Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain, Quebec

Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain is a municipality of 516 people in the Les Chenaux Regional County Municipality, in Quebec, Canada. It is the smallest municipality in terms of population in the regional county.[3]

Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain
Agricultural zone, Rang Ste-Elisabeth
Agricultural zone, Rang Ste-Elisabeth
Location within Les Chenaux RCM
Location within Les Chenaux RCM
Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain is located in Central Quebec
Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain
Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 46°37′N 72°17′W / 46.617°N 72.283°W / 46.617; -72.283
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionMauricie
RCMLes Chenaux
Settledc. 1850
ConstitutedJuly 1, 1855
Government
 • MayorFrance Bédard
 • Federal ridingSaint-Maurice—Champlain
 • Prov. ridingChamplain
Area
 • Total93.00 km2 (35.91 sq mi)
 • Land94.11 km2 (36.34 sq mi)
 There is an apparent
contradiction between two
authoritative sources
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total482
 • Density5.1/km2 (13/sq mi)
 • Pop 2016-2021
Decrease 9.1%
 • Dwellings
264
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code418
Highways R-159
Websitewww.st-prosper.ca

Before September 4, 2010, it was known simply as Saint-Prosper, on that date, the municipality of the parish of Saint-Prosper became the municipality of Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain.[4]

History edit

 
One hundred girls and women during the centennial of the parish, 1848–1948

Around the Natal Church Bell Tower, historical notes on the parish of Saint-Prosper

« ... Et cependant que de progrès déjà accomplis au milieu de vous, non-seulement sous le rapport religieux ; mais encore pour la vie matérielle ! Au dire de connaisseurs, vous êtes de tout mon diocèse les plus avancés en agriculture et en industrie laitière. Vos champs se couvrent d'abondantes moissons, malgré les intempéries des saisons et quelquefois les oppositions persistantes du sol ; vos troupeaux ravissent les prix aux expositions ; et vos produits laitiers, exportés par des vôtres sur les marchés étrangers, en rapportent de notables bénéfices.

Aussi l'aisance est générale à Saint- Prosper, et c'est à peine si on y trouve assez de nécessiteux, pour sauvegarder la parole de Notre-Seigneur ; Pauperes enim semper habetis vobis (Jean-12-8) »

— F-X. Ev : des Trois-Rivières. Evêché des Trois- Rivières, 21 novembre 1908.[5]

 
Rivière-aux-Rats, O Dontigny, and Mgr. François-Xavier Cloutier, Bishop of Trois-Rivières, 1900

The area opened up for colonization in the middle of the 19th century, and in 1850 the Parish of Saint-Prosper was established out of the territories of Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan and Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade. It was named after Prosper of Aquitaine possibly by Bishop Joseph Signay who wanted to emphasize the "prosperity" of the first settlers, who were poor but brave. In 1853, its post office opened, and two years later, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Prosper was formed, with Augustin Massicotte as first mayor.[6][7]

In 1861, Saint-Prosper had 1028 inhabitants, and at the start of 1900, there were nearly 1500 persons.[7]

On December 31, 2001, it was transferred from the Francheville Regional County to the new Les Chenaux Regional County, following the creation of the new City of Trois-Rivières and the dissolution of the Francheville RCM.[6]

Photos edit

Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain

Demographics edit

Population trend:[17]

  • Population in 2021: 482 (2016 to 2021 population change: -9.1%)
  • Population in 2016: 530
  • Population in 2011: 505
  • Population in 2006: 541
  • Population in 2001: 531
  • Population in 1996: 548
  • Population in 1991: 584
  • Population in 1986: 628
  • Population in 1981: 663
  • Population in 1976: 797
  • Population in 1971: 886
  • Population in 1966: 999
  • Population in 1961: 1,129
  • Population in 1956: 1,230
  • Population in 1951: 1,172
  • Population in 1941: 1,133
  • Population in 1931: 1,167
  • Population in 1921: 1,187
  • Population in 1911: 1,316
  • Population in 1901: 1,334
  • Population in 1891: 1,358
  • Population in 1881: 1,382
  • Population in 1871: 1,147
  • Population in 1861: 1,028

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 244 (total dwellings: 264)

Mother tongue:

  • English as first language: 0%
  • French as first language: 99%
  • English and French as first language: 0%
  • Other as first language: 0%

See also edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 37250". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  2. ^ a b Statistics Canada 2021 Census - Saint-Prosper census profile
  3. ^ "Mauricie, Bulletin statistique régional, édition" (pdf). Gouvernement du Québec, Institut de la statistique du Québec. 2016. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  4. ^ Quebec government (2010-11-12). "Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain" (in French). Commission de Toponymie Quebec. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  5. ^ E. Taslusier (21 November 1908). "Autour du Clocher Natal, 376 pages" (pdf). Patrimoine Québec, Projet de sauvegarde de données généalogiques et d’archivage, p. 25. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Saint-Prosper (Municipalité de paroisse)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  7. ^ a b Gérard Ébacher. "Historique de Saint-Prosper" (in French). Municipalité de paroisse de Saint-Prosper. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  8. ^ "Chemin du Cordon". Commission de toponymie Quebec. Government of Quebec. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Chemin du Cordon". Hebdo Mékinac/Des Chenaux. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  10. ^ Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources, Gouvernement du Québec, Service de la cartographie (1981). "A la Barbotte Lake, Saint-Adelphe 311 09-200-0201 Map -". BAnQ Banque de noms de lieux du Québec (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Cossette Creek". Commission de Toponymie Quebec (in French). Quebec Government. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  12. ^ "Ruisseau Gendron". Commission de toponymie Quebec (in French). Quebec Government. 1979-12-18. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  13. ^ "Inventory and inspection of structures". Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (in French). Government of Quebec. 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  14. ^ "A Century of Our Stories 1919- 2019". Canadian National Railway (CN). 2019. p. 300. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  15. ^ "The Pégase trails, the first section of the Trans Canada Trail in Mauricie" (in French). Trans Canada Trail. 2008-08-02. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  16. ^ "Église Saint-Prosper". Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec (in French). Gouvernement du Québec. 2013. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  17. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census