La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality
| La Vallée-du-Richelieu | |
|---|---|
| — Regional county municipality — | |
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| Coordinates: 45°34′N 73°12′W / 45.567°N 73.200°WCoordinates: 45°34′N 73°12′W / 45.567°N 73.200°W[1] | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Quebec |
| Region | Montérégie |
| Effective | January 1, 1982 |
| County seat | McMasterville |
| Government[2] | |
| • Type | Prefecture |
| • Prefect | Gilles Plante |
| Area[2][3] | |
| • Total | 605.50 km2 (233.78 sq mi) |
| • Land | 588.88 km2 (227.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 116,773 |
| • Density | 198.3/km2 (514/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2006-2011 |  9.4% |
| • Dwellings | 46,215 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
| Website | www.mrcvr.ca |
La Vallée-du-Richelieu (The Valley of the Richelieu) is a regional county municipality in the Montérégie region in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is McMasterville.
It surrounds the Richelieu River as the river makes its way from Lake Champlain in the United States north to the Saint Lawrence River northeast of Montreal at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Dramatically different from the mountainous terrain to the south, the river valley is a vast plain with extensive farmlands.
The Richelieu River itself is very popular for both U.S. and Canadian recreational boaters, providing a connection that can bring boaters all the way from the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River to New York Harbor. A number of old fortifications existed dating back to the 17th century were built to prevent the Iroquois from using the river as a way to attack the French settlers in the area. Fort Richelieu is at the mouth of the Richelieu River. Fort St. Louis (now Fort Chambly) at Chambly, Fort Sainte-Thérèse, and Fort Saint-Jean at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, are on the way. Fort St. Anne Isle La Motte, Vermont in Lake Champlain is near its source. The forts were built in order to protect travellers on the river from the Iroquois. The region is informally known as la Vallée-des-Forts.
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Subdivisions[edit]
There are 13 subdivisions within the RCM:[2]
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Demographics[edit]
Mother tongue language from Canada 2006 Census[4]
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 98,870 | 93.39% |
| English only | 4,035 | 3.81% |
| Both English and French | 595 | 0.56% |
| Other languages | 2,370 | 2.24% |
Transportation[edit]
Access Routes[edit]
Highways and numbered routes that run through the municipality, including external routes that start or finish at the county border:
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Reference number 141084 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (French)
- ^ a b c Geographic code 570 in the official Répertoire des municipalités (French)
- ^ a b "(Code 2457) Census Profile". 2011 census. Statistics Canada. 2012.
- ^ "(Code 2457) Community Profiles". 2006 census. Statistics Canada. 2007.
External links[edit]
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Pierre-De Saurel RCM | |
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| Marguerite-D'Youville RCM Longueuil TE |
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Les Maskoutains RCM | ||
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| Roussillon RCM | Rouville RCM Le Haut-Richelieu RCM |
