Saint-Hyacinthe (/ ...ˈh.əsɪnθ/ ... HY-ə-sinth, French: [sɛ̃t‿ijasɛ̃t]) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239.[6] The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River. Quebec Autoroute 20 runs perpendicular to the river. Saint-Hyacinthe is the seat of the judicial district of the same name.[7]

Saint-Hyacinthe
Ville de Saint-Hyacinthe
Parc Casimir-Dessaules.
Parc Casimir-Dessaules.
Official seal of Saint-Hyacinthe
Location within Les Maskoutains RCM
Location within Les Maskoutains RCM
Saint-Hyacinthe is located in Southern Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe
Location in southern Quebec
Coordinates: 45°37′N 72°57′W / 45.617°N 72.950°W / 45.617; -72.950[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionMontérégie
RCMLes Maskoutains
Founded1849
Constituted27 December 2001
Government
 • MayorAndré Beauregard
 • Federal ridingSaint-Hyacinthe—Bagot
 • Prov. ridingSaint-Hyacinthe
Area
 • City
191.60 km2 (73.98 sq mi)
 • Land188.97 km2 (72.96 sq mi)
 • Urban
30.8 km2 (11.9 sq mi)
 • Metro328.53 km2 (126.85 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[4]
 • City
59,614
 • Density294.5/km2 (763/sq mi)
 • Urban
50,616
 • Urban density1,643.4/km2 (4,256/sq mi)
 • Metro56,794
 • Metro density181.5/km2 (470/sq mi)
 • Pop 2011-2016[4]
Increase 4.5%
 • Dwellings[4]
25,483
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code(s)450 and 579
Highways
A-20 (TCH)

R-116
R-137
R-224
R-231
R-235
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

History

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Jacques-Hyacinthe Simon dit Delorme, owner of the seigneurie, started its settlement in 1757. He gave his patron saint name (Saint Hyacinth the Confessor of Poland) to the seigneurie, which was made a city in 1850.

St. Hyacinth's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe. It was erected in 1852. Bishop Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 10, 1987, was bishop of the diocese from 1875 until his death in 1901.

 
Former Mayors' Gateway

2001 merger

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As part of the 2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec, on 27 December 2001, the city of Saint-Hyacinthe amalgamated with five neighbouring towns (listed here with their populations as of 2001):

  • Saint-Hyacinthe (39,739)
  • Sainte-Rosalie (4,170)
  • Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin (4,000)
  • Sainte-Rosalie Parish (1,476)
  • Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur, Quebec (1,151)
  • Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec (858)

Demographics

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Historical Census Data - Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec[8]
YearPop.±%
1991 39,292—    
1996 38,981−0.8%
1996A 38,995+0.0%
2001 38,739−0.7%
2001M 50,394+30.1%
2006 51,616+2.4%
2011 53,236+3.1%
2016 55,648+4.5%
(A) adjustment due to boundary change.
(M) merger with Sainte-Rosalie, Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Sainte-Rosalie Parish, Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur and Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Hyacinthe on 27 December 2001.

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe had a population of 57,239 living in 26,870 of its 28,096 total private dwellings, a change of 2.9% from its 2016 population of 55,648. With a land area of 188.85 km2 (72.92 sq mi), it had a population density of 303.1/km2 (785.0/sq mi) in 2021.[9]

Canada census – Saint-Hyacinthe community profile
202120162011
Population57,239 (+2.9% from 2016)55,648 (+4.5% from 2011)53,236 (+3.1% from 2006)
Land area188.85 km2 (72.92 sq mi)188.97 km2 (72.96 sq mi)188.69 km2 (72.85 sq mi)
Population density303.1/km2 (785/sq mi)294.5/km2 (763/sq mi)282.1/km2 (731/sq mi)
Median age46.4 (M: 44.4, F: 49.2)47.0 (M: 44.0, F: 49.6)46.1 (M: 43.4, F: 48.1)
Private dwellings26,870 (total)  24,458 (total)  25,774 (total) 
Median household income$45,621
References: 2021[10] 2016[11] 2011[12] earlier[13][14]

In 2021, 9.8% of Saint-Hyacinthe residents were visible minorities, 1.3% were Indigenous, and the remaining 88.9% were white/European. The largest visible minority groups were Black (4.4%), Latin American (3.1%) and Arab (1.4%).[15]

71.8% of residents were Christian, down from 88.8% in 2011. 63.2% were Catholic, 5.6% were Christian n.o.s, 1.6% were Protestant, and 1.3% were other Christian denominations or Christian-related traditions. Non-religious or secular people were 25.0% of the population, up from 9.9% in 2011.[16] The only named non-Christian religions with adherents in Saint-Hyacinthe were Islam (2.6%) and Buddhism (0.2%). Other religions and spiritual traditions accounted for just 0.3% of the population.

In 2021, French was the mother tongue of 90.9% of residents. Other common first languages were Spanish (3.1%), Arabic (0.9%) and English (0.9%). 0.7% listed both French and a non-official language as mother tongues, while 0.6% listed both French and English.

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec[8]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2016
54,045
51,080   3.8% 94.51% 450   5.9% 0.83% 225   7.1% 0.42% 2,520   38.1% 4.66%
2011
51,695
49,235   2.2% 95.24% 425   46.6% 0.82% 210   68.0% 0.41% 1,825   38.7% 3.53%
2006
49,955
48,165   33.5% 96.42% 290   7.4% 0.58% 125   31.6% 0.25% 1,375   139.1% 2.75%
2001
37,025
36,085   1.8% 97.46% 270   27.0% 0.73% 95   17.4% 0.26% 575   26.4% 1.55%
1996
37,670
36,730 n/a 97.50% 370 n/a 0.98% 115 n/a 0.31% 455 n/a 1.21%

Economy

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Hôpital Honoré-Mercier

Agriculture and its related derivates are at the heart of Saint-Hyacinthe's economic infrastructure. The city has been nicknamed the "Agricultural technopolis of Canada", because it is home to several research institutions in the field such as the centre de recherche sur les aliments, the Institut de recherche et développement en agro-environnement, the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire and the head office of the Artificial Insemination Center of Quebec.

Saint-Hyacinthe hosts numerous agriculture related events such as fairs, exposition and congresses and acts a hub in the field. The Agricultural Hall of Fame of Quebec decided to move there from Quebec City to give itself more visibility in the community.[17]

In addition, it is also home to Orgues Létourneau and Casavant Frères, builders of pipe organs, and Intact Financial, formerly known as ING Canada.

Transport

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Education

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The South Shore Protestant Regional School Board previously served the municipality.[21]

In association with the Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe is home to the only veterinary medicine faculty of Quebec and the only such school in North America where teaching is provided in French.

Sports

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From 1989 to 1996 the city had a team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League known as the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser. From 2001 to 2009 the city was represented in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (known as the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL) until 2004) by the Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (2001–05), Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (2005–06), Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design (2006–08) and Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs (2008–09). The city's main hockey arena is the historic Stade L.P. Gaucher, which was built in 1937.[22]

Notable people

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The following individuals were born or grew up in the region of Saint-Hyacinthe:

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 56749". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b "Saint-Hyacinthe - Répertoire des municipalités - Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire". gouv.qc.ca. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. ^ "History of Federal Ridings since 1867". parl.gc.ca. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Statistics Canada (9 August 2019). "Census Profile 2016 -Saint-Hyacinthe, Ville [Census subdivision], Quebec and Les Maskoutains, Municipalité régionale de comté [Census division], Quebec". statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b Census Profile, 2016 Census Saint-Hyacinthe [Census agglomeration], Quebec and Quebec [Province]. The census agglomeration consists of Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Dominique, Saint-Simon. In the 2006 census, the census agglomeration had not included Saint-Dominique, but had included La Présentation and Saint-Barnabé-Sud.
  6. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (9 February 2022). "Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Saint-Hyacinthe, Ville (V) [Census subdivision], Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  7. ^ Territorial Division Act. Revised Statutes of Quebec D-11.
  8. ^ a b Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
  9. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  10. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  11. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  12. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  13. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. 20 August 2019.
  14. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. 18 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Census Profile, 2021 - Saint-Hyacinthe, Ville". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  16. ^ "National Household Survey (NHS) Profile, 2011". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  17. ^ Jean-Luc Lorry (23 April 2013). "Le Temple de la renommée de l'agriculture sera érigé sur le site de l'Expo" [The Hall of Fame will be erected on the Expo site] (in French). Le Courrier de Saint-Hyacinthe. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  18. ^ Ville Saint-Hyacinthe transport en commun Archived 22 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Train-bus service Saint-Hyacinthe / Mont-Saint-Hilaire Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  21. ^ King, M.J. (Chairperson of the board). "South Shore Protestant Regional School Board" (St. Johns, PQ). The News and Eastern Townships Advocate. Volume 119, No. 5. Thursday 16 December 1965. p. 2. Retrieved from Google News on 23 November 2014.
  22. ^ "St. Hyacinthe Cousin hockey team [QSPHL] statistics and history at hockeydb.com". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
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