Saint-Clet, Quebec, is a charming municipality nestled in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality within the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. With a population of 1,700 as per the 2021 Canadian census, this quaint town is completely surrounded by lush agricultural land, primarily corn fields. The town's heart lies at the intersection of two main provincial highways, Route 201 and Route 340, known within the town limits as rue Principale and Boulevard de la Cité des Jeunes, respectively.
The parish of Saint-Clet was established in 1849, detaching from the parish of Saint-Ignace-du-Coteau-du-Lac at the request of residents who had to travel all the way to Coteau-du-Lac to attend mass. The first resident pastor of Saint-Clet was appointed in 1851, and by 1855, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Clet was created.
Over the years, there were several mergers and demergers of territory until August 31, 1974, when the current municipality of Saint-Clet was formed through the merger of the Parish and Village Municipalities of Saint-Clet. The town is also the birthplace of the renowned Canadian composer and music educator, Achille Fortier, who was born in 1864.
Saint-Clet has been the site of several significant events. On February 17, 1954, a collision of two Canadian Pacific trains occurred in Saint-Clet. The accident, which happened when the second section of the Toronto-Montreal train rear-ended the first section at the village station during a snowstorm, resulted in one death and 73 injuries.
The town also experienced severe flooding on March 14, 1985, and April 8, 2014, due to heavy rains and rapid snow melting. These events led to the evacuation of many homes and highlighted the need for improved infrastructure to manage such natural disasters.
