Saint-Esprit, a quaint municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Nestled within the Montcalm Regional County Municipality, this charming town straddles both banks of the Saint-Esprit River, a tributary of the L'Assomption River.
The history of Saint-Esprit dates back to the late 18th century when the first settlers, primarily from L'Ange-Gardien, Beauport, and Saint-Sulpice, arrived. Initially known as the Rivière-Saint-Esprit or Grand-Saint-Esprit Concession, the area underwent several name changes over the years.
In 1808, the Parish of Saint-Ours-du-Saint-Esprit was established. However, to avoid confusion with another parish named Saint-Ours in the Diocese of Montreal, the name was shortened to Saint-Esprit after 1838. The post office opened in 1852, and the Parish Municipality of Saint-Ours-du-Saint-Esprit was formed in 1855. Following the parish's lead, the municipality also shortened its name to Saint-Esprit in 1956. In 2000, the parish municipality upgraded its status and became the Municipality of Saint-Esprit.
Saint-Esprit has seen a steady increase in its population over the years. The population in 2021 stood at 2011, marking a 2.2% increase from 2016. The population in 2016 was 1967, slightly up from 1963 in 2011. In 2006, the population was 1868, which was a slight increase from 1850 in 2001. The population in 1996 was 1908, up from 1845 in 1991.
The town comprises 900 private dwellings occupied by usual residents out of a total of 933 dwellings. The mother tongue of the residents is predominantly French, with 97.3% of the population speaking it as their first language. English is the first language for 0.8% of the population, while 1.9% of the population speaks other languages as their first language. Interestingly, none of the residents reported speaking both English and French as their first language.
