# Saint-Damien, Quebec

Saint-Damien (French pronunciation:) is a parish municipality of 2,393 inhabitants in Quebec, Canada. It is located in Matawinie Regional County Municipality in the Lanaudière region.

## History

The town was founded the 6 September 1870. In French, people from the town are known as damiennois.

## Geography

Saint-Damien is located in the middle of Lanaudière region near Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon municipality, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Montreal, 270 kilometres (170 mi) west of Québec, and 63 kilometres (39 mi) south of Taureau Reservoir. The main street is named "Rue Principale" (meaning, literally, "main street") and it is served by Quebec Route 347 which runs from Quebec Route 158 at Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier (2 km west of exit 144 on Autoroute 40) through Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, Saint Damien, Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie and Saint-Côme to Québec Route 125 in Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci.
The bordering municipalities of Saint-Damien are, starting from northwest and proceeding clockwise, Saint-Zénon (northwest), Mandeville (northeast, in D'Autray Regional County Municipality), Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon (southeast, in D'Autray Regional County Municipality), Saint-Jean-de-Matha (south) and Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie (west).

## Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Damien had a population of 2,393 living in 1,220 of its 1,891 total private dwellings, a change of 14.3% from its 2016 population of 2,094. With a land area of 252.28 km$^2$ (97.41 sq mi), it had a population density of 9.5/km$^2$ (24.6/sq mi) in 2021.
Canada census – Saint-Damien community profile
202120162011
Population2,393 (+14.3% from 2016)2,094 (+3.7% from 2011)2,020 (-7.3% from 2006)
Land area252.28 km$^2$ (97.41 sq mi)255.87 km$^2$ (98.79 sq mi)255.16 km$^2$ (98.52 sq mi)
Population density9.5/km$^2$ (25/sq mi)8.2/km$^2$ (21/sq mi)7.9/km$^2$ (20/sq mi)
Median age57.2 (M: 58.4, F: 56.0)56.6 (M: 56.6, F: 56.5)53.7 (M: 54.3, F: 53.2)
Private dwellings1,891 (total)  1,759 (total)  1,533 (total) 
Median household income$58,800$46,541$41,129
References: 2021 2016 2011 earlier :
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Saint-Damien, Quebec :
| Census | Total | French | French | French | English | English | English | French & English | French & English | French & English | Other | Other | Other |
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % |
| 2021 | 2,395 | 2,290 | 12.0% | 95.6% | 30 | 100.0% | 1.3% | 20 | 100.0% | 0.8% | 40 | 166.7% | 1.7% |
| 2016 | 2,095 | 2,045 | 3.5% | 97.6% | 15 | 0.0% | 0.7% | 10 | 100.0% | 0.5% | 15 | 50.0% | 0.7% |
| 2011 | 2,020 | 1,975 | 4.6% | 97.8% | 15 | 25.0% | 0.7% | 5 | 50.0% | 0.2% | 10 | 85.7% | 0.5% |
| 2006 | 2,165 | 2,070 | 8.1% | 95.6% | 20 | 33.3% | 0.9% | 10 | 33.3% | 0.5% | 70 | n/a% | 3.2% |
| 2001 | 1,965 | 1,915 | 12.0% | 97.5% | 30 | 200.0% | 1.5% | 15 | n/a% | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1996 | 1,735 | 1,710 | n/a | 98.6% | 10 | n/a | 0.6% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% |

## Education

The Commission scolaire des Samares operates francophone public schools, including:
* École Saint-Coeur-de-Marie
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates anglophone public schools, including:
* Joliette Elementary School in Saint-Charles-Borromée
* Joliette High School in Joliette

## Famous people

* Marie Jean-Eudes (1897-1981), Canadian nun and botanist
* Raymond Gravel (b. 1952), Canadian politician