Saint-Lazare, an off-island suburb of Montreal, is nestled in the southwestern region of Quebec, Canada, within the Regional County Municipality of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. The area was originally part of the Seigneurie de Vaudreuil in the 18th century. However, due to its sandy soil, it was considered challenging for farming and remained largely uninhabited.
The first settlers arrived in 1812, primarily Americans from New England, followed by English from Cumberland around 1820, and then French Canadians. Saint-Lazare was officially founded as a parish municipality on December 29, 1875. The first church was built in 1877, which was unfortunately destroyed by a fire in 1942 but was rebuilt in 1947.
A passenger train from the Canadian Pacific Railway once ran through the town but was discontinued in 1960. The station located on the corner of Sainte-Angélique and Duhamel was eventually demolished.
Saint-Lazare transitioned from a rural farming town to a rapidly growing city in the 1990s, attracting young, middle-class families seeking a more relaxed lifestyle and affordable housing. In December 2001, Saint-Lazare officially changed its statutes and became a city. In 2015, the Saint-Lazare government began using pictograms on signs to accommodate bilingualism and its Anglophone residents.
Saint-Lazare is home to several communities, including Saint-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil, Saint-Lazare-Sud, Saint-Lazare-Nord, Saddlebrook, Sandcastle, Cedarbrook, Sunnybrook, Chanterel, Forest Hill, and Maple Ridge.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Lazare had a population of 22,354 living in 7,749 of its 7,848 total private dwellings. This was a 12.2% increase from its 2016 population of 19,917. With a land area of 66.86 km2 (25.81 sq mi), it had a population density of 334.3/km2 (865.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Saint-Lazare was built on thick deposits of sand. Poorly drained areas are most common in the eastern part of town and have been mapped as muck, Peat or Vaudreuil series (a "half-bog" or gleysol), while the well to rapidly drained classic podzols are assigned to Ste. Sophie or Upland series.
Saint-Lazare is known for its ambitious recreational projects, thanks to significant public funding. Bedard Park, located in the town's centre, is equipped with a small water park, a grass field, three baseball diamonds, and tennis courts. In the winter, two hockey rinks and an ice skating oval are added.
Another multi-use park is Le Parc nature les Forestiers de Saint-Lazare, a 4-season park with an outdoor pool, trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, horse riding, and snowshoeing, and picnic areas. Other parks are scattered among the small subdivisions throughout the municipality. A new privately-financed sports centre was opened to the public in 2006, featuring an indoor soccer turf, a hockey rink, and a gym.
The areas surrounding Saint-Lazare are dedicated to equestrian horse riding, with sanctioned trails flowing through wooded forests and nearby lakes. Many trails are sand-based, reflecting the region's popularity for this activity. The town boasts one of the largest populations of horses, approximately 3,500, with many residential properties fully dedicated to breeding and horse training.
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are very popular in the region, with an officially sanctioned trail running between Saint-Lazare and the nearby town of Rigaud, Quebec. The trail is maintained by regional members of local ATV clubs and is open in all four seasons, groomed in the winter using heavy machinery.
The city is served by the 51 bus from the Exo La Presqu’Île, terminating at the Vaudreuil train station.
