Saint-Marcel () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

located in the MRC de L'Islet in the

Chaudière-Appalaches Chaudière-Appalaches (, ) is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises most of what is historically known as the " Beauce" (; compare with the electoral district of Beauce). It is named for the Chaudière River and the Appalachia ...

. As of the 2016 census, the population of Saint-Marcel is 428.

Geography

Saint-Marcel is located 130 miles from

southeast of the

region, in the Côte-du-Sud area, on the

Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in the United States. The Appalachi ...

. Near the Canada–US border, it is halfway between Sainte-Felicite and Sainte-Apolline-de-Patton. The landscape consists of rolling hills and valleys of between . There are several rivers and lakes in the municipality, and Saint-Marcel is on the boundary of two watersheds to

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...

north and south to the border: the Grande rivière Noire, the rivière Rocheuse, and lakes Cayen, aux Canards, d'Apic and Roches et Fontaine Claire. In addition, the motocross circuit Saint-Marcel took the title of the most beautiful track in 2008 SXQC Performance GP series.

History

In 1865, Township of Arago was established, which was named in honour of the French astronomer and politician

François Arago Dominique François Jean Arago (), known simply as François Arago (; Catalan: , ; 26 February 17862 October 1853), was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer, freemason, supporter of the Carbonari revolutionaries and politician. Early l ...

(1786–1853). The Pelletier brothers, from the nearby village of St. Cyril, were the first residents. Among the first establishments in the sector was a mission established in 1882, which was recognized civilly in 1904 and canonically in 1924 as the parish of "Saint-Marcel-de-Islet." The municipality of St. Marcel was formed in 1956 under the same name. Although the exact reasons for the name of the first mission are not known, sources say it is ultimately a reference to Saint Marcel 1st, pope from 308 to 309, under the Roman Emperor Maxence. Marcellois (residents of St-Marcel) received the nickname Chapeaux de Paille (Straw Hats) as villagers of the municipality were accustomed to wearing large hats woven with straw.= 57174 Toponymy: Saint-Marcel
/ref> Between 1981 and 2001, the population of the municipality decreased by 18%, due to a declining birth rate and an aging population.

Timeline

* July 5, 1904: Creation of the municipality of the Township of Arago. * August 18, 1956: The City of Canton d'Arago became the municipality of Saint Marcel. * March 15, 1969: The municipality changed its name to Saint-Marcel

Economy

Agriculture (especially dairy) and maple farming are the main activities of the area and surpassed logging, in addition to the presence of quarries and sand pits. To take advantage of d'Apic Lake, a resort includes an interpretive nature trail. In addition, the former

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

has been transformed into an inn which serves gourmet meals and local produce.

References

External links