Saint-Irénée, Quebec

Saint-Irénée
Beach of Saint-Irénée
Location within Charlevoix-Est RCM
Saint-Irénée
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 47°34′N 70°12′W / 47.567°N 70.200°W / 47.567; -70.200[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionCapitale-Nationale
RCMCharlevoix-Est
ConstitutedJuly 1, 1855
Government
 • MayorOdile Comeau
 • Federal ridingMontmorency—Charlevoix
 • Prov. ridingCharlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré
Area
 • Total
154.39 km2 (59.61 sq mi)
 • Land59.92 km2 (23.14 sq mi)
Population
 • Total
678
 • Density11.3/km2 (29/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016-21)
5.8%
 • Dwellings
482
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area codes418 and 581
Highways R-362
Websitewww.saintirenee.ca

Saint-Irénée (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃t‿iʁene]) is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada.

The municipality is home to the Charlevoix Airport and Domaine Forget, an international education institution in music and dance. In addition to the main namesake population centre, the municipality also contains the hamlets of L'Anse-au-Sac (47°31′16″N 70°12′32″W / 47.52111°N 70.20889°W / 47.52111; -70.20889),[4] Le Cap-Blanc (47°35′28″N 70°11′01″W / 47.59111°N 70.18361°W / 47.59111; -70.18361),[5] Rochette (47°34′49″N 70°15′47″W / 47.58028°N 70.26306°W / 47.58028; -70.26306),[6] and Ruisseau-Jureux (47°32′18″N 70°12′12″W / 47.53833°N 70.20333°W / 47.53833; -70.20333).[7]

History

Settlement began in 1832, and the parish was founded in 1840, named after Saint Irenaeus. The first resident priest was Father Charles Pouliot, and the area had a population of around 800 at the time. In 1845, the Municipality of Saint Irénée was created but abolished two years later. In 1852, its post office opened. The current municipality of Saint-Irénée was officially created on 1 July 1855..[1][8] The population was 1,060 in 1861 and was divided among about a hundred families, according to the findings of French consul Charles-Henri-Philippe Gauldrée-Boilleau, who conducted a sociological survey of peasant families there. Among other things, he noted certain peculiarities in the language of the locals, such as saying ‘espérez un instant’ (wait a moment) instead of ‘attendez un instant’ (wait a moment) or ‘c'est de valeur’ (it's valuable) in response to a chance event.

At the turn of the 20th century, Judge Adolphe-Basile Routhier, who also wrote the lyrics to Canada's national anthem, and businessman and financier Rodolphe Forget owned summer estates facing the river, in the area now occupied by Domaine Forget. Forget owned a sumptuous estate called Gil'Mont (destroyed by fire in 1965) where his daughter, politician Thérèse Casgrain, spent many summers, as she recounted in her autobiography.[9] The municipality has been connected to La Malbaie and Quebec City by the Charlevoix Railway since 1919. A credit union was established there in 1945 and Charlevoix Airport in 1962.

In 2021, the parish municipality changed statutes to become a regular municipality.[1]

Demographics

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents (2021): 333 (total dwellings: 482)[3]

Language

Mother tongue (2021):[3]

  • English as first language: 0.7%
  • French as first language: 97.8%
  • English and French as first language: 0%
  • Other as first language: 0.7%

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 440846". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 15005". www.quebec.ca (in French). Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Saint-Irénée, Quebec (Code 2415005) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  4. ^ "L'Anse-au-Sac". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  5. ^ "Le Cap-Blanc". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  6. ^ "Rochette". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  7. ^ "Ruisseau-Jureux". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  8. ^ "Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Saint-Irénée (municipalité) 1.7.1845 - 1.9.1847 ● 1.7.1855 - ..." www.mairesduquebec.com. Institut généalogique Drouin. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  9. ^ https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/1993-n33-cd1042870/8362ac/
  10. ^ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census
  11. ^ "1971 Census of Canada - Population Census Subdivisions (Historical)". Catalogue 92-702 Vol I, part 1 (Bulletin 1.1-2). Statistics Canada: 76, 139. July 1973.