Pont-Rouge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pont-Rouge
City
Moulin Marcoux
Location within Portneuf RCM.
Pont-Rouge Location in Central Quebec
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Capitale-Nationale
RCM	Portneuf
Constituted	January 3, 1996
Area
• Total	123.40 km2 (47.65 sq mi)
• Land	121.12 km2 (46.76 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	10,121
• Density	83.6/km2 (217/sq mi)
• Pop 2016-2021	9.5%
• Dwellings	4,344
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	G3H
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	Route 358 Route 365

Pont-Rouge is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It's located along the beautiful Jacques-Cartier River. The name "Pont-Rouge" means "Red Bridge" in French. In 2021, about 10,121 people lived here.

History of Pont-Rouge

People first started settling in the Pont-Rouge area around 1769. They were building new communities.

Founding the Parish and City

On April 15, 1867, an important church leader from Quebec, Charles-François Baillargeon, created a new church area. This area was called Sainte-Jeanne-de-Neuville. It was made from parts of three other places: Cap-Santé, Saint-Basile, and Neuville.

Later, in 1911, this church area split into two separate towns. One was called the village of Pont-Rouge. The other was the parish of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge. These two towns then joined together on January 3, 1996. This is when the modern City of Pont-Rouge was officially formed.

The Importance of Bridges and Railways

Transportation was very important for Pont-Rouge's growth. Two main bridges and a railway helped the area develop. The Canadian Pacific Railway built a bridge here in 1874.

One important bridge was the Royal Bridge, now called Pont Déry. It had to be rebuilt many times because its middle part was weak. This bridge was vital for moving heavy goods and mail between Quebec City and Montreal. It was a toll bridge, meaning people paid to cross it. The money collected helped build a second bridge, called le pont Rouge, which was free to use.

The free bridge connected the western and eastern parts of Dupont Street. This street was named after Father Charles-François Dupont, a local priest from 1917 to 1933. A brand new bridge replaced le pont Rouge in 2009.

Pont-Rouge Population Facts

Pont-Rouge railroad bridge over the Jacques-Cartier River

Every few years, Statistics Canada counts how many people live in different places. This is called a census. In the 2021 Census, Pont-Rouge had 10,121 people living in 4,178 homes. There are 4,344 total homes in the city.

This means the population grew by 9.5% since 2016, when 9,240 people lived here. Pont-Rouge covers a land area of about 121.12 square kilometers. This gives it a population density of about 83.6 people per square kilometer in 2021. Population density tells you how many people live in each square kilometer of land.

Population Changes Over Time

Here's how the population of Pont-Rouge has changed:

• Population in 2021: 10,121 (This was a 9.5% increase from 2016)
• Population in 2016: 9,240
• Population in 2011: 8,723
• Population in 2006: 7,518
• Population in 2001: 7,146
• Population in 1996:
  • Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge (municipality): 2,145
  • Pont-Rouge (village): 4,676
• Population in 1991:
  • Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge (municipality): 1,966
  • Pont-Rouge (village): 4,133

Languages Spoken

Most people in Pont-Rouge speak French as their first language.

• English as first language: 0.7%
• French as first language: 98.2%
• English and French as first language: 0%
• Other languages as first language: 1.1%

How Pont-Rouge is Governed

The city of Pont-Rouge is run by its local government. The most important leader is the mayor. Here is a list of the people who have served as mayor over the years:

See also

In Spanish: Pont-Rouge para niños