it boasts a population of 7,968 as of 2021. The town is named after Saint Apollinaris, a revered figure in French history.
The history of Saint-Apollinaire dates back to 1738 when Angélique le Gardeur, the daughter of the seigneur of Tilly, was granted a seigneury following her husband's death. She named it the seigneury of Gaspé, in honor of her late husband. This seigneury, located south of the seigneury of Tilly, encompasses the current municipality of Saint-Apollinaire.
In 1806, a road was opened between Saint-Nicolas (now Lévis) and Saint-Gilles, crossing the territory of the seigneury of Gaspé. This development led to the growth of the county of Lotbinière. The municipality was canonically imposed on November 23, 1853, and the parish municipality of Saint-Apollinaire was officially founded on July 1, 1855. The territory then experienced rapid growth, marked by the construction of the first school, the arrival of the railway, and the installation of the first telegraph line. The telephone arrived in 1905.
Saint-Apollinaire underwent territorial changes in 1867 and 1919, leading to the creation of Saint-Agapit-de-Beaurivage and Francoeur, respectively. The 1960s saw the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs from western Canada to the east, passing through the municipality. This development led to the establishment of several businesses near the highway, attracting more settlers to Saint-Apollinaire. The current Municipality of Saint-Apollinaire was finally formed on April 6, 1974, when the village of Francoeur and the parish municipality of Saint-Apollinaire merged.
Saint-Apollinaire is beautifully situated on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, covering an area of 97 km2. The municipality is traversed by Autoroute 20 from east to west and by Route 273 from north to south.
The municipality is surrounded by six municipalities and is located at the limits of the Lotbinière RCM, bordering Lévis to the east. The other municipalities around Saint-Apollinaire are also part of the Lotbinière RCM: Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly to the north, Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur-d'Issoudun to the west, Saint-Flavien to the southwest, Saint-Agapit to the south, and Saint-Gilles to the southeast. The municipality is conveniently located about 20 km from the bridges of Quebec City and is a short 10-minute drive from Quebec City and Lévis via Autoroute 20. Another nearby town is Sainte-Marie, located 40 minutes away by car.
