Sainte-Martine, Quebec

Sainte-Martine (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃t maʁtin]) is a municipality in Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 5,664. The municipality is made up of a large northern section and a small unattached southern area that was known as the municipality of Saint-Paul-de-Châteauguay until its merger with Sainte-Martine on September 9, 1999.

Sainte-Martine
Municipality
Location within Beauharnois-Salaberry RCM
Ste-Martine Location in southern Quebec
Coordinates: 45.25°N 73.8°W / 45.25; -73.8[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Beauharnois-Salaberry
Constituted	September 9, 1999
Government [2][3]
• Mayor	Mélanie Lefort
• Federal riding	Châteauguay—Lacolle
• Prov. riding	Huntingdon
Area [2][4]
• Total	64.51 km2 (24.91 sq mi)
• Land	63.06 km2 (24.35 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[4]
• Total	5,664
• Density	89.8/km2 (233/sq mi)
• Pop (2016-21)	3.7%
• Dwellings	2,469
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0S 1V0
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways	R-138 R-205
Website	www.municipalite.sainte-martine.qc.ca

History

Sainte-Martine is named in honor of Martina of Rome, martyred in 226. Being already settled and recognize as Sainte-Martine for many years, the status of the municipality was officialized on July 1, 1855, as the parish municipality of Sainte-Martine.^[1]

The municipality lost a section of its territory in 1885 for the creation of the parish of Très-Saint-Sacrement. It also lost a sizeable part in 1937 when Saint-Paul-de-Châteauguay split from Saint-Martine to become its own municipality, but it was eventually reattached to Sainte-Martine in 1999.^[5]

Geography

Communities

In addition to the namesake main population centre, the following locations reside within the municipality's boundaries:^[1]

• Laberge (45°17′07″N 73°48′25″W) – a hamlet located along Quebec Route 205 in the north part of the municipality.
• La Ferme (45°19′15″N 73°50′20″W) – a residential area located along Quebec Route 138.
• Le Domaine-de-la-Pêche-au-Saumon (45°15′15″N 73°47′55″W) – a residential area located along Quebec Route 138.
• Le Méandre (45°14′55″N 73°47′55″W) – a residential area located along Quebec Route 138.

Demographics

Population

	2021	2016	2011
Population	5,664 (+3.7% from 2016)	5,461 (+10.0% from 2011)	4,966 (+17.2% from 2006)
Land area	63.06 km2 (24.35 sq mi)	63.19 km2 (24.40 sq mi)	63.59 km2 (24.55 sq mi)
Population density	89.8/km2 (233/sq mi)	86.4/km2 (224/sq mi)	78.1/km2 (202/sq mi)
Median age	41.2 (M: 40.4, F: 42.0)	39.1 (M: 38.5, F: 39.6)	39.5 (M: 38.8, F: 40.4)
Private dwellings	2,469 (total)  2407 (occupied)	2,368 (total)	2,133 (total)
Median household income		$66,160	$55,217

Canada census – Sainte-Martine community profile

References: 2021^[6] 2016^[7] 2011^[8]

Historical census data - Sainte-Martine, Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1991+ 3,593 —     1996+ 3,678 +2.4% 2001 3,740 +1.7% 2006 4,237 +13.3%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 4,966 +17.2% 2016 5,461 +10.0% 2021 5,664 +3.7%
+) Pre-merger combined population totals for Sainte-Martine (municipality) and Saint-Paul-de-Châteauguay (municipality). Source: Statistics Canada[9]

Language

Canada Census mother tongue - Sainte-Martine, Quebec[9] (+) Pre-merger combined population totals for Sainte-Martine (municipality) and Saint-Paul-de-Châteauguay (municipality).
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2016		5,465		5,100	15.6%	93.3%		215	22.9%	3.9%		45	12.5%	0.8%		80	45.5%	1.5%
2011		4,950		4,680	9.0%	94.54%		175	105.9%	3.54%		40	300.0%	0.81%		55	8.3%	1.11%
2006		4,205		4,050	13.9%	96.31%		85	37.0%	2.02%		10	60.0%	0.24%		60	n/a%	1.43%
2001		3,715		3,555	1.7%	95.69%		135	22.7%	3.63%		25	37.5%	0.67%		0	0.0%	0.00%
1996		3,645+		3,495	n/a	95.88%		110	n/a	3.02%		40	n/a	1.10%		0	n/a	0.00%

Châteauguay River with Parish of Sainte Martine Church in distance

Local government

List of former mayors:^[10]

• James Perrigo (1845–1847)
• Marc Antoine Primo (1855–1856)
• François Gagné (1856–1860)
• Joseph Taillefer (1860–1862)
• James Wight (1862–1864)
• Charles Mentor Lebrun (1864–1866)
• James McGowan (1866–1875)
• Jean Baptiste Eustache Bergevin dit Langevin (1875–1877, 1880–1883)
• Antonin Hébert (1877–1878)
• Philémon Laberge (1878–1880)
• Jesephat Hébert (1883–1885)
• Médard Cardinal (1885–1887)
• Joseph Hébert (1887–1889)
• Jean-Baptiste Roy (1889–1893)
• Edouard McGowan (1893–1906)
• Joseph Théodore Breault (1906–1907)
• Hospice Desrosiers (1907–1909, 1910–1912)
• Hilaire Bonnier (1909–1910)
• Barnabé Laberge (1912–1914, 1933–1937)
• François Xavier Morand (1914–1915)
• Narcisse Vinette (1915–1916)
• Charles Ulric Bergevin (1916–1917)
• Arthur Laberge (1917–1919)
• Albert Desrosiers (1919–1921)
• Ulric Archambault (1921)
• Louis-Philippe Chaput (1921–1931)
• Nolasque April (1931–1933)
• Joseph-Albert Poupart (1937–1941)
• Wilfrid Morand (1941–1943)
• Arthur Mallette (1943–1944)
• Léo Chèvrefils (1944–1951)
• Léo Desparois (1951–1954)
• Aldéo Huot (1954–1960)
• Edouard Lefort (1960–1965)
• Ronaldo Bélanger (1965–1971)
• Jean-Claude Desgroseilliers (1971–1978)
• Paul-Émile Dionne (1978–1985)
• Joseph-Léo-Gilles-Roméo Myre (1985–1993)
• François Candau (1993–2013)
• Éric Brault (2013–2014)
• Jean-Denis Barbeau (interim 2014)
• Maude Laberge (2014–2021)
• Mélanie Lefort (2021–present)

Transportation

The Exo du Haut-Saint-Laurent sector provides commuter and local bus services.

See also

• Châteauguay River
• Rivière de l'Esturgeon (Châteauguay River)
• List of municipalities in Quebec