Saint-Jean-de-Matha is a charming municipality nestled in the heart of the Matawinie Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. This picturesque town is part of the Lanaudière region, offering a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty.
The history of Saint-Jean-de-Matha dates back to the 18th century when it was part of the seigneurial system. The territory was frequented by several coureur des bois for the fur industry and workers in the logging industry, thanks to its proximity to the rich forest lands of the Laurentians and the Haute Mauricie regions near the Saint-Maurice River.
The Saint-Jean-de-Matha Parish was established as a municipality in 1855. Although development was initially slow in the 19th century, the population grew rapidly as settlers arrived in Quebec or moved away from regions closer to the Saint Lawrence River. This was part of measures to develop new lands across the province.
Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, is home to a vibrant community. The town boasts 1946 private dwellings occupied by usual residents out of a total of 2496 dwellings.
The linguistic landscape of Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, is predominantly French. French is the first language for 97.2% of the population, while English is the first language for 0.8%. A small percentage of the population, 0.2%, speaks both English and French as their first language. Other languages make up 1.7% of the first languages spoken.
The main transportation link of the municipality is Route 131, which travels throughout much of the Lanaudière region from Saint-Michel-des-Saints southward towards Joliette and Lavaltrie. It connects Autoroute 40 towards Montreal, Quebec City, and Ottawa-Gatineau. Secondary Route 337 travels through more western towns of the Lanaudière region towards the northern Montreal suburbs of Terrebonne and Mascouche located along Autoroute 25 just north of the east end of Laval.
Railway service has been available since the late 19th century as part of a Canada-wide development initiated by the first Canadian Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. This development helped establish several small industries, despite frequent departures by several locales towards the United States in the late 19th century.
