Saint-Jacques, Quebec
Saint-Jacques | |
|---|---|
Cultural heritage sites: old post office and Louise-Pariseau house | |
| Nickname: "The Acadian cradle of Lanaudière" | |
Location within Montcalm RCM | |
| Coordinates: 45°57′N 73°34′W / 45.950°N 73.567°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Lanaudière |
| RCM | Montcalm |
| Settled | Mid 18th-century |
| Constituted | May 20, 1998 |
| Named after | Jacques Degeay |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Josyanne Forest |
| • Federal riding | Montcalm |
| • Prov. riding | Rousseau |
| Area | |
• Total | 67.20 km2 (25.95 sq mi) |
| • Land | 67.17 km2 (25.93 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 4,302 |
| • Density | 64/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| • Pop (2016–21) | 8.3% |
| • Dwellings | 1,939 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
| Highways | R-158 R-341 |
| Website | www |
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Saint-Jacques (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ ʒak] ⓘ) is a 26 mi² (67.34 km²) rural municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Montcalm Regional County Municipality with a population of 4,300 year-round residents. The municipality is notable for its natural beauty and horticulture. Officially founded in 1774 by thirty Acadian families who managed to escape by boat to Quebec after forced expulsion, Saint-Jacques is part of the region known as the "Acadian cradle of Lanaudière."
"The Great Upheaval" (Fr. "le Grand Dérangement") began in the fall of 1755 and lasted until 1778. "The first removals ... [of] approximately 7,000 people were from settlements around the Bay of Fundy" in present-day Nova Scotia. The majority were expelled by ship to the "continental colonies or France," but 225 fled south to Quebec. They would go on to found a handful of new Acadian villages, or “Little Cadies,” including Saint-Jacques, which is why the Saint-Jacques coat of arms uses the same colors as the Acadian flag.