Country Canada Constituted July 1, 1855 Postal code(s) G0A 4E0 Area 32.2 km² Population 1,789 (2011) | Settled c. 1660 Time zone EST (UTC−5) Area code(s) 418 and 581 Local time Tuesday 7:36 PM Province Québec | |
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Weather -1°C, Wind E at 8 km/h, 98% Humidity RCMs L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality, Capitale-Nationale | ||
Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, part of the L'Île-d'Orléans Regional County Municipality. It is situated on the west side of Orléans Island, and accessible by Quebec Route 368 and the Île d'Orléans Bridge which connects Saint-Pierre with the Beauport borough of Quebec City. Until 1997, it was known simply as Saint-Pierre.
Contents
Map of Saint-Pierre, QC, Canada
The Quebec poet and songwriter Félix Leclerc (1914-1988) is buried in this town, having lived there from 1958 to his death.
History
The first European settlers came to the area around 1660. They constructed the first chapel in 1662 and by 1679 the Parish of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul was formed which at that time also included the territory of Sainte-Pétronille. Between 1716 and 1718, one of the oldest churches in Quebec was built (since 1954 classified as a historic monument and occasionally used as a concert hall). In 1722, the civil parish was established. For 54 years from 1734 to 1788, the first bishop of Quebec born in Canada, Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esgly (1710-1788), served there as the resident priest.
In 1845, the Parish Municipality was formed under the name of Saint-Pierre-Isle-d'Orléans, probably in honour of Apostle Peter. It was abolished two years later in 1847 when it became part of the County Municipality, but restored again in 1855 as Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul. In 1874, it lost a portion of its territory when Sainte-Pétronille separated and became a municipality. Over time, only the "Saint-Pierre" part of the name was retained.
In 1935, the Île d'Orléans Bridge was built, leading to a steady increase of residential development and making Saint-Pierre now the most populated municipality on the island. In 1997, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Pierre was renamed to Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans to better distinguish the town from other namesake municipalities.
Tourism and attractions
Orleans Island, known as the "Garden of Quebec", attracts many vacationers and daytrippers with its pastoral character and cultural heritage. Since they enter the island through Saint-Pierre, it is home to many businesses catering to tourism, such as bed-and-breakfast accommodations, restaurants, art galleries, and sugar houses.
Local attractions include: