Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec

Saint- Hyacinthe is a city in the southwest of the Canadian province of Quebec. It is located in the Montérégie administrative region, approximately 60 kilometers east of Montreal. Saint- Hyacinthe is the administrative headquarters of the regional county municipality ( municipalité régional du comté ) Les Maskoutains, has an area of ​​188.69 km ² and has 53 236 inhabitants ( 2011).

Geography

Saint- Hyacinthe is located on both sides of the Rivière Yamaska ​​River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River, with the city center is located on the left bank. The terrain is mostly flat. Neighboring communities are Saint- Barnabé -Sud in the north, Saint -Simon in the Northeast, Saint- Liboire in the east, Saint -Dominique in the Southeast, Saint- Pie and Saint- Damase in the south, Sainte -Marie -Madeleine in the southwest and La Présentation to the west.

History

François- Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil received from the French king Louis XV. the Seigneurie Maska awarded. Rigaud sold the vast territory on both sides of the Rivière Yamaska ​​five years later to Jacques -Hyacinthe - Delorme Simon. 1757 was a settlement named after Delorme's namesake Hyacinth of Caesarea. 1849 saw the establishment of the civil parish. As they grew rapidly due to railroad construction, she was awarded in 1857 the city status. 1976 La Providence, Saint -Joseph and Douville were incorporated. Another growth spurt, there were 2001 with the incorporation of Sainte- Rosalie, Saint-Thomas- d'Aquin, Sainte- Rosalie, Saint- Hyacinthe -le- confesseur and Notre -Dame-de -Saint -Hyacinthe.

Population

According to the 2011 census counted Saint -Hyacinthe 53 236 inhabitants, which corresponds to a population density of 282.1 inh. / Km ². 94.9 % of the population reported French as the main language, the proportion of English was 0.8 %. As a bilingual ( French and English) is designated 0.4 %, to other languages ​​and multiple responses accounted for 3.9%. Only 72.3 % spoke French. In 2001, 92.8 % of the population were Roman Catholic, 1.9 % Protestant, and 3.9 % non-denominational.

Transport and the economy

North of the city runs the Autoroute 20, the highway between Montreal and Riviere -du -Loup. The town center has two important main roads, the route 116 ( Longueuil Lévis ) and route 137 ( Saint- Denis- sur -Richelieu, Granby ) intersect. Saint- Hyacinthe is located on a railway line of the Canadian National Railway; stop at the station several times a day VIA Rail express trains between Montreal and Quebec City, as well as three weekly trains from Montreal to Halifax and Gaspé. The bus operation CIT de la Vallée du Richelieu is responsible for public transport; in the rush hour buses to Mont -Saint -Hilaire, where connection is made to the AMT commuter trains from / to Montreal.

Saint- Hyacinthe is located in the midst of the most important agricultural region of Quebec, which is why the food industry plays an important role. The city is the site of a Techologieparks, which specializes in food research and biotechnology. Saint- Hyacinthe is also location of the veterinary faculty of the University of Montreal (the only francophone institution of its kind in North America ) and the State Research Institute of Food Technology. Other major companies are Casavant Frères ( oldest existing organ building company in North America ) and the Financial Services Intact Financial ( originally the Canadian subsidiary of the Dutch ING Groep ).

Culture and Sport

Opened in 2006, des arts Juliette - Lassonde Centre is a nationally important cultural center with two halls for 700 and 600 people, which can be used for a variety of cultural performances. The July / August annual Expo de Saint- Hyacinthe is the largest agricultural fair in Québec; they each attracts around 200,000 visitors.

The Hockey Stadium Stade Louis -Philippe Gaucher has a capacity of 3,000 spectators. It was from 1989 to 1995 home of the laser de Saint- Hyacinthe in Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec and from 2001 to 2009, the Chiefs de Saint- Hyacinthe in the Ligue Nord - Americaine de Hockey.

Attractions

Landmark of the city is the cathedral, built in 1880 Saint- Hyacinthe -le- confesseur, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint- Hyacinthe. In the city center there are numerous neo-Gothic building from the late 19th and early 20th century. The main post office, built in 1894 is classified as a National Historic Site. The Marché de Saint -Hyacinthe -Centre is the oldest covered market in Québec, which still serves its original purpose.

Post office

Former Customs House

Market hall Saint- Hyacinthe

Château Maska

Personalities

  • Télesphore - Damien Bouchard (1881-1962), politician
  • Marc -Andre Bourdon (* 1989), ice hockey player
  • Denis DeJordy ( born 1938 ), ice hockey player and coach
  • Pierre Gendron (1916-1984), scientist
  • Gaspard Fauteux (1898-1963), politician
  • Gérald Fauteux (1900-1980), judge
  • Marie Luc Arpin (born 1978 ), water polo player
  • Vincent Riendeau (born 1966 ), ice hockey player and coach
  • David Savard (* 1990), ice hockey player
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