Crabtree, Quebec facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crabtree
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City
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Municipal library and community centre
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Location within Joliette RCM.
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 Crabtree
Location in Central Quebec
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Quebec |
| Region | Lanaudière |
| RCM | Joliette |
| Settled | 1790s |
| Constituted | October 23, 1996 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 26.10 km2 (10.08 sq mi) |
| • Land | 25.06 km2 (9.68 sq mi) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 4,155 |
| • Density | 165.8/km2 (429/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2016-2021 |  5% |
| • Dwellings | 1,826 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) |
J0K 1B0
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| Area code(s) | 450 and 579 |
| Highways |  Route 158 |
Crabtree is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is located in the Lanaudière region, which is part of the Joliette Regional County Municipality. The city sits right next to the Ouareau River, which flows into the L'Assomption River.
One of the coolest spots in Crabtree is the Trou de Fée, which means "Fairy Hole" in French. It's a cave found on the west side of the Ouareau River.
Contents
History of Crabtree
People started settling in the Crabtree area in the late 1700s. In 1845, the first sawmills were built along the Ouareau River. However, these mills didn't last long because spring floods often washed them away.
How Crabtree Grew
The town really started to grow in 1905. That's when a man named Edwin Crabtree bought land to build a paper mill. He started a company called Edwin Crabtree and Sons Ltd. The mill was built right by the Ouareau River to use its powerful water flow. Just one year later, a post office opened, and it was called "Crabtree Mills."
In 1912, a fire destroyed the mill, but it was rebuilt quickly within a year. A small village slowly formed around the mill. This village even had a special area called "English Street" (la rue des Anglais). This street had homes for managers, a guesthouse, a fun entertainment hall called "Beaver S Club," a tennis court, and a park. A dam was built on the Ouareau River between 1917 and 1918 to help control the water.
Edwin Crabtree and Sons Ltd. later joined a bigger company, Howard Smith Paper Mills. This company modernized the mill. Today, a company called Kruger Products runs the paper mill in Crabtree.
Becoming a Municipality
In 1921, the area became known as the Parish of Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus. On December 27 of that year, it officially became the Parish Municipality of Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus. Kay Crabtree was the first mayor. A school board was also created in 1922.
In 1930, the workers at the paper mill formed a union. It was called the Syndicat National des Travailleurs de la Pulpe et du Papier, which means "National Union of Pulp and Paper Workers." This is one of the oldest unions connected to the paper industry in Canada.
For a long time, the place was also known by the longer name Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus-de-Crabtree-Mills. In 1945, the village part of the area became its own separate municipality called Crabtree. Later, in 1991, Sacré-Cœur-de-Jésus changed its name to Sacré-Cœur-de-Crabtree. This was to avoid confusion with another town in Quebec that had a similar name.
Finally, on October 23, 1996, both the village of Crabtree and the parish of Sacré-Cœur-de-Crabtree merged together. They formed the new Municipality of Crabtree. Most recently, on November 18, 2023, the municipality officially became the City of Crabtree.
Population in Crabtree
Crabtree is a growing city! Here's a quick look at how its population has changed over the years:
- In 2021, the population was 4,155 people.
- From 2016 to 2021, the population grew by 5%.
- In 2016, there were 3,958 people.
- In 2011, there were 3,887 people.
Most people in Crabtree speak French as their first language. About 96.9% of residents speak French, while 1% speak English.
Education in Crabtree
Students in Crabtree attend public schools that teach in either French or English.
French Schools
The Commission scolaire des Samares manages the French-language public schools.
- École Sacré-Coeur-de-Jésus is one of the schools in Crabtree.
English Schools
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates the English-language public schools.
- Joliette Elementary School is located in Saint-Charles-Borromée.
- Joliette High School is in Joliette.
