| Saint-Lazare | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Location within Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality | |
| Coordinates (1960, chemin Sainte-Angélique[1]): | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Montérégie |
| RCM | Vaudreuil-Soulanges |
| Established | December 29, 1875 |
| Electoral Districts Federal |
Vaudreuil-Soulanges |
| Provincial | Soulanges |
| Government[1][2][3] | |
| • Mayor | Pierre Kary |
| • Federal MP(s) | Jamie Nicholls (NDP) |
| • Quebec MNA(s) | Lucie Charlebois (PLQ) |
| Area[4] | |
| • Land | 66.53 km2 (25.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[4] | |
| • Total | 17,016 |
| • Density | 255.7/km2 (662.3/sq mi) |
| • Change (2001-06) | 32.0% |
| • Dwellings | 5,765 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code(s) | J7T |
| Area code(s) | 450 |
| Access Routes[5] A-20 A-40 |
Route 340 Route 342 |
| Website | ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca |
Saint-Lazare, also known as Saint-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil, is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Regional County Municipality of Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
The city of Saint-Lazare has experienced rapid growth since 1990, fueled predominantly by the arrival of young, middle-class families. New residents flocked to the area with the idea of escaping the hustle and bustle of life on the island of Montreal. Although Saint-Lazare residents are protective of their country lifestyle the area is not without its amenities.
Contents |
Population trend[6]
| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 17,016 | 32.0% |
| 2001 | 12,895 | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 11,193 | 23.6% |
| 1991 | 9,055 | N/A |
Home language (2006)[4]
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 8,695 | 51.10% |
| English only | 7,700 | 45.25% |
| Both English and French | 295 | 1.73% |
| Other languages | 325 | 1.91% |
The distribution of wealth in Saint-Lazare ranges from lower middle class to upper middle class and the average annual household income ($49,687) is significantly above the provincial average. Current population is unofficially around 17,000 inhabitants with further growth forecast as new developments are planned along Côte-St-Charles and further along St-Angelique.
Some of the popular attractions:
Saint-Lazare is graced by significant public funding for its ambitious recreational projects. Bedard Park in the centre of the town is a relatively large park equipped with a small water park, a grass field, three baseball diamonds, and tennis courts. In the winter two hockey rinks and an ice skating oval are added. The park hosts several events throughout the year, among the biggest of which is the annual St-Jean-de-Baptiste festival. Other parks in Saint-Lazare are scattered among the small subdivisions throughout the municipality.
A new sports centre was opened to the public in 2006.
Areas surrounding Saint-Lazare are dedicated to equestrian horse riding, including sanctioned trails that flow through wooded forests and nearby lakes in the region. Many trails are sand based, which is due in part to the popularity of this type of activity in the region. The town has one of the largest populations of horses, approximately 3,500 with many residential properties fully dedicated to breeding and horse training.
All-terrain vehicles are very popular in the region with an officially sanctioned trail, which runs between Saint-Lazare and the nearby town of Rigaud, Quebec. The trail is maintained by regional members of local ATV clubs. The trails are open in all four seasons, and groomed in the winter using heavy machinery.
A trial bus service is currently in process of being tested to provide public transportation between Saint-Lazare and Saint-Anne-De-Bellevue on the island of Montreal, connecting the town's residents to the extensive public transit network of the greater Montreal area.
A new senior elementary school, Forest Hill Senior, was opened in 2006. Several high schools in the surrounding area provide secondary education to the region's growing young population. These include two English language public high schools (Westwood Senior - formerly Hudson High School - and Westwood Junior-formerly known as Vaudreuil Catholic High School), one French language public high school (Cité-des-Jeunes in Vaudreuil-Dorion), and a semi-private French-speaking institution in Rigaud (Collège-Bourget). A new English-language elementary school (Birchwood Elementary) has opened for the 2011 - 2012 school year, even after many delays in construction.
| Rigaud / Vaudreuil-Dorion (west) | Hudson | |||
| Sainte-Marthe | Vaudreuil-Dorion | |||
| Saint-Lazare | ||||
| Saint-Clet | Les Cèdres |
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