Saint-Tite () is a Canadian city located at the foothills of the Laurentians, between Grandes-Piles and Saint-Adelphe, in the Mauricie RCM of Mékinac. A large body of water, Lake Pierre-Paul, bathes the northeastern part of the territory.'

The name of the parish of Saint-Tite is attested in 1859 and was established thanks to the canonical and civil election that occurred in 1863 following its detachment from Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade and Saint-Stanislas de-la-Rivière-des-Envies. The post office, opened in 1859, and the parish municipality, established in 1863, took over the parish name that celebrates Saint Titus, a companion of St. Paul the Apostle, who converted him in the first century by entrusting him with the task of organizing the Church of Ephesus.

Mission. The Saint-Juste de Kapibouska mission was set up for the Aboriginal people living at Kapibouska Lake. At the beginning of the 19th century, missionaries visited the territory.

Pioneers. In the early 1830s, lumber yards were booming on the Rivière des Envies. The first settler of French-Canadian origin settled around 1833 in the area of the future city of Saint-Tite. Over time, several other pioneers were established.

Apart from the missionaries' visits, the settlers had to travel several kilometers to reach the church of St. Stanislaus. The first chapel-presbytery was built in the 1850s. The first resident priest arrived in 1859.

Easter water. From the beginning of colonization, it is likely that gathering Easter water was a common practice among members of the Christian community. In 1995, the first organized harvest and the blessing of Easter water took place at the Curé Boutet spring. The faithful get their feet wet, get dirty with mud, some fall on patches of ice. Safety and accessibility are the reasons for the construction of temporary sets. Today, throughout Quebec, this practice has become increasingly rare, becoming a social gathering or even a tourist activity.

<blockquote>On Easter Sunday, we will have the celebration of Easter water at 4:30 a.m. before sunrise at the Curé spring at the end of Rue du Couvent. Afterwards, we will gather as a big family for a fraternal lunch at the Seniors' Club room around 5:30 am (Breakfast with baked beans, maple syrup and bread rolls, served by members of the Pastoral Council, free of charge).<br/>

Source: The parish leaflet of the Christian community of the parish of Saint-Tite, April 12, 1998.</blockquote>

Railway Fever 1878: The vast territory north of the St. Lawrence Plain, with its opening onto the immensity of the Canadian Shield, evokes grandiose dreams. In 1878, St. Laurence, Lower Laurentian & Saguenay obtained permission to build a track between Trois-Rivières and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean via Saint-Tite.

Note: Kapibouska: of Algonquian origin, this name means "place of camp where there are reeds", kapi, "place of camp", baska or bouska "rushes", "reeds".

The coat of arms of Saint-Tite is blazoned thus: Greek cross gules a chief azure point, flanked by a toothed wheel segment money dexter and a gear segment sinister gold, containing a skin tight leather gold dextral and sinistral spruce money, overcoming mountains of sand placed on a terrace or charged with a blue river.

Geography

thumb|[[Lake Pierre-Paul, Chemin de l'Ìle]]

The city is crossed by the Rivière des Envies, a tributary of the Batiscan River. Rivière des Envies has its source at Lake Traverse in Sainte-Thècle and enters at the northern part (in "Grand marais" sector) of the territory of Saint-Tite. It crosses the municipality through the city, then heads to Proulxville.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Tite had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

According to the 2021 census: on Le Bourdais Street, (Route 153)]]

Highway 153 connects Saint-Tite to Shawinigan and Lac-aux-Sables, and Highway 159 to Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac and Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade. Saint-Tite is also served by the Via Rail Canada passenger train service, the Saint-Tite station (station platform) is at 310 Marchildon Street.

Notable people

  • Julie Boulet, politician, member of the Liberal Party of Quebec.
  • Gratien Gélinas (1909-1999), playwright and actor.
  • Joseph-Alfred Mongrain, politician in the Canadian parliament

See also

  • Batiscanie, Quebec
  • Pierre-Paul River
  • North Mékinac River
  • Lake Roberge (Grandes-Piles)

References

Further reading

  1. "Histoire de Saint-Tite 1833-1984 (History of Saint-Tite 1833-1984)" (second edition). Published in 1984 in French by Éditions Souvenance Inc and Historical Committee. 471 pages. Book Committee: Raymonde Rompré-LeBrun, Gisèle St-Amant-Matton, Gérard Brunelle, Marielle Brouillette, Louise Nobert-Béland, Pierre LeBrun, Jean-Pierre Paquet. Member of the "History of Saint-Tite" project sponsored by "Development Canada Community Project": Cécile Gélinas, Cécile Chaillé-Trépanier and Pierrette Délisle. Old photographs reproduced largely by Michel Pothier.
  2. "Répertoire des naissances et des baptêmes de Saint-Tite de Champlain 1859-1940 (Directory of births and baptisms of St. Tite de Champlain 1859-1940)", compiled by Jacques Delisle. Published in French.
  3. "Répertoire des mariages de la paroisse Saint-Tite de Champlain: 1859-1959 (Directory of marriages of the parish Saint-Tite de Champlain: 1859-1959)", Campagna, Dominique. Cap-de-la-Madeleine, s.n., 1968. 186 p.
  4. "Répertoire des décès et des sépultures de Saint-Tite de Champlain 1859-1940 (Directory death and burial of St. Tite de Champlain 1859-1940)", compiled by Jacques Delisle, 135 pages.