Saint-Hyacinthe (;

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ) is a city in southwestern

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 thirte ...

east of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

on the

Yamaska River The Yamaska River is a river in southern Quebec, Canada. Sourcing water within the Eastern Townships, it ends its journey in Lake Saint-Pierre where it is a tributary to the Saint Lawrence River; altogether it is long. Crossing nearly twe ...

. The population as of the

2021 Canadian census 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 sl ...

was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the

Montérégie Montérégie () is an administrative region in the southwest part of Quebec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Châteauguay, Longueuil, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Vaudreuil-Dorion. Th ...

region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River.

Quebec Autoroute 20 Autoroute 20 is a Quebec Autoroute, following the Saint Lawrence River through one of the more densely populated parts of Canada, with its central section forming the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway from the A-25 interchange to the A-8 ...

runs perpendicular to the river. Saint-Hyacinthe is the seat of the judicial district of the same name.

History

Jacques-Hyacinthe Simon dit Delorme, owner of the

seigneurie In English law, seignory or seigniory, spelled ''signiory'' in Early Modern English (; french: seigneur, lit=lord; la, senior, lit=elder), is the lordship (authority) remaining to a grantor after the grant of an estate in fee simple. '' Nulle terr ...

, started its settlement in 1757. He gave his

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

name (Saint Hyacinth the Confessor of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

) to the seigneurie, which was made a city in 1850.

St. Hyacinth's Cathedral The Cathedral of St. Hyacinth the Confessor (french: Cathédrale Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur), located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe. The cathedral church, named in honour of St. H ...

is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe. It was erected in 1852. Portedesanciensmaires

2001 merger

As part of the

2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

, on 27 December 2001, the city of Saint-Hyacinthe amalgamated with five neighbouring towns (listed here with their populations as of 2001): * Saint-Hyacinthe (39,739) * Sainte-Rosalie (4,170) * Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin (4,000) * Sainte-Rosalie Parish (1,476) * Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur, Quebec (1,151) * Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec (858)

Demographics

In the

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 cultu ...

, Saint-Hyacinthe 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.

Economy

Agriculture and its related derivates are at the heart of Saint-Hyacinthe's economic infrastructure. The city has been nicknamed the "Agricultural technopolis of Canada", because it is home to several research institutions in the field such as the ''centre de recherche sur les aliments'', the ''Institut de recherche et développement en agro-environnement'', the '' Institut de technologie agroalimentaire'' and the head office of the Artificial Insemination Center of Quebec. Saint-Hyacinthe hosts numerous agriculture related events such as fairs, exposition and

congresses A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

and acts a hub in the field. The Agricultural Hall of Fame of Quebec decided to move there from

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

to give itself more visibility in the community. In addition, it is also home to

Orgues Létourneau Orgues Létourneau Limitée of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec is a prominent Canadian builder and restorer of pipe organs. The company was founded in 1979 by Fernand Létourneau, who served as president, owner and artistic director of the firm until 2019. ...

and

Casavant Frères Casavant Frères is a Canadian organ building company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building pipe organs since 1879. As of 2014, the company has produced more than 3,900 organs. Company history Brothers Joseph-Claver (1855–1933 ...

, builders of

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks' ...

s, and

Intact Financial Intact Financial Corporation is a Canadian multinational property and casualty insurance company. Originally established in 1809 as the Halifax Fire Insurance Association, it was later acquired by Nationale-Nederlanden and from 1993 to 2009 was ...

, formerly known as ING Canada.

Transport

* Local bus service operated by '' Transport Scolaire Sogesco''Ville Saint-Hyacinthe transport en commun
*

Paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...

service by MRC Les Maskoutains * Train bus service to

Mont-Saint-Hilaire station Mont-Saint-Hilaire station is a commuter rail station operated by Exo in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. It is the eastern terminus of the Mont-Saint-Hilaire line Mont-Saint-Hilaire (also designated exo3) is a commuter railway line in Gr ...

, connecting by Exo on the

Mont-Saint-Hilaire line Mont-Saint-Hilaire (also designated exo3) is a commuter railway line in Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by Exo, the operator of public transport services across this region. The Mont-Saint-Hilaire line was operated by the Can ...

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

Downtown Montreal Downtown Montreal (French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the borough of Ville ...

Interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...

bus service by Exo de la Vallée du Richelieu sector *

Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

has several trains that stop at the Saint-Hyacinthe station * The private

Saint-Hyacinthe Aerodrome Saint-Hyacinthe Aerodrome is located west of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. The Saint-Hyacinthe Aerodrome is an example of general aviation diversity driven by private management. Almost all airplanes on floats land on its man-made water ...

is located west of the city.

Education

The

South Shore Protestant Regional School Board The South Shore Protestant Regional School Board (SSPRSB) was a Protestant Christian school district in Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It served the South Shore region and it was headquartered in St. Lambert. The district operated elementary a ...

previously served the municipality. In association with the

Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte- ...

, Saint-Hyacinthe is home to the only

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

faculty of Quebec and the only such school in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

where teaching is provided in French.

Sports

From 1989 to 1996 the city had a team in the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...

known as the

Saint-Hyacinthe Laser The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1989 to 1996. They played their home games at Stade L.P. Gaucher in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. History The Saint-Hyacinthe Laser were bor ...

. From 2001 to 2009 the city was represented in the ''

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH, ''"North American Hockey League"'') is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. Teams in the LNAH compete for the Vertdure Cup. History The league was fou ...

'' (known as the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League (QSPHL) until 2004) by the Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin (200105), Saint-Hyacinthe Cristal (200506), Saint-Hyacinthe Top Design (200608) and

Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs The Saint-Hyacinthe Chiefs was a semi-pro ice hockey team based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which is now defunct. The team was part of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). The Chiefs played at the Stade L.P. Gaucher. The team started in ...

(200809). The city's main hockey arena is the historic

Stade L.P. Gaucher The Stade L.P. Gaucher is a multi-purpose arena in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. It has a capacity of 2,048 and was built in 1937. It was home to the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1989 to 1996. The arena hosted tea ...

, which was built in 1937.

Notable people

The following individuals were born or grew up in the region of Saint-Hyacinthe: *

Paul Arcand Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, host and journalist * François Avard, author and screenwriter known for the television series '' Les Bougon'' * Télesphore-Damien Bouchard (1881–1962), Quebec politician * Robert Bédard, professional tennis player, President of Tennis Québec, Vice-President of Tennis Canada, teacher ( Bishop's College School), teacher and headmaster (

St. Andrew's College, Aurora St. Andrew's College (SAC) is an independent boarding and day school founded in 1899 and located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is a university-preparatory school for boys in grades 5 to 12, with a focus on academic achievement, athletics, and ...

) * Michel-Esdras Bernier, Former

Minister of Inland Revenue The Minister of Inland Revenue is the political office of Minister for the department of Inland Revenue which is responsible for the collection of taxes. "Minister of Inland Revenue" is a title held by politicians in different countries. the offi ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

(Ret.) Jean Berthiaume, OBE, CD, infantry officer of the Régiment de St-Hyacinthe and of the Royal 22^e Régiment - 1915-2003 *

Martin Brodeur Martin Pierre Brodeur (; born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current team executive. He played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 21 of them for the New Jersey Devils, with wh ...

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

(NHL) hockey player, goalie for the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...

Geneviève Brouillette Geneviève Brouillette (born August 23, 1969 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec) is a French Canadian television and film actress from Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Since 1998 she has gradually appeared in film and she appeared in '' A Sunday in Kigali'' in ...

, actress *

Anthony Chabot Anthony Chabot (August 13, 1813 – January 6, 1888) was a nineteenth-century businessman and entrepreneur, notable for his contribution to developing hydraulic mining and for building water systems, especially in the Bay Area, so much that h ...

(1813-1888), businessman and entrepreneur know for his development of

water systems A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – sou ...

and hydraulic mines, especially in

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

. * Gérard Côté,

marathon runner The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

* Sébastien Demers, boxer * Henriette Dessaulles (1860–1946), journalist (aka Fadette) *

Gérald Fauteux Joseph Honoré Gérald Fauteux (October 22, 1900 – September 14, 1980) was the 13th Chief Justice of Canada from 1970 to 1973. Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, the son of Homère Fauteux and Héva Mercier, he studied at the Université de ...

(1900–1980), former Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...

Willie Lamothe Willie Lamothe was the stage name of Joachim Guillaume Lamothe (January 27, 1920 – October 19, 1992), a Canadian musician and actor from Quebec.

(1920–1992), singer and actor * Sir

François Langelier Sir François Langelier, (24 December 1838 – 8 February 1915) was a Canadian lawyer, professor, journalist, politician, the tenth Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, and author. He was born in Sainte-Rosalie, Lower Canada (now Quebec) and d ...

(1838–1915), politician * Ricardo Larrivée, cooking show host *

Pierre Lassonde Pierre Lassonde (born 1947) is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. Early life Pierre Lassonde was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, the third of four children. He studied at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe and graduated in 1967 wit ...

, businessperson and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Yvan Loubier Yvan Loubier (born April 10, 1959 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian politician and one of the founders of the Bloc Québécois. He was a Bloc Québécois member of the House of Commons of Canada representing the district of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bag ...

, politician *

Victor Morin Victor Morin (August 15, 1865 – September 30, 1960) was a Canadian notary, politician, and writer. Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada East, Morin studied at the Université Laval de Montréal. In 1890, he started working as a notary in his unc ...

, notary, politician, and writer * Hyacinthe-Marie Simon, dit Delorme, (1777–1814) son of Jacques-Hyacinthe Simon dit Delorme, the original owner of the seigneurie *

Mario Pouliot Mario Pouliot (born September 30, 1963) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and general manager. He began coaching in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) as an assistant coach with the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser. He later coached the C ...

, former head hockey coach for

LHJMQ

Gallery

File:QC StHyacinthe1 tango7174.jpg,

File:St-Hyacinthe Marché-Centre 2005 cropped.jpg, St. Hyacinthe's public market File:Saint-hyacinthe-dusk.jpg, The

File:Centre-Ville de Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.jpg, Downtown Saint-Hyacinthe during a blizzard File:Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe 2006.JPG,

Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe is a CEGEP (College of General and Vocational Education) located at 3000 Boullé Street, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. More than 4500 students attend the CEGEP to study in one of five pre-unive ...

File:Château Maska 2007 - Saint-Hyacinthe.jpg, Château Maska File:Siège Social ING (vue arrière) - Saint-Hyacinthe 2007.jpg,

building File:St-Hyacinthe Edifice Journal Le Courrier.JPG, Le Courrier building File:Hotel-de-ville-hiver2008.jpg, City Hall in winter 2008 File:QC StHyacinthe3 tango7174.jpg, Former Post Office (1892), National Historic Site of Canada File:QC StHyacinthe4 tango7174.jpg, Former Customs House (1903) File:Chapelle du Seminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.jpg, Interior of the Chapel of the Seminaire

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Quebec Incorporated places in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality