Saint-Maurice is a parish municipality nestled in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. This article explores the rich history and demographic trends of this charming community.
The name Saint-Maurice is a hagiotoponym, referring to Saint Maurice. The colonization of Saint-Maurice's territory began in the early 1830s when it was part of the Seigneurie of Saint-Maurice. The Catholic parish was established in 1837, detaching from the Parish of Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
The original parish territory was significantly larger than today's Saint-Maurice, encompassing the Saint-Louis-de-France neighborhood in Trois-Rivières and a portion of the current parish of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel. The parish municipality of Saint-Maurice was officially incorporated in 1855 during Quebec's original municipal division.
In 1858, the village of Fermont split from Saint-Maurice but was re-annexed in 1939 following the closure of the Radnor forges, the only company supporting it, leading to the exodus of its entire population. In 1859, a large part of the municipality was taken for the creation of the municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, which also included parts of the municipality of Cap-de-la-Magdeleine (now part of Trois-Rivières).
In 1904, a new city, Saint-Louis, was created and detached from Saint-Maurice to accommodate citizens living too far from the village and the church. Saint-Louis was renamed Saint-Louis-de-France in 1969 and was finally annexed to Trois-Rivières in 2002. Before 1904, Saint-Maurice was bounded to the west by the Saint-Maurice River, which gave the territory its name.
Originally part of the county of Champlain, Saint-Maurice was incorporated into the regional county municipality of Francheville in 1982. In 2002, during the regional municipal reorganization, it was included in the regional county municipality of Les Chenaux.
The church of Saint-Maurice houses one of Casavant Frères' oldest organs, the opus 50, built in 1894 and still in use. With mechanical action, it has 2 keyboards and a pedal for around twenty games.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Maurice had a population of 3,432 living in 1,360 of its 1,409 total private dwellings, a change of 4.4% from its 2016 population of 3,286. With a land area of 91.36 km2 (35.27 sq mi), it had a population density of 37.6/km2 (97.3/sq mi) in 2021.
The population trend over the years is as follows:
The mother tongue distribution is as follows:
Saint-Maurice, Quebec, with its rich history and vibrant community, is a fascinating place to explore. Whether you're a history enthusiast or a curious traveler, this parish municipality has something to offer everyone.
