| Ville de La Prairie | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Motto: Victor Hostium et Sui (Latin for " Master of our Enemies and Oneself ") |
|
| Location within Roussillon Regional County Municipality. | |
| Coordinates (170, boulevard Taschereau [1]): | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Montérégie |
| RCM | Roussillon |
| Founded | March 30, 1846 |
| Incorporated | May 07, 1909 |
| Electoral Districts Federal |
Brossard—La Prairie |
| Provincial | La Prairie |
| Government[1][2][3] | |
| • Mayor | Lucie F. Roussel |
| • Federal MP(s) | Hoang Mai (NDP) |
| • Quebec MNA(s) | François Rebello (PQ) |
| Area[4] | |
| • Land | 43.28 km2 (16.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[4] | |
| • Total | 21,763 |
| • Density | 502.9/km2 (1,302.5/sq mi) |
| • Change (2001-06) | 15.2% |
| • Dwellings | 8,758 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code(s) | J5R |
| Area code(s) | 450 |
| Access Routes[5] A-15 A-30 |
Route 104 Route 132 Route 134 Route 217 |
| Website | www.ville.laprairie.qc.ca |
La Prairie is an off-island suburb (south shore) of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Jacques River and the Saint Lawrence River in the Regional County Municipality of Roussillon. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 21,763.
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French Jesuits were the first Europeans to occupy the area, which was named La Prairie de la Magdelaine but was also called François-Xavier-des-Prés. The land was given to the Jesuits by Jacques de La Ferté and the Company of One Hundred Associates in 1647. It is in La Prairie that the story Kateri Tekakwitha took place.
In 1668, the site was named Kentaké, the Iroquois name for "at the prairie". In the beginning of modern Quebec history, the territory of La Prairie would be visited on numerous occasions by Iroquois and English settlers from New York, among others at the time of the Anglo-Iroquois expedition of Pieter Schuyler in 1691, who commanded two battles on August 11, 1691.
In 1845, the village of La Prairie was established. One year later, La Prairie-de-la-Magdelaine was established. In 1909, La Prairie obtained official city status.
Historically, the city has been an important transportation hub. The first railway line in British North America, the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad, connected it with Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu on July 21, 1836; the railway has 16 miles (26 km). The construction of a rail line between La Prairie and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu would greatly accelerate the commercial development of the village. Sea transport equally played an important role in La Prairie's history.
Like the rest of southwestern Quebec, La Prairie has hot summers and cold winters, for a generally temperate climate. Winters are cold and sometimes long (snow is usually present from mid-November to mid-April), with temperatures occasionally dipping below -30°C, not counting the windchill. During snowstorms, snowfall frequently surpasses 40 centimeters. In the summer, temperatures sometimes exceed 30°C.
| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 21,763 | 15.2% |
| 2001 | 18,896 | 10.3% |
| 1996 | 17,128 | 12.4% |
| 1991 | 15,237 | N/A |
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 19,010 | 88.34% |
| English only | 740 | 3.44% |
| Both English and French | 115 | 0.53% |
| Other languages | 1,655 | 7.69% |
| Unilingual French speakers | 10,495 | 48.77% |
| Unilingual English speakers | 275 | 1.28% |
| Bilingual French and English speakers | 10,665 | 49.56% |
The CIT Le Richelain provides commuter and local bus services.
The town has three secondary schools, l'école secondaire Magdeleine, a public French school with P.E.I., the Collège Jean de la Mennais, a private mixed French school and Saint-François-Xavier, a public French school.
| Brossard | Carignan | |||
| Saint Lawrence River | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | |||
| La Prairie | ||||
| Candiac | Saint-Philippe |
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