Richmond, Quebec

Coordinates: 45°40′N 72°09′W / 45.667°N 72.150°W / 45.667; -72.150
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Richmond
Richmond from afar
Richmond from afar
Location within Le Val-Saint-François RCM.
Location within Le Val-Saint-François RCM.
Richmond is located in Southern Quebec
Richmond
Richmond
Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°40′N 72°09′W / 45.667°N 72.150°W / 45.667; -72.150[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionEstrie
RCMLe Val-Saint-François
ConstitutedDecember 29, 1999
Government
 • MayorBertrand Ménard
 • Federal ridingRichmond—Arthabaska
 • Prov. ridingRichmond
Area
 • Total6.90 km2 (2.66 sq mi)
 • Land7.12 km2 (2.75 sq mi)
 There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources
Population
 (2016)[4]
 • Total3,232
 • Density460.2/km2 (1,192/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011
Decrease 1.8%
 • Dwellings
1,616
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code819
Highways R-116
R-143
R-243
Websitewww.ville.richmond.qc.ca

Richmond, population 3,232 (2016), is a town nestled amidst rolling farmlands on the Saint-François River between Sherbrooke and Drummondville, in the heart of Estrie in Quebec, Canada.

History[edit]

The Mackenzie Bridge linking Richmond and Melbourne.

Originally settled by colonists from New England, Montreal and the Richelieu River valley circa 1798, Richmond is one of the oldest settlements in the former region of the Eastern Townships.

Richmond grew in importance during the 1800s when it became a key railway junction. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad opened between Montreal and Portland, Maine, on April 4, 1853 and was purchased four months later and absorbed into the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR)'s system. Two years later, the GTR opened a line from the mainline in Richmond northeast to Lévis to connect Montreal with Quebec City. The line was eventually extended further east to Rivière-du-Loup and a connection with the Intercolonial Railway, which operated trains on the GTR through Richmond to Montreal until 1897.

The town itself was first called Richmond in 1820, when a post office was inaugurated. By the 1860s Richmond was an important centre, with a college, literary institute and a public library.

Richmond's importance has waned since the 1930s, however, as the railways have also come to play a lesser role in the economy. The GTR was absorbed into the Canadian National Railways (CNR) and the line to Levis was abandoned in favour of more direct lines from Montreal to Quebec City. In 1989, CNR sold the entire railway line from Montreal to Portland, via Richmond, to a short line operator.

Richmond today[edit]

Richmond as it exists today was created on December 29, 1999 following the merger of the "old" town of Richmond on the right bank of the Saint-François and the village of Melbourne, located on the other side.

Origin of the name Richmond[edit]

The name Richmond is in memory of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox (1764–1819), Governor General of Upper Canada from 1818 to 1819.

Origin of the name Melbourne[edit]

The origin of the name Melbourne is uncertain, but the village is believed to have been named for Melbourne, Derbyshire or Melbourne, Hampshire.

Climate[edit]

Richmond has a humid continental climate[5] typical of southern Quebec. Precipitation is high year-round, resulting in warm to hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. There is a significant temperature difference between seasons as typical of the North American interior, with 25.8 °C (78.4 °F) as July high and −4.9 °C (23.2 °F) as the high for January.[6]

Climate data for Richmond
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6)
17.5
(63.5)
25.0
(77.0)
30.6
(87.1)
32.2
(90.0)
35.0
(95.0)
37.2
(99.0)
36.1
(97.0)
33.9
(93.0)
29.4
(84.9)
23.9
(75.0)
18.9
(66.0)
37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −4.9
(23.2)
−2.7
(27.1)
2.9
(37.2)
11.4
(52.5)
18.6
(65.5)
23.2
(73.8)
25.8
(78.4)
24.4
(75.9)
19.4
(66.9)
12.6
(54.7)
5.3
(41.5)
−1.7
(28.9)
11.2
(52.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −10.3
(13.5)
−8.7
(16.3)
−2.8
(27.0)
5.7
(42.3)
12.2
(54.0)
16.9
(62.4)
19.7
(67.5)
18.4
(65.1)
13.6
(56.5)
7.4
(45.3)
1.3
(34.3)
−6.4
(20.5)
5.6
(42.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −15.8
(3.6)
−14.6
(5.7)
−8.5
(16.7)
0.0
(32.0)
5.7
(42.3)
10.6
(51.1)
13.5
(56.3)
12.4
(54.3)
7.8
(46.0)
2.2
(36.0)
−2.8
(27.0)
−11.0
(12.2)
−0.1
(31.8)
Record low °C (°F) −44.4
(−47.9)
−43.9
(−47.0)
−40.0
(−40.0)
−20.6
(−5.1)
−6.7
(19.9)
−3.9
(25.0)
0.6
(33.1)
−1.1
(30.0)
−8.9
(16.0)
−11.1
(12.0)
−26.7
(−16.1)
−44.4
(−47.9)
−44.4
(−47.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 60.8
(2.39)
54.4
(2.14)
62.2
(2.45)
74.6
(2.94)
93.2
(3.67)
96.8
(3.81)
107.4
(4.23)
120.7
(4.75)
84.2
(3.31)
86.2
(3.39)
80.6
(3.17)
71.5
(2.81)
992.6
(39.08)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 45
(18)
39.5
(15.6)
29.7
(11.7)
10
(3.9)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1.1
(0.4)
15.5
(6.1)
43.1
(17.0)
184
(72)
Source: [7]

Demographics[edit]

Historical Census Data - Richmond, Quebec[8]
YearPop.±%
1991 3,123—    
1996 3,053−2.2%
1999A 3,584+17.4%
2001 3,424−4.5%
2006 3,336−2.6%
2011 3,275−1.8%
(A) adjusted figure due to amalgamation of the village of Melbourne and the town of Richmond on December 29, 1999.

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Richmond had a population of 3,259 living in 1,609 of its 1,720 total private dwellings, a change of 0.8% from its 2016 population of 3,232. With a land area of 6.98 km2 (2.69 sq mi), it had a population density of 466.9/km2 (1,209.3/sq mi) in 2021.[9]

Mother tongue (2011)[3]

Language Population Pct (%)
French only 2,370 73.7%
English only 745 23.2%
English and French 60 1.7%
Non-official languages 35 1.1%
English and non-official language 5 0.2%

Notable residents[edit]

Particularities[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 53266". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 42098". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  3. ^ a b "Richmond, Quebec (Code 2442098) Census Profile". 2011 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
  4. ^ "Richmond, Quebec (Code 2466023) Census Profile". 2016 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
  5. ^ "Richmond, Quebec Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Richmond, Quebec Temperature Averages". Weatherbase. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Richmond, Quebec". Weatherbase. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  8. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  9. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.