Nicolet, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Nicolet, Quebec is the county seat
of Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality
, Quebec
, Canada
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
was 7,827. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicolet
.
The residents of the town pronounce the final "t" in Nicolet, however people outside of the region do not.
, a French
explorer and clerk of the Company of One Hundred Associates
who explored the Great Lakes
region up to Wisconsin
. Despite never having lived there, he explored the area during the seven years he lived in Trois-Rivières
. The area was originally settled by the Abenaki tribe, who knew it as Pithigan or Pithiganek, meaning "entrance". Settlement began in the late 17th century, with Pierre Monet de Moras constructing a seigneurial
manor on what is now known as Moras Island. Rights to the territory of Nicolet was accorded in 1672 by Jean Talon
, passing through several hands in the next thirty years. Significant land development began at the opening of the 18th century, with the construction of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste mission in 1701, a chapel in 1710, a presbytery in 1722 and a second church being raised in 1740. The first Acadian
settlers arrived in 1756, after their expulsion by the British; the area would eventually become a major centre for the Acadian diaspora. Development continued with the construction of a third church in 1784, the first elementary school in 1801, and the establishment of the Nicolet Seminary School in 1803. The parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet was officially opened in 1831; Nicolet's episcopal seat would be established later in 1885.
A fourth church was constructed in 1873, although its steeple collapsed shortly thereafter. Attempts to reconstruct it failed due to the weakness of the building's structure. Construction of the second cathedral
began in 1897, but a part of the building collapsed in 1899. On June 21, 1906, a fire destroyed an area of the town including both cathedrals and the headquarters of the Sisters of the Assumption. Reconstruction began soon afterwards, with the new headquarters of the Sisters of the Assumption and a girls' school being inaugurated in 1908. An agricultural school was added to the Seminary in 1938, and a test centre for the Canadian Armed Forces was established in 1952.
On March 21, 1955, a fire gutted the downtown area of Nicolet, destroying 35 commercial buildings and displacing 75 families. A plaza now exists carrying the name place du 21 mars ("21st of March place") to commemorate the event.
Eight months later, on November 12, 1955, a landslide carried 7 acres (28,328 m²) of earth and six buildings crashing down into the Nicolet river, killing three people, injuring six and causing $10 million in damages, including the destruction of the trade school (established in 1887) and the recently-rebuilt cathedral. The event was later the subject of a book by author Louis Caron entitled Le Bonhomme Sept-Heures, and the road that now runs along the river where the landslide occurred was named rue du 12 novembre ("12th of November Street") in commemoration.
The present cathedral was rebuilt in 1963, and the Seminary was converted into the École nationale de police du Québec
in 1968.
and Nicolet rivers, on sandy, unstable soil, making the area prone to landslide
s. It lies at the eastern edge of Lac Saint-Pierre
, a UNESCO
biosphere reserve
known as a stopping point for hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl
and a nesting area for heron
s.
The town of Nicolet is adjacent to the city of Bécancour
, and across the Saint-Lawrence River from the city of Trois-Rivières
.
(+) Amalgamation of the City of Nicolet, the Municipality of Nicolet-Sud and the Parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet on December 27, 2000.
Nicolet also has École nationale de police du Québec
(Québec National Police Academy) and École d'agriculture de Nicolet. Trois-Rivières
, a city approximately 20 km away from Nicolet, offers access to colleges and a university.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral contains artwork.
The Musée des Religions focuses on the historical and ethnographic context of religion.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality
Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Nicolet-Yamaska is a Regional County Municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec in Canada.The county seat is Nicolet.-Communities:*Cities and Towns** Nicolet*Municipalities** Aston-Jonction** Baie-du-Febvre** Grand-Saint-Esprit...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
was 7,827. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicolet
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicolet
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nicolet is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.The seat of the bishop is the Cathedral of St. Jean-Baptiste, a spectacular building opened in 1963, which seats 1,200 worshippers and features extensive stained glass as well as other artwork...
.
The residents of the town pronounce the final "t" in Nicolet, however people outside of the region do not.
History
The town took its name from Jean NicoletJean Nicolet
Jean Nicolet de Belleborne was a French coureur des bois noted for exploring Green Bay in what is now the U.S. state of Wisconsin.-Life:...
, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer and clerk of the Company of One Hundred Associates
Company of One Hundred Associates
In 1627 the French government granted the company of 100 associates a monopoly on the fur trade in New france. In return the company was supposed to bring over 4000 French catholics to settle down in new france over the next 15 years. The company allowed the settlers to trade for furs directly with...
who explored the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region up to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Despite never having lived there, he explored the area during the seven years he lived in Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
. The area was originally settled by the Abenaki tribe, who knew it as Pithigan or Pithiganek, meaning "entrance". Settlement began in the late 17th century, with Pierre Monet de Moras constructing a seigneurial
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
manor on what is now known as Moras Island. Rights to the territory of Nicolet was accorded in 1672 by Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
, passing through several hands in the next thirty years. Significant land development began at the opening of the 18th century, with the construction of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste mission in 1701, a chapel in 1710, a presbytery in 1722 and a second church being raised in 1740. The first Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlers arrived in 1756, after their expulsion by the British; the area would eventually become a major centre for the Acadian diaspora. Development continued with the construction of a third church in 1784, the first elementary school in 1801, and the establishment of the Nicolet Seminary School in 1803. The parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet was officially opened in 1831; Nicolet's episcopal seat would be established later in 1885.
A fourth church was constructed in 1873, although its steeple collapsed shortly thereafter. Attempts to reconstruct it failed due to the weakness of the building's structure. Construction of the second cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
began in 1897, but a part of the building collapsed in 1899. On June 21, 1906, a fire destroyed an area of the town including both cathedrals and the headquarters of the Sisters of the Assumption. Reconstruction began soon afterwards, with the new headquarters of the Sisters of the Assumption and a girls' school being inaugurated in 1908. An agricultural school was added to the Seminary in 1938, and a test centre for the Canadian Armed Forces was established in 1952.
On March 21, 1955, a fire gutted the downtown area of Nicolet, destroying 35 commercial buildings and displacing 75 families. A plaza now exists carrying the name place du 21 mars ("21st of March place") to commemorate the event.
Eight months later, on November 12, 1955, a landslide carried 7 acres (28,328 m²) of earth and six buildings crashing down into the Nicolet river, killing three people, injuring six and causing $10 million in damages, including the destruction of the trade school (established in 1887) and the recently-rebuilt cathedral. The event was later the subject of a book by author Louis Caron entitled Le Bonhomme Sept-Heures, and the road that now runs along the river where the landslide occurred was named rue du 12 novembre ("12th of November Street") in commemoration.
The present cathedral was rebuilt in 1963, and the Seminary was converted into the École nationale de police du Québec
École nationale de police du Québec
The École nationale de police du Québec is the training academy for police officers in the Canadian province of Quebec. The academy, located in the city of Nicolet, replaced the Institut de police du Québec in 2000...
in 1968.
Geography
Nicolet is situated at the meeting of the Saint-LawrenceSaint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
and Nicolet rivers, on sandy, unstable soil, making the area prone to landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. It lies at the eastern edge of Lac Saint-Pierre
Lac Saint-Pierre
Lac Saint-Pierre is a lake in Quebec, Canada, located on the Saint Lawrence River between Sorel-Tracy and Trois-Rivières, downstream and east of Montreal. Including its shoreline, islands, and wetlands, the lake is a nature reserve...
, a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
known as a stopping point for hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
and a nesting area for heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s.
The town of Nicolet is adjacent to the city of Bécancour
Bécancour, Quebec
Bécancour is a town in the Centre-du-Québec region of Québec, Canada; it is the seat of the Bécancour Regional County Municipality. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the confluence of the Bécancour River, opposite Trois-Rivières.Wôlinak, an Abenaki Indian reserve, is...
, and across the Saint-Lawrence River from the city of Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
.
Population
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 7,827 | 1.3% |
| 2001 | 7,928 | 1.7% |
| Merger | 7,795 (+) | 44.2% |
| 1996 | 4,352 | 9.1% |
| 1991 | 4,789 | N/A |
(+) Amalgamation of the City of Nicolet, the Municipality of Nicolet-Sud and the Parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet on December 27, 2000.
Language
Mother tongue language (2006)| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| French only | 7,030 | 96.76% |
| English only | 90 | 1.24% |
| Both English and French | 20 | 0.28% |
| Other languages | 125 | 1.72% |
Education
Cure-Brassard is a local elemantary school. École Secondaire Jean-Nicolet is a public high school located on Monseigneur-Brunault street. Collège Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption is a private high school located on Saint-Jean-Baptiste street.Nicolet also has École nationale de police du Québec
École nationale de police du Québec
The École nationale de police du Québec is the training academy for police officers in the Canadian province of Quebec. The academy, located in the city of Nicolet, replaced the Institut de police du Québec in 2000...
(Québec National Police Academy) and École d'agriculture de Nicolet. Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, a city approximately 20 km away from Nicolet, offers access to colleges and a university.
Cultural
There is an ecological park, L'Anse du Port, featuring an observatory.The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral contains artwork.
The Musée des Religions focuses on the historical and ethnographic context of religion.