Verchères

Verchères is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in Montérégie, Quebec, located on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 5,692.

Verchères
Municipality
Statue honouring heroine Madeleine de Verchères.
Location within Marguerite-D'Youville RCM.
Verchères Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°47′N 73°21′W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Montérégie
RCM	Marguerite-D'Youville
Constituted	September 18, 1971
Government [2][3]
• Mayor	Alexandre Bélisle
• Federal riding	Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères
• Prov. riding	Verchères
Area [2][4]
• Total	85.20 km^2 (32.90 sq mi)
• Land	73.27 km^2 (28.29 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[4]
• Total	5,692
• Density	77.7/km^2 (201/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	8.6%
• Dwellings	2,406
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0L 2R0
Area code(s)	450 and 579
Highways A-30	Route 132
Website	www.ville.vercheres.qc.ca

History

In the 17th century, the settlement at Verchères was the scene of an Iroquois raid that was apparently thwarted by the ingenuity of a 14-year-old girl named Madeleine (now known as Madeleine de Verchères). A cast-iron statue of Madeleine de Verchères stands today by the former location of the settlement stronghold on the shore of the Saint-Lawrence river.

In French, the word Verchères can be used as an adjective to describe a specific type of rowboat invented in Verchères at the end of the 19th century, i.e. chaloupe verchères. A specimen of the rowboat is on permanent outdoor display during the summer and fall at the Parc Jean-Marie Moreau across from the town office.

The motto of Verchères is In Tenebris Lumen Rectis Corde. The streets of Verchères are mostly named after the patronyms of residing families but also after local people who rose to celebrity in Canadian history.

Demographics

Population

Canada census – Verchères community profile
		2011	2006
Population:		5,692 (+8.6% from 2006)	5,243 (+9.6% from 2001)
Land area:		73.27 km^2 (28.29 sq mi)	73.24 km^2 (28.28 sq mi)
Population density:		77.7/km^2 (201/sq mi)	71.6/km^2 (185/sq mi)
Median age:		40.7 (M: 40.1, F: 41.3)	40.3 (M: 39.8, F: 40.9)
Total private dwellings:		2,406	2,162
Median household income:		$68,946	$58,764
References: 2011[5] 2006[6] earlier[7]

Historical Census Data - Verchères, Quebec[8]

Year Pop. ±% 1991 4,781 —     1996 4,854 +1.5%

Year Pop. ±% 2001 4,782 −1.5% 2006 5,243 +9.6%

Year Pop. ±% 2011 5,692 +8.6%

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Verchères, Quebec[8]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		5,675		5,545	10.1%	97.71%		60	50.0%	1.06%		25	25.0%	0.44%		45	50.0%	0.79%
2006		5,185		5,035	8.3%	97.11%		40	33.3%	0.77%		20	100.0%	0.39%		90	125.0%	1.73%
2001		4,730		4,650	2.3%	98.31%		30	25.0%	0.63%		10	n/a%	0.21%		40	60.0%	0.85%
1996		4,825		4,760	n/a	98.65%		40	n/a	0.83%		0	n/a	0.00%		25	n/a	0.52%

Notable natives and residents

• Joseph Coulon de Jumonville whose death while a prisoner of George Washington ignited the French and Indian War theater of the Seven Years' War
• Louis Coulon de Villiers who is the only officer to whom Washington ever surrendered.
• François Coulon de Villiers another of the Coulon brothers who would later be Alcalde of New Orleans, Louisiana (New Spain)
• Bernard Landry former Premier of Quebec .
• Lynda Lemay, songwriter and singer.
• Calixa Lavallée, composer of O Canada.
• Pierre Bouchard, Montreal Canadiens retired former professional hockey player.
• Alexandre Beaudoin, fingerprint scientist
• Joseph Bailly, fur trader and first permanent Euro-American settler in northwest Indiana. His homestead is a part of Indiana Dunes National Park.

Panorama

View of Verchères from the Saint Lawrence River in winter

View of Verchères from the Saint Lawrence River in summer

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References

1. Reference number 65404 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (in French)
2. Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Verchères
3. Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: VERCHÈRES--LES PATRIOTES (Quebec)
4. 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Verchères, Quebec
5. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
6. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
7. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
8. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census

External links

Media related to Verchères at Wikimedia Commons

• Official site of Verchères