Sainte-Marie () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of La Nouvelle-Beauce Regional County Municipality, in Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, Canada. It had a population of 13,134 as of the Canada 2021 Census, when 95.7% was French-speaking. It is located south-east of Quebec City, on the Chaudière River.
History The seigneurie of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Nouvelle-Beauce was granted to Thomas-Jacques Taschereau in 1736. He chose the name in honour of his wife, Marie-Claire de Fleury de La Gorgendière. The religious parish was founded in 1737 and the municipality in 1845.
The territory of Sainte-Marie was divided on several occasions, as population increased, in order to found neighbouring communities: Saint-Bernard, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Maxime-de-Scott (now Scott), Sainte-Marguerite, Sainte-Hénédine, Saint-Sylvestre, Saint-Elzéar, Saint-Séverin, Saints-Anges, and Vallée-Jonction.
In 1913, the territory was split again, following the detachment of the village (urban part of the territory) from the parish municipality (rural part). In 1958, the village was constituted as a city and in 1959, Sainte-Marie-de-la-Nouvelle-Beauce was renamed as Sainte-Marie. In 1978, the city and the parish municipality governments amalgamated.
Geography The Chaudière River, which flows through Sainte-Marie, is the area’s most striking feature. 70% of the area is used for agriculture. It is crossed by the Autoroute 73 and the Route 173. For cyclists, it is also crossed by the Route Verte 6 cycle route.
Hydrography Several watercourses run through the city: the Chaudière River flows through the city, to the west, from south-east to north-west.
From its source, the Rivière du Moulin flows south-west to join the Rivière Chaudière to the north-west of the city; from its source, the Rivière du Domaine flows west to join the Rivière Chassé, which crosses the city from north-east to south-west, The Belair River flows through the south-east of the city.
The Vallée River, which flows eastwards in the north-west of the city, and the Savoie River in the west.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sainte-Marie 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.
Sister cities Pont-du-Château, Auvergne, France
Notable people Marius Barbeau, ethnographer Elzéar-Henri Juchereau Duchesnay, Canadian politician Ernest Savard, hockey executive, head coach, general manager (Montreal Canadiens) Nycole Turmel, Canadian politician Henri-Jules Juchereau Duchesnay, Canadian politician Gabriel-Elzéar Taschereau, Quebec politician Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, clergyman Henri Elzéar Taschereau, lawyer Jean-Thomas Taschereau, lawyer Joseph-André Taschereau, judge Pierre-Elzéar Taschereau, Canadian politician Thomas Linière Taschereau, Canadian politician Mario Gosselin, NASCAR driver Thomas Chabot, ice hockey defenceman for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators Roch Thériault, cult leader, convicted murderer
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