Lavaltrie () is a city located within the D'Autray Regional County Municipality in the southern part of the region of Lanaudière, Quebec, Canada, northeast of Montreal outside the suburban sprawl of the North Shore (i.e., the suburbs located north of Laval). The population was 14,425 as of the 2021 Canadian census within a land surface area of about 70 square kilometres, with the majority of the territory being used for agricultural activities. .
History
The origins of Lavaltrie go back to the 17th century. Jean Talon, the intendant of New France, gave parcels of land (known as manors) to various lords. The land where Lavaltrie is now situated was given to Lieutenant Sieur la Valtrie by Talon in 1672. By 1675, its first settlers arrived. In the 18th century, land occupants built a new roadway along the St. Lawrence River linking Montreal and Quebec City, named the Chemin Du Roy and now known as Quebec Route 138. For many decades, Lavaltrie was located in the centre of a large series of manors owned by lords intended to develop the agricultural sector.
In 1716, the Parish of Saint-Antoine de La Valtrie was formed, named after Anthony of Padua by Recollect friars.
In 1845, the Parish Municipality of Lavaltrie was created, abolished in 1847, and reestablished in 1855 under the name Saint-Antoine de la Valtrie (orthography adjusted to Saint-Antoine-de-Lavaltrie in 1969). In 1926, the village itself separated from the parish municipality to become the Village Municipality of Lavaltrie.
Mostly a rural area until the second half of the 20th century, Lavaltrie developed steadily due to the growing suburbs of Montreal.
On May 16, 2001, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Antoine-de-Lavaltrie and the Village Municipality of Lavaltrie was amalgamated to form the City of Lavaltrie.
Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lavaltrie 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.
Government
List of former mayors of current city: Sylvie Thouin (2001–2005) Norman Blackburn (2005–2009) Jean-Claude Gravel (2009–2017) Christian Goulet (2017–present)
Infrastructure Lavaltrie's location near Autoroute 40 and Route 138 gives easy access to Montreal, Laval and the northern crown area of the Greater Montreal area. A-40 also gives Lavaltrie direct links to Trois-Rivières and Quebec City to the east and Ottawa to the west. Autoroute 31 and Route 131 which ends at the junction of the A-40 in Lavaltrie gives the area easy access to more remote and rural regions of the Lanaudière region. However, even though located beside the Saint Lawrence River on its north, the city does not have a direct access to the south with the closest links being Autoroute 25 via the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel in Montreal to the west or the Berthierville-Sorel ferry to the east (Autoroute 55 in Trois-Rivières via the Laviolette Bridge being the closest roadway link to its east).
Education Commission scolaire des Samares operates francophone public schools: École primaire de la Source"de la Source ." Commission scolaire des Samares. Retrieved on September 23, 2017. École primaire des Eaux-Vives"des Eaux-Vives ." Commission scolaire des Samares. Retrieved on September 23, 2017. École primaire Jean-Chrysostôme-Chaussé"Jean-Chrysostôme-Chaussé ." Commission scolaire des Samares. Retrieved on September 23, 2017. École primaire des Amis-Soleils"des Amis-Soleils ." Commission scolaire des Samares. Retrieved on September 23, 2017. École Secondaire de la Rive
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates anglophone public schools, including: Joliette Elementary School in Saint-Charles-Borromée"JOLIETTE ELEMENTARY ZONE ." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 17, 2017. Joliette High School in Joliette"Joliette High School Zone Sec 1-5 ." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 5, 2017.
See also Télesphore Saint-Pierre List of municipalities in Quebec
References
External links
Website of the City of Lavaltrie