Saint-Donat, Lanaudière, Quebec

Saint-Donat
Municipality
Landscape of Saint-Donat
Location within Matawinie RCM
Saint-Donat Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 46°19′N 74°13′W
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Lanaudière
RCM	Matawinie
Settled	c. 1876
Constituted	February 19, 1904
Government
• Mayor	Joé Deslauriers
• Federal riding	Joliette
• Prov. riding	Bertrand
Area
• Total	388.40 km2 (149.96 sq mi)
• Land	350.17 km2 (135.20 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	4,561
• Density	13/km2 (30/sq mi)
• Pop 2016-2021	17.3%
• Dwellings	4,527
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0T 2C0
Area code	819
Highways	R-125 R-329
Website	www.saint-donat.ca

Main street in Saint-Donat

Saint-Donat (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ dɔna]) is a township municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, part of the Regional County Municipality of Matawinie, within the larger administrative region of Lanaudière. The main town within the township is also identified as Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm to distinguish it from a parish municipality with the same name in La Mitis RCM. It is located approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) northwest of Montreal. The town is surrounded by mountains and numerous water basins of the Laurentian Mountains. The nearest natural landmark is the Mont-Tremblant National Park.

History

Saint-Donat was founded sometime near 1876 by a religious community of suffragettes as the "Saint-Donat Parish" near the church (located at the intersection of Principale and Allard streets). It was therefore first settled in the mid-to-late 19th century, as a solution to the overcrowding of cities such as Montreal. Over time, the small village received urban population attracted by its beautiful landscape and the town was officially established in 1904. By 1950, Saint-Donat had reached a population of 2,000. As of 2021, the town was nearing 4,600 permanent residents.

Economy

A silica mine is located in Saint-Donat.

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Saint-Donat, Lanaudière, Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1991 2,946 —     1996 3,262 +10.7% 2001 3,444 +5.6%

Year Pop. ±% 2006 4,297 +24.8% 2011 4,130 −3.9% 2016 3,888 −5.9%

Year Pop. ±% 2021 4,561 +17.3%

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 2434 (total dwellings: 4527)

Language

All official government actions take place in French, the official language of Quebec. French is the primary language spoken in Saint-Donat, though some people, especially those who deal often with tourists, are able to speak and understand English.

• Mother tongue:
• English as first language: 2.8%
• French as first language: 94.4%
• English and French as first language: 1.1%
• Other as first language: 1.9%

Government

Saint-Donat federal election results

Year		Liberal		Conservative		Bloc Québécois		New Democratic		Green
	2021	29%	756	10%	261	53%	1,382	4%	95	1%	39
	2019	26%	635	9%	224	55%	1,368	4%	91	4%	106

Saint-Donat provincial election results

Year		CAQ		Liberal		QC solidaire		Parti Québécois
	2018	49%	1,247	14%	353	12%	312	21%	538
	2014	26%	606	24%	561	5%	107	44%	1,033

Saint-Donat forms part of the federal electoral district of Joliette and has been represented by Gabriel Ste-Marie of the Bloc Québécois since 2015. Provincially, Saint-Donat is part of the Bertrand electoral district and is represented by France-Élaine Duranceau of the Coalition Avenir Québec since 2022.

The current mayor of Saint-Donat is Joé Deslauriers. The mayor and a six-member city council are the elected officials of the municipality.

Education

Sainte Agathe Academy (of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts serves English-speaking students in this community for both elementary and secondary levels.

Tourism

Saint-Donat is often frequented by tourists in the winter. Its main attraction is snowmobiling, but other winter sports, such as skiing, can be enjoyed there as well, with Ski Garceau and Ski La Reserve being the two most popular resorts in the area. Outdoor skating rinks and cross country ski trails through the forest are frequented by locals and tourists alike. Its mountains, lakes, and pleasant weather attract many tourists in the summer season. Many people who vacation in Saint-Donat during the summer enjoy swimming, kayaking, sailing, and water-skiing on its two large lakes, Lac Archambault and Lac Ouareau. Saint-Donat is the only village in the Laurentiens that has two side-by-side lakes of the size of Archambault and Ouareau. Saint-Donat also contains many other smaller lakes such as Lac Baribeau, Lac Pembina, Lac Croche, and others.

The year-round population of Saint-Donat is approximately 3,700, but during the tourist season, the number of people actually in Saint-Donat can reach 20,000. Saint-Donat has been recognized for its beauty and has received national recognition, especially for the quality of its public places. It was first recognized as a prime tourist destination in 1908, by an engineer with the Ministry of Lands and Forests. Hotels and other businesses necessary in a tourist destination began within a few decades, and tourism was the focal point of the local economy by 1970.

Saint-Donat can be accessed by two main highways, the 125 and 329, and is located 1h30min from Montreal by car. There is also a local airport accessible to light aircraft in the village of Saint-Donat.

Twin towns

Saint-Donat is twinned with:

• Lans-en-Vercors, France, since 1990

See also

• Matawinie Regional County Municipality
• Archambault Lake (Saint-Donat)
• Ouareau Lake
• Saint-Michel River
• Ouareau River
• List of municipalities in Quebec