Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci () is a municipality in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Matawinie Regional County Municipality.
Etymology The name "Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci" translates to "Our Lady of Mercy". It was the name used informally by the pioneers to reflect on the need to invoke divine mercy when facing a harsh time of colonization in the region. Before adopting this name, the local post office operated under the name "Rivière Dufresne" from 1889 to 1891, for the nearby Dufresne River.
History The first settlers arrived in Chilton Township during the 19th century. In 1879, parish priests from the Saint Donat and Saint Marguerite parish municipalities planted a cross at the location where the first church in the municipality was to be built. A chapel and tower bell were built between 1884 and 1887, and construction of the church started in 1912 and was completed in 1918, opening for the first time on September 23, 1918, the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Ransom. After decades of operating primarily as a parish settlement, Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci underwent municipalization on January 1, 1950.
Demographics Population
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 619 (total dwellings: 1206)
Language Mother tongue:Statistics Canada 2021 Census - Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci community profile English as first language: 2.7% French as first language: 93.2% English and French as first language: 0.9% Other as first language: 2.7%
Education
Commission scolaire des Samares operates Francophone public schools: Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci — Saint-Émile (pavillon Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci)"Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci — Saint-Émile (pavillon Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci) ." Commission scolaire des Samares. Retrieved on September 23, 2017.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates Anglophone public schools: Rawdon Elementary School in Rawdon"Rawdon Elementary " Zone Map. 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.
Notable people Ray Daviault ,(1934–2020) Former MLB pitcher for the New York Mets.
See also List of municipalities in Quebec
References