Saint-Hyacinthe (; French: ) 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 thirtee ...

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 population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in

Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality Les Maskoutains is a regional county municipality in the Montérégie region in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is in Saint-Hyacinthe. The name comes from Algonquin word ''maskutew'' meaning "bear plain" in plular. Subdivisions There are 1 ...

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. ...

region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River. Quebec Autoroute 20 runs perpendicular to the river. Saint-Hyacinthe is the seat of the

judicial district A judicial district or legal district denotes the territorial area for which a legal court (usually a district court) has jurisdiction. By region Europe Austria In texts concerning Austria, "judicial district" (german: Gerichtsbezirk) refers ...

of the same name.

History

Jacques-Hyacinthe Simon dit Delorme, owner of the seigneurie, 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 is the seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Hyacinthi) (erected 8 June 1852) is a Latin rite suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Sherbrooke in Quebec, (predominantly francophone) Canada. Its cathedral episcopal ...

. 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 Sainte-Rosalie is a former town in Quebec, Canada which was annexed to the town of Saint-Hyacinthe in 2002. See also * 2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec External links Fondation du patrimoine religieux du Québec - Inventaire des l ...

(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 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, 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 The Artificial Insemination Centre of Quebec (French: Centre d'Insémination artificielle du Québec) (CIAQ) is a limited partnership society founded in 1948 located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada with the mission of improving through artific ...

. Saint-Hyacinthe hosts numerous agriculture related events such as

fairs A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

, exposition and congresses 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 201 ...

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 (1855–1 ...

, builders of pipe organs, and Intact Financial, 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, connecting by

Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...

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 ...

in Downtown Montreal *

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 The de la Vallée du Richelieu sector, is a public transit agency serving eight member municipalities and the Richelieu Valley RCM in Quebec, Canada. These towns, located east Montreal along Quebec Route 116, receive both local service and commu ...

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 Saint-Hyacinthe station is a Via Rail station in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. The station is staffed and is wheelchair-accessible. Several corridor Montreal-Quebec City trains and the long-distance ''Ocean The ocean (also the sea ...

* The private Saint-Hyacinthe Aerodrome is located west of the city.

Education

The South Shore Protestant Regional School Board 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 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. From 2001 to 2009 the city was represented in the '' Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey'' (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 (200809). The city's main hockey arena is the historic Stade L.P. Gaucher, 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 ''Les Bougon - c'est aussi ça la vie!'' is a Quebec sitcom broadcast by Radio-Canada from 2004 to 2006, written by François Avard and Jean-François Mercier and produced by Fabienne Larouche. The show won three Gémeaux in 2004. The show's f ...

'' *

Télesphore-Damien Bouchard Télesphore-Damien Bouchard (December 20, 1881 – November 13, 1962) was a politician in Quebec, Canada. Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, he was the mayor of the municipality from 1917 to 1930 and from 1932 to 1944 and president of the Fede ...

(1881–1962), Quebec politician * Robert Bédard, professional tennis player, President of Tennis Québec, Vice-President of

Tennis Canada Tennis Canada is the national governing body of tennis within Canada. It works together with the provincial associations to organize tournaments and rules. They also oversee the Canada Davis Cup team and the Canada Fed Cup team. Tennis Canada ...

, teacher (

Bishop's College School Bishop's College School or BCS is an English-language non-profit independent boarding prep school in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada for students in Grades 7 to 12.Thomson, Ashley; Lafortune, Sylvie (1999). Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools. To ...

), teacher and headmaster ( St. Andrew's College, Aurora) * Michel-Esdras Bernier, Former Minister of Inland Revenue *

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 o ...

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

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

(NHL) hockey player, goalie for the New Jersey Devils * Geneviève Brouillette, actress * Anthony Chabot (1813-1888), businessman and entrepreneur know for his development of water systems and hydraulic mines, especially in Northern California. * Gérard Côté, marathon runner * 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 * Willie Lamothe (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 Ricardo (born Ricardo Larrivée on March 12, 1967) is a television host and a food writer who lives in Quebec, Canada. He hosts the television show ''Ricardo'' on Radio-Canada and previously hosted '' Ricardo and Friends'' on Food Network Ca ...

, cooking show host * Pierre Lassonde, businessperson and philanthropist * Yvan Loubier, politician * Victor Morin,

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

, 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, former head hockey coach for Saint-Hyacinthe Laser LHJMQ

Gallery

File:QC StHyacinthe1 tango7174.jpg, St. Hyacinth's Cathedral File:St-Hyacinthe Marché-Centre 2005 cropped.jpg, St. Hyacinthe's public market File:Saint-hyacinthe-dusk.jpg, The Yamaska River 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 File:Château Maska 2007 - Saint-Hyacinthe.jpg, Château Maska File:Siège Social ING (vue arrière) - Saint-Hyacinthe 2007.jpg, Intact Financial 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