Saint-Tite is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in the province of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada, north of

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

, in the

Mékinac Regional County Municipality Mékinac () is a regional county municipality (MRC) in the administrative region of Mauricie, in the province of Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Saint-Tite. It is composed of 10 municipalities and 4 unorganized territories. Toponymy According to th ...

(RCM) and in the

Mauricie Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km² (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...

administrative region. In the 19th Century, the

Batiscanie Batiscanie is the watershed of the Batiscan River, located in the center of the province of Quebec, Canada, covering 4690 km² on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River. The area covered by Batiscanie is 53% in the administrative région o ...

economy was mainly founded on

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. With many small businesses, Saint-Tite expanded through the production of leather goods and various types of shops. Saint-Tite became a capital of the region, especially concerning education, health and social services. Today, tourism counts as an important economic activity. Its chief industries were

and

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

goods production.

Western Festival

The city of Saint-Tite is particularly known for the

Festival Western de Saint-Tite The Festival Western de Saint-Tite is a major annual event held in September, in Saint-Tite, Quebec, Canada. Voted "Best Outdoor Rodeo in North America" since 1999, Saint-Tite's festival, now in its 52nd edition, attracts around 600,000 visitor ...

, which takes place for 10 days in September every year. The

was developed from a

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

inaugurated in 1967 to promote the leather industry. The

is the largest Western attraction in Eastern

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. This festival of Eastern style, under the epithet Western, has an international reputation. The festival's success has led to the remodeling of some of the town's infrastructures to resemble a western frontier town of the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. Since 1999, the

Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

is awarded as the "Best outdoor

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

". The festival features a variety of activities that take place at a rate of horsemen and the sound of country music and in Eastern decor: competition, conference, parade, tasting, demonstrations, exhibitions, shows, etc... The horsemen and women can participate in various tests of skill on the Monte horse or wild bull (with or without a saddle). They can participate in speed events, such as steer socket, or skill tests, such as the race between barrels. During the 10 days of the Festival, several events take place in the various marquees erected around the city or at the Country Club Desjardins, a site that looks like a typical western town. The festival is marked by a country western character. The "Galaxie Rising Star Award" awarded at the Festival contributes to the development of musical talent in the country western area.

Toponymy

The mission of Saint-Just-de-Kapibouska was established in 1851 around Lake Kapibouska, on the site of the present city of Saint-Tite. In Algonquin language, Kapibouska name means "where there are reeds". In 1859, the Bishop of Trois-Rivières had retained the surname Saint-Tite for canonical foundation. The civil erection of the parish municipality occurred in 1863. The parish was named in honor of Titus, Apostle and companion of Paul, Bishop of Knossos.

Geography

Saint-Tite is located 30 km northeast of

Shawinigan Shawinigan () is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It had a population of 49,349 as of the 2016 Canadian census. Shawinigan is also a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) an ...

. The territory of 92.53 km2 is situated in the

region and the

. It shares its borders with the municipalities of

Sainte-Thècle Sainte-Thècle is a Canadian municipality located in the province of Quebec in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality, in the Batiscanie watershed, in the administrative region of Mauricie. This municipality of 216 square kilometres is known ...

Grandes-Piles Grandes-Piles is a village municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. Geography Located in Radnor Township, this small village is located on a cliff at north of Grand-Mère, overlooking the Saint-Maurice River on ...

Hérouxville Hérouxville (formerly called Saint-Timothée d'Hérouxville) is a parish municipality in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality in the administrative region of Mauricie, in the province of Quebec, Canada. Its watershed is mainly part of the B ...

Saint-Adelphe Saint-Adelphe () is a Parish municipality of Quebec, Canada, located in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality, in the Batiscanie area (except watershed Charest river, located in the East) and in the administrative region of Mauricie. The t ...

and Proulxville. The city is located in the lowlands of the

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

valley. The terrain is generally flat with some hills. The northwest marks the boundary with the Laurentians. The altitude in the municipality is from 110 to 309 m. The bedrock consists of

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...

gneiss. The city is crossed by the

Rivière des Envies Rivière des Envies (River of cravings, in a direct translation) is located in Canada, in the province of Quebec, in the Mauricie administrative region, in the Batiscanie. Rivière des Envies course from the outlet of Lac-de-la-Traverse, located ...

, a tributary of the

Batiscan River The Batiscan River is located in La Mauricie administrative region, in the Quebec province, Canada. This river flows from Lake Édouard in Mauricie south and west to empty into the St. Lawrence River at Batiscan, Quebec, northeast of Trois-Rivi ...

has its source at

Lake Traverse Lake Traverse is the southernmost body of water in the Hudson Bay drainage basin, watershed of North America. It lies along the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and South Dakota. A low continental divide, part of the Laurentian Divide ...

and enters at the northern part (in "Grand marais" sector) of the territory of Saint-Tite. It crosses the municipality through the city, then heads to Proulxville. The Saint-Tite has several lakes, the largest being Lake Pierre-Paul which discharges into the Pierre-Paul river. This small river crosses rang St-Thomas-South (

), then rang St-Émile (

), before emptying into the

in village of (

). In Saint-Tite, during Spring floods or heavy rains, the risk of immersion are high on 3.4 km² of land. Areas prone to floods correspond to Prairie Creek (a tributary of the

) and the area of the former Kapibouska lake (southwest of the city). The floods affect agricultural land as well as residential sectors. Saint-Tite is crossed by roads 153 and 159. The first connects with

Saint-Tite and

Lac-aux-Sables Lac-aux-Sables is a parish municipality in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality (MRC de Mékinac), in administrative district of the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. Its population centres are Lac-aux-Sables and Hervey ...

. The second allows you to travel to

Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac is a parish municipality in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Mauricie, in the province of Quebec in Canada. Geography Municipal territory covers both side of Saint-Maurice River, inc ...

and

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade () is a municipality in the Les Chenaux Regional County Municipality, in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The town is located near the mouth of the Sainte-Anne River along the ''Chemin du Roy'', ...

. The city is also served by a railway going to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Saguenay and

Senneterre Senneterre is a town in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of northwestern Quebec, Canada. It is in the Vallée-de-l'Or Regional County Municipality. The town's territory includes a vast undeveloped area stretching from the Bell River to the Ma ...

History

The first inhabitant Indians to settle permanently in the area that would become Saint-Tite were Métis, Montagnais and Algonquins who lived in the vicinity of Lake Kapibouska. This stretch of water that lies south-west of the village, was formed by a bulge in the Rivière-des-Envies caused by large beaver dams. The non-Aboriginal settlers contributed to the disappearance of the lake by the demolition of the dams to counteract the adverse effects of spring flooding on agriculture, transport and surrounding buildings. The first settlers from Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan, Champlain, Grondines, Neuville and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures settled in 1833 around the Lake Kapibouska. A Catholic mission, Saint-Just-de-Kapibouska, was established in 1851. The parish of Saint-Tite was incorporated on 11 July 1863. The population of the municipality progressed to 3 000 in 1900. On 4 June 1910, the city of Saint-Tite broke away from the parish. The two were merged December 23, 1998.

Slogan of the city

Union in action

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the city was adopted in 1954 by the city council. The coat of arms of Saint-Tite is blazoned thus: Greek cross gules a chief azure point, flanked by a toothed wheel segment money dexter and a gear segment sinister gold, containing a skin tight leather gold dextral and sinistral spruce money, overcoming mountains of sand placed on a terrace or charged with a blue river.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Saint-Tite had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Population trend: Note: The two municipalities were merged in 1998. According to the 2006 census: * Less than 1% of the population is immigrant. * 31% of the population over 15 years has no diploma. * 7% of the population over 15 years has a degree of higher education. * 60.2% of the population of Saint-Tite is urban. The urban area of Saint-Tite has a population of 2,306 and an area of 2.58 km² in 2006, or a density of 893.8 inhabitants/km². * Private dwellings occupied by usual residents in 2011: 1846 (total dwellings: 2155) Mother language of Saint-Tite's citizens: Almost all of the population speaks French as a mother tongue: * 16.2% of the population masters both official languages of Canada. * French as first language: 98.6% * English as first language: 0% * English and French as first language: 0.3% * Other as first language: 1.1%

Attractions

*Saint-Tite is particularly known for its western festival which has taken place every September since 1967. In 2008, the festival attracted 585,581 visitors. *École Emilie Bordeleau, who inspired the novels of Arlette Cousture "Les Filles de Caleb", is located in Saint-Tite.

Notable people

Julie Boulet Julie Boulet (born June 16, 1959 in Saint-Tite, Quebec) is a Canadian politician. Boulet is the current Member of National Assembly for the Quebec riding of Laviolette in the Mauricie region. A member of the Quebec Liberal Party, she was Mi ...

, politician, member of the

Liberal Party of Quebec The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP; french: Parti libéral du Québec, PLQ) is a provincial political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955. The QLP has always been associated with the colour red; e ...

. *

Gratien Gélinas Gratien Gélinas, (December 8, 1909 – March 16, 1999) was a Canadian writer, playwright, actor, director, producer and administrator who is considered one of the founders of modern Canadian theatre and film. His major works include ''Tit ...

(1909-1999), playwright and actor.

Novels about Saint-Tite

Saint-Tite is an important part of the novel

Les Filles de Caleb ''Les Filles de Caleb'' is a Quebec TV series of 20 one-hour episodes, created by Jean Beaudin, based on the eponymous novel of Arlette Cousture,W.H. New. A History of Canadian Literature'. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP; 6 August 2003. . p. 344–. ...

(Caleb's daughters), written by novelist Arlette Cousture. The backstory of this novel is based on the life of Émilie Bordeleau, a country school teacher who taught and lived with her children in schools in the area.

Publications on the history of Saint-Tite

# "Histoire de Saint-Tite 1833-1984 (History of Saint-Tite 1833-1984)" (second edition). Published in 1984 in French by Éditions Souvenance Inc and Historical Committee. 471 pages. Book Committee: Raymonde Rompré-LeBrun, Gisèle St-Amant-Matton, Gérard Brunelle, Marielle Brouillette, Louise Nobert-Béland, Pierre LeBrun, Jean-Pierre Paquet. Member of the "History of Saint-Tite" project sponsored by "Development Canada Community Project": Cécile Gélinas, Cécile Chaillé-Trépanier and Pierrette Délisle. Old photographs reproduced largely by Michel Pothier. # "Répertoire des naissances et des baptêmes de Saint-Tite de Champlain 1859-1940 (Directory of births and baptisms of St. Tite de Champlain 1859-1940)", compiled by Jacques Delisle. Published in French. # "Répertoire des mariages de la paroisse Saint-Tite de Champlain: 1859-1959 (Directory of marriages of the parish Saint-Tite de Champlain: 1859-1959)", Campagna, Dominique. Cap-de-la-Madeleine, s.n., 1968. 186 p. # "Répertoire des décès et des sépultures de Saint-Tite de Champlain 1859-1940 (Directory death and burial of St. Tite de Champlain 1859-1940)", compiled by Jacques Delisle, 135 pages.

References

External links

* City of Saint-Tite of Champlain (Ville de Saint-Tite de Champlain):

{{authority control Cities and towns in Quebec Incorporated places in Mauricie Mékinac Regional County Municipality