Country Canada Time zone EST (UTC−5) Area 6.9 km² Province Québec Area code 819 | Constituted December 29, 1999 Postal code(s) J0B 2H0 Population 3,275 (2011) Local time Wednesday 9:45 PM | |
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Highways Route 116
Route 143
Route 243 Website www.ville.richmond.qc.ca Weather 2°C, Wind NW at 18 km/h, 62% Humidity RCM Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality | ||
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.
Contents
- Map of Richmond QC Canada
- History
- Richmond today
- Origin of the name Richmond
- Origin of the name Melbourne
- Climate
- Language
- Notable residents
- Particularities
- References
Map of Richmond, QC, Canada
History
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.
Climate
Richmond has a humid continental climate typical of southern Quebec. Precipitation is high year-round, resulting in warm and rainy summers as well as cold and snowy winters. There is a significant temperature difference between seasons as typical of the North American interior, with 25.8 °C (78.4 °F) as July high and −4.9 °C (23.2 °F) as the high for January.
Language
Mother tongue (2011)