Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans

Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans
Municipality
Location within L'Île-d'Orléans RCM.
Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans Location in central Quebec.
Coordinates: 46°53′N 71°04′W / 46.883°N 71.067°WCoordinates: 46°53′N 71°04′W / 46.883°N 71.067°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Capitale-Nationale
RCM	L'Île-d'Orléans
Settled	c. 1660
Constituted	July 1, 1855
Government[2]
• Mayor	Jacques Trudel
• Federal riding	Montmorency—Charlevoix —Haute-Côte-Nord
• Prov. riding	Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré
Area[2][3]
• Total	32.20 km^2 (12.43 sq mi)
• Land	31.34 km^2 (12.10 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	1,789
• Density	57.1/km^2 (148/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	1.5%
• Dwellings	748
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	G0A 4E0
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	Route 368

Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. It is situated on the west side of Orléans Island, and accessible by Quebec Route 368 and the Île d'Orléans Bridge which connects Saint-Pierre with the Beauport borough of Quebec City. Until 1997, it was known simply as Saint-Pierre.

The Quebec poet and songwriter Félix Leclerc (1914-1988) is buried in this town, having lived there from 1958 to his death.

History

Église St-Pierre

The first European settlers came to the area around 1660. They constructed the first chapel in 1662 and by 1679 the Parish of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul was formed which at that time also included the territory of Sainte-Pétronille. Between 1716 and 1718, one of the oldest churches in Quebec was built (since 1954 classified as a historic monument and occasionally used as a concert hall). In 1722, the civil parish was established. For 54 years from 1734 to 1788, the first bishop of Quebec born in Canada, Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly (1710-1788), served there as the resident priest.^[1]

In 1845, the Parish Municipality was formed under the name of Saint-Pierre-Isle-d'Orléans, probably in honour of Apostle Peter. It was abolished two years later in 1847 when it became part of the County Municipality, but restored again in 1855 as Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul.^[1] In 1874, it lost a portion of its territory when Sainte-Pétronille separated and became a municipality.^[4] Over time, only the "Saint-Pierre" part of the name was retained.

In 1935, the Île d'Orléans Bridge was built, leading to a steady increase of residential development and making Saint-Pierre now the most populated municipality on the island. In 1997, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Pierre was renamed to Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans to better distinguish the town from other namesake municipalities.^[1]

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec[8]
Year Pop. ±% 1991 1,992 —     1996 1,982 −0.5%	Year Pop. ±% 2001 1,891 −4.6% 2006 1,816 −4.0%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 1,789 −1.5%

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec[8]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		1,730		1,710	0.9%	98.84%		15	50.0%	0.87%		5	50.0%	0.29%		0	100.0%	0.00%
2006		1,760		1,695	6.4%	96.31%		10	n/a%	0.57%		10	33.3%	0.57%		45	350.0%	2.56%
2001		1,835		1,810	5.7%	98.64%		0	0.0%	0.00%		15	n/a%	0.82%		10	0.0%	0.54%
1996		1,930		1,920	n/a	99.48%		0	n/a	0.00%		0	n/a	0.00%		10	n/a	0.52%

Tourism and attractions

Île d'Orléans pastoral character is well preserved in Saint-Pierre.

Orleans Island, known as the "Garden of Quebec", attracts many vacationers and daytrippers with its pastoral character and cultural heritage. Since they enter the island through Saint-Pierre, it is home to many businesses catering to tourism, such as bed-and-breakfast accommodations, restaurants, art galleries, and sugar houses.^[9]

Local attractions include:

• Espace Félix-Leclerc - a museum and art gallery in a historic building dedicated to the works of poet and songwriter Félix Leclerc, as well as showcasing other Quebec folk singers
• Wineries and vineyards - offering tours and tasting local wines

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References

1. "Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
2. Geographic code 20025 in the official Répertoire des municipalités (French)
3. Statistics Canada 2011 Census - Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans census profile
4. "Sainte-Pétronille (Municipalité de village)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
5. "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
6. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
7. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
8. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
9. "Welcome to Île d'Orléans". Île d'Orléans Tourism. Retrieved 2009-10-23.

External links

• Île d'Orléans - Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans portrait