Richmond, Quebec

Richmond
City
Richmond from far
Location within Le Val-Saint-François RCM.
Richmond Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°40′N 72°09′W / 45.667°N 72.150°W / 45.667; -72.150Coordinates: 45°40′N 72°09′W / 45.667°N 72.150°W / 45.667; -72.150[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Estrie
RCM	Le Val-Saint-François
Constituted	December 29, 1999
Government[2]
• Mayor	Marc-André Martel
• Federal riding	Richmond—Arthabaska
• Prov. riding	Richmond
Area[2][3]
• Total	6.90 km2 (2.66 sq mi)
• Land	7.12 km2 (2.75 sq mi)
	There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	3,275
• Density	460.2/km2 (1,192/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	1.8%
• Dwellings	1,616
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0B 2H0
Area code(s)	819
Highways	Route 116 Route 143 Route 243
Website	www.ville.richmond.qc.ca

Richmond, population 3,275 (2011), is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke and Drummondville, in the heart of Estrie in Quebec, Canada.

History

The Mackenzie Bridge linking Richmond and Melbourne.

Originally settled by colonists from New England, Montreal and the Richelieu River valley circa 1798, Richmond is considered to be one of the oldest settlements in the former region of the Eastern Townships.

Richmond grew in importance during the 1800s when it became a key railway junction. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad opened between Montreal and Portland, Maine, on April 4, 1853 and was purchased four months later and absorbed into the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR)'s system. Two years later, the GTR opened a line from the mainline in Richmond northeast to Lévis to connect Montreal with Quebec City. The line was eventually extended further east to Rivière-du-Loup and a connection with the Intercolonial Railway, which operated trains on the GTR through Richmond to Montreal until 1897.

The town itself was first called Richmond in 1820, when a post office was inaugurated. By the 1860s Richmond was an important centre, with a college, literary institute and a public library.

Richmond's importance has waned since the 1930s, however, as the railways have also come to play a lesser role in the economy. The GTR was absorbed into the Canadian National Railways (CNR) and the line to Levis was abandoned in favour of more direct lines from Montreal to Quebec City. In 1989, CNR sold the entire railway line from Montreal to Portland, via Richmond, to a short line operator.

Richmond today

Richmond as it exists today was created on December 29, 1999 following the merger of the "old" town of Richmond on the right bank of the Saint-François and the village of Melbourne, located on the other side.

Origin of the name Richmond

The name Richmond is in memory of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox (1764–1819), Governor General of Upper Canada from 1818 to 1819.

Origin of the name Melbourne

The origin of the name Melbourne is uncertain, but the village is believed to have been named for Melbourne, Derbyshire or Melbourne, Hampshire.

Demographics

Population

Population trend:^[4]

Census	Population	Change (%)
2011	3,275	1.8%
2006	3,336	2.6%
2001	3,424	4.5%
Merger	3,584 (+)	17.4%
1996	3,053	2.2%
1991	3,123	N/A

(+) Amalgamation of the village of Melbourne and the town of Richmond on December 29, 1999.

Language

Mother tongue (2011)^[3]

Notable residents

• Mack Sennett, Hollywood director/pioneer
• Frederick Simpson Coburn, Québécois artist/illustrator/painter

Particularities

• The reverse side of the 1954-series Canadian $2 bill featured a view of the village of Melbourne.
• Richmond plays host to the second largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the province of Quebec, behind only Montreal.

References

		Cleveland
	Richmond
		Melbourne

v t e  Subdivisions of Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality Cities & Towns Richmond Valcourt Windsor Municipalities Bonsecours Maricourt Racine Saint-Claude Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle Stoke Ulverton Val-Joli Parishes Saint-Denis-de-Brompton Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton Townships Cleveland Melbourne Valcourt Villages Kingsbury Lawrenceville Regional County Municipalities in Estrie: Coaticook Le Granit Le Haut-Saint-François Le Val-Saint-François Les Sources Memphrémagog Independent Cities: Sherbrooke