Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec

Saint-François-du-Lac
Municipality
Town hall
Location within Nicolet-Yamaska RCM
Saint-François-du-Lac Location in southern Quebec
Coordinates: 46°04′N 72°50′W / 46.067°N 72.833°WCoordinates: 46°04′N 72°50′W / 46.067°N 72.833°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Centre-du-Québec
RCM	Nicolet-Yamaska
Constituted	December 31, 1997
Government[2][3]
• Mayor	Georgette Critchley
• Federal riding	Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel
• Prov. riding	Nicolet-Bécancour
Area[2][4]
• Total	83.40 km^2 (32.20 sq mi)
• Land	64.31 km^2 (24.83 sq mi)
Population (2011)[4]
• Total	1,957
• Density	30.4/km^2 (79/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	2.2%
• Dwellings	1,127
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0G 1M0
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways	Route 132 Route 143
Website	www.saint-francois-du-lac.ca

Saint-François-du-Lac is a community in the Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 1,957. It is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saint-François rivers, at the edge of Lac Saint-Pierre (hence its name, "Saint-François of the lake").

Saint-François-du-Lac faces the town of Pierreville from across the Saint-François River, and lies at the junction of Route 132 and Route 143.

History

This was founded as a Jesuit mission village during the colonial years. The community was called St.-Francois-de-Sales or Odanak. Indians from the community, which included refugees from wars with English colonists, participated in many raids, some of them organized and led by French military men, against English colonial settlements in New England in the aftermath of King Philip's War.

Father Rale's War

Raid on Arrowsic (1722)

During Father Rale's War, on September 10, 1722, in conjunction with Father Rale at Norridgewock, 400 or 500 St. Francis (Odanak, Quebec) and Mi'kmaq Indians prepared their attack on Arrowsic, Maine.

Raid on Arrowsic (1723)

In the summer of 1723, Norridgewocks and their 250 Indian allies from St. Francis prepared a second attack against Arrowsic, Maine.^[5] After Father Rale's War, Abenaki arrived from Norridgewock, Maine.

Raid on St. Francois (1759)

The village and buildings were burned in an attack by Rogers' Rangers, an irregular British provincial force, during the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War) on October 4, 1759.

Odanak was later re-established as an Indian reserve for Abenaki next to the village of Saint-Francois-du-Lac.

Demographics

Population Population trend:[6] Census Population Change (%) 2011 1,957 2.2% 2006 2,002 2.1% Boundary change 1,961 0.8% 2001 1,976 1.2% Merger (+) 2,001 45.3% 1996 1,095 7.5% 1991 1,019 N/A (+) Amalgamation of the Parish and the Village of Saint-François-du-Lac on December 31, 1997.

Language Mother tongue language (2006)[7] Language Population Pct (%) French only 1,935 97.97% English only 30 1.52% Both English and French 0 0.00% Other languages 10 0.51%

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec
• Municipal history of Quebec

References

1. Reference number 339367 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (French)
2. Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Saint-François-du-Lac
3. Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: BAS-RICHELIEU--NICOLET--BÉCANCOUR (Quebec)
4. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec
5. (William Williamson, p. 123)
6. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
7. 2006 Statistics Canada Community Profile: Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec

• Gill family residents of St Francis (reference only)
• St. Francois de Sales (St. Francis Mission)

External links

• (Google Maps)