Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | |
|---|---|
| Ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | |
 Saint Jean sur Richelieu in 2025 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Motto: L'industrie, la culture, l'avenir | |
 Location within Le Haut-Richelieu RCM | |
  St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Location in southern Quebec | |
| Coordinates:45°19′N73°16′W / 45.317°N 73.267°W /45.317; -73.267[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Montérégie |
| RCM | Le Haut-Richelieu |
| Settled | 1665 |
| Constituted | January 24, 2001 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Éric Latour |
| • Federal riding | Saint-Jean |
| • Prov. riding | Iberville andSaint-Jean |
| Area | |
• City | 233.75 km2 (90.25 sq mi) |
| • Land | 226.93 km2 (87.62 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 53.80 km2 (20.77 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• City | 97,873 |
| • Density | 431.3/km2 (1,117/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 88,083 |
| • Urban density | 1,637.3/km2 (4,241/sq mi) |
| • |  2.9% |
| • Dwellings | 44,255 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | 450 and 579 |
| Website | www.ville.saint-jean -sur-richelieu.qc.cawww.sjsr.ca |
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (French pronunciation:[sɛ̃ʒɑ̃syʁʁiʃ(ə)ljø],lit. 'Saint-Jean onRichelieu') is a city in easternMontérégie in theCanadian province ofQuebec, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast ofMontreal, roughly halfway between Montreal and theCanada–United States border with the state ofVermont. It straddles the west and east banks of theRichelieu River (which is accompanied by a canal) at the northernmost navigable point ofLake Champlain. As of December 2019, the population was 98,036. The city has experienced steady growth, up from the official 2021 Census count of 97,873 residents. It hosts the annualInternational Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ahot air balloon festival which attracts thousands of tourists
Historically, the city has been an important transportation hub. Thefirst railway line in British North America connected it withLa Prairie in 1836. It hosts the annualInternational Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ahot air balloon festival which attracts thousands of tourists who come to see the hundreds of balloons in the sky each August.
TheChambly Canal extends 20 kilometres (12 mi) north along the west bank of the river and provides modern freight passage toChambly and theSt. Lawrence River. The canal has onelock near the downtown of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. In the winter, the city builds askating rink on the canal near the lock. In the summer, the embankment on the east side of the canal has a 20-kilometre (12 mi)cycling path.
The French builtFort Saint-Jean in the seventeenth century. Known to early English settlers asSt. Johns, it provided an important communication link during theSeven Years' War. During theAmerican Revolutionary War control of the townchanged hands several times as British and American forces moved through the area.
In 2001 the city and several adjoining communities were merged into the new regional county municipality with a population to 79,600. This merger was requested by the five municipalities involved and was not part of themunicipal fusions imposed by the Quebec government the following year.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu straddles the banks of the Richelieu River. The city is the seat of Le Haut-Richelieuregional county municipality and of thejudicial district of Iberville.[7]
| Climate data for Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Iberville) 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1956–present)[8] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.3 (57.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 30.7 (87.3) | 36.1 (97.0) | 35.7 (96.3) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.6 (96.1) | 34.2 (93.6) | 29.1 (84.4) | 22.3 (72.1) | 17.3 (63.1) | 36.1 (97.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −3.0 (26.6) | 2.6 (36.7) | 11.3 (52.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 24.0 (75.2) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.2 (77.4) | 20.6 (69.1) | 13.0 (55.4) | 5.8 (42.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | 11.5 (52.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.7 (14.5) | −7.9 (17.8) | −2.1 (28.2) | 6.2 (43.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.3 (59.5) | 8.6 (47.5) | 2.2 (36.0) | −5.1 (22.8) | 6.6 (43.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.4 (6.1) | −12.8 (9.0) | −6.9 (19.6) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.9 (55.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 10.0 (50.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | −1.5 (29.3) | −9.1 (15.6) | 1.7 (35.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −39.0 (−38.2) | −40.0 (−40.0) | −33.0 (−27.4) | −14.1 (6.6) | −4.4 (24.1) | 1.5 (34.7) | 2.5 (36.5) | 2.0 (35.6) | −4.5 (23.9) | −7.1 (19.2) | −21.1 (−6.0) | −32.5 (−26.5) | −40.0 (−40.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 81.6 (3.21) | 66.3 (2.61) | 71.6 (2.82) | 90.8 (3.57) | 99.2 (3.91) | 97.5 (3.84) | 111.3 (4.38) | 103.1 (4.06) | 95.2 (3.75) | 103.6 (4.08) | 102.8 (4.05) | 88.9 (3.50) | 1,111.9 (43.78) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 34.8 (1.37) | 24.6 (0.97) | 42.7 (1.68) | 82.7 (3.26) | 99.2 (3.91) | 97.5 (3.84) | 111.3 (4.38) | 103.1 (4.06) | 95.2 (3.75) | 102.3 (4.03) | 91.9 (3.62) | 43.0 (1.69) | 928.3 (36.55) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 46.8 (18.4) | 41.7 (16.4) | 29.0 (11.4) | 8.4 (3.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.3 (0.5) | 10.9 (4.3) | 45.9 (18.1) | 183.9 (72.4) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 13.8 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 12.0 | 13.9 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 151.8 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.0 | 3.8 | 6.9 | 11.5 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 6.0 | 119.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.7 | 8.7 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.03 | 0.34 | 3.0 | 9.2 | 39.6 |
| Source:Environment Canada[9][10] | |||||||||||||
The city is divided in five sectors which refer to the former municipalities. Each sector contains different neighbourhoods:
| Sectors | Saint-Jean | Saint-Luc | Iberville | Saint-Athanase | L'Acadie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhoods | Vieux-Saint-Jean | Saint-Luc ("le Village") | Vieux-Iberville | Les Mille-Roches | Vieux-L'Acadie (Village) |
| Saint-Gérard | Les Prés-Verts | Saint-Athanase | Saint-Athanase-Sud | Domaine-Deland | |
| Saint-Edmond | Talon | Saint-Noël-Chabanel | La Canadienne | ||
| Saint-Lucien | L'Île-Sainte-Thérèse | Sacré-Coeur | Ruisseau-des-Noyers | ||
| Saint-Eugène | |||||
| Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice | |||||
| Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes | |||||
| Normandie |
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu had a population of97,873 living in42,913 of its44,255 total private dwellings, a change of2.9% from its 2016 population of95,114. With a land area of 226.93 km2 (87.62 sq mi), it had a population density of431.3/km2 (1,117.0/sq mi) in 2021.[12]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 97,873 (+2.9% from 2016) | 95,115 (+2.9% from 2011) | 92,394 (+5.6% from 2006) |
| Land area | 226.93 km2 (87.62 sq mi) | 226.63 km2 (87.50 sq mi) | 225.78 km2 (87.17 sq mi) |
| Population density | 431.3/km2 (1,117/sq mi) | 419.7/km2 (1,087/sq mi) | 409.2/km2 (1,060/sq mi) |
| Median age | 43.6 (M: 42.4, F: 45.2) | 41.8 (M: 40.7, F: 42.9) | 41.1 (M: 39.8, F: 42.3) |
| Private dwellings | 42,910 (total) | 42,036 (total) | 40,411 (total) |
| Median household income | $74,500 | $61,904 | $55,412 |
The amalgamated municipalities (with 2001 population) were:
Despite the fact that nearby Montreal is very racially diverse, in 2021 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu had a very large majority of white residents (~94.4%). 4.1% of residents were visible minorities and 1.5% identified as Indigenous.[16] The largest visible minority groups wereBlack (1.4%) andLatin American (0.8%).
French was the mother tongue of 92.5% of residents. Other common mother tongues were English (2.5%), Spanish (0.8%), and Arabic (0.5%). 1.4% claimed both French and English as first languages, while 0.4% listed both French and a non-official language.
68.9% of residents wereChristian, down from 88.0% in 2011.[17] 62.3% wereCatholic, 4.3% were Christian n.o.s and 0.8% wereProtestant. 29.3% of the population was non-religious or secular, up from 11.7% in 2011. All other religions and spiritual traditions accounted for 1.8% of the population. The largest non-Christian religion wasIslam at 1.4%.
| Ethnic and Cultural origins (2021)[16] (Includes multiple responses) | Population | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian | 37,430 | 39.1% |
| French n.o.s | 22,115 | 23.1% |
| Québécois | 14,165 | 14.8% |
| French Canadian | 8,260 | 8.6% |
| Irish | 5,165 | 5.4% |
| Caucasian (White) n.o.s+ European n.o.s | 3,460 | 3.6% |
| First Nations (North American Indian) n.o.s.+ North American Indigenous, n.o.s. | 2,625 | 2.7% |
| Italian | 2,115 | 2.2% |
| Scottish | 1,715 | 1.8% |
| English | 1,525 | 1.6% |
| German | 1,250 | 1.3% |
| Christian n.i.e. | 1,135 | 1.2% |
| Acadian | 1,015 | 1.1% |
| Census | Total | French | English | French & English | Other | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | |||||
2021 | 96,835 | 89,580 | 1.09% | 92.5% | 2,385 | 3.02% | 2.46% | 1,310 | 61.72% | 1.35% | 3,010 | 52.02% | 3.1% | |||||
2016 | 95,114 | 88,535 | 2.19% | 93.08% | 2,315 |  4.1% | 2.43% | 810 | 7.28% | 0.85% | 1,980 | 24.14% | 2.08% | |||||
2011 | 91,400 | 86,635 | 6.4% | 94.79% | 2,415 | 14.5% | 2.64% | 755 | 48.0% | 0.83% | 1,595 | 20.6% | 1.74% | |||||
2006 | 86,075 | 81,445 | 137.1% | 94.62% | 2,110 | 68.1% | 2.45% | 510 | 88.9% | 0.59% | 2,010 | 131.0% | 2.34% | |||||
2001 | 36,745 | 34,350 | 1.1% | 93.48% | 1,255 | 16.2% | 3.42% | 270 | 3.8% | 0.73% | 870 | 74.0% | 2.37% | |||||
1996 | 35,825 | 33,985 | n/a | 94.86% | 1,080 | n/a | 3.01% | 260 | n/a | 0.73% | 500 | n/a | 1.40% | |||||
A park hosts the annualInternational Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ahot air balloon festival which attracts thousands of tourists.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is home to the Carrefour Richelieu regionalshopping mall which has 115 stores.[18][clarification needed]
Newer retail developments include Faubourg Saint-Jean, home to restaurants, services, stores, and a soon-to-open movie theatre.
The historic downtown area, which borders theRichelieu River and includes Richelieu and Champlain streets, is home to a variety of locally owned bars, restaurants, and shops.
St-Jean is a manufacturing centre for textiles, wood products, sporting equipment, and metal transformation. It hosts an Area Support Unit (ASU) of theCanadian Armed Forces, which functions as a primary recruit and officer training establishment.
The Ville deSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu public transit system provides commuter and local bus services.
According to the 2016 Census, 22,840 residents, or 56.7% of the labour force work within the city. An additional 5,135 (12.7%) commute toMontreal, while 2,305 (5.7%) work inLongueuil, 1,440 (3.6%) work inBrossard, and 965 (2.4%) work inChambly.
By contrast only 770 people commute from Montreal to work in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu every day, while 795 people commute fromLongueuil, 780 commute fromChambly, 510 commute fromSaint-Alexandre and 500 commute fromMont-Saint-Grégoire.[19]
The city is split in two by Autoroute de la Vallée-des-Forts (Autoroute 35) which goes north–south by going first through Saint-Luc district, then turns east just south of Pierre-Caisse Boulevard in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu district to cross the Richelieu River and to finally continue its way south through St-Athanase and Iberville districts. The highway continues south for some 24 km before ending at Saint-Sébastien, but it is expected to be extended all the way to theCanada-United States border atSaint-Armand (Highgate Springs, Vermont) in the future, and will then continue asInterstate 89 in Vermont.[20]
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has its own municipal airport,Saint-Jean Airport, and is also close toMontréal–Trudeau International Airport.
The formerInternational Railway of Maine runs through the town, now the connecting point for theCentral Maine and Quebec Railway with theCanadian Pacific Railway. The formerSaint-Jean-d'Iberville railway station, which until 1966 served theAmbassador to Boston and New York City and theWashingtonian to Washington, D.C., is now a preserved building.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(November 2014) |
TheSouth Shore Protestant Regional School Board previously served the municipality.[21]
In addition to more than a dozen public elementary and secondary schools, St-Jean is home to two private schools, one English-language school, and two higher education institutions:
Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions | |
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 Subdivisions ofLe Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality | |
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| Cities & towns | |
| Municipalities | |
| Parishes | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
