Saint-Lazare, also known as Saint-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil, is an off-island suburb of Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, in southwestern 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...

 in the Regional County Municipality of Vaudreuil-Soulanges

Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality, Quebec

-References:...

.

The city of Saint-Lazare has experienced rapid growth since 1990, fueled predominantly by the arrival of young, middle-class families. New residents flocked to the area with the idea of escaping the hustle and bustle of life on the island of Montreal. Although Saint-Lazare residents are protective of their country lifestyle the area is not without its amenities.

Communities

• Saint-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil
• Saint-Lazare-Sud
• Saint-Lazare-Nord
• Saddlebrook
• Cedarbrook
• Sunnybrook
• Chanterel

Population

Population trend

Census	Population	Change (%)
2006	17,016	32.0%
2001	12,895	15.2%
1996	11,193	23.6%
1991	9,055	N/A

Language

Home language (2006)

Language	Population	Pct (%)
French only	8,695	51.10%
English only	7,700	45.25%
Both English and French	295	1.73%
Other languages	325	1.91%

The distribution of wealth in Saint-Lazare ranges from lower middle class to upper middle class and the average annual household income ($49,687) is significantly above the provincial average. Current population is unofficially around 17,000 inhabitants with further growth forecast as new developments are planned along Côte-St-Charles and further along St-Angelique.

Events and attractions

Some of the popular attractions:

• Aéroport Cooper
• Bar Chez Maurice
• Bar Planète St-Lazare
• Camping Lac des Cèdres
• Club équestre Les Forestiers
• Sports Complex
• Festivals
• Festival équestre Gymkhana
• Golf St-Lazare
• Horse shows
• La Pinière
• Torchlight Parade (ATV)
• Trails and paths
• GuidesCanins canine sport center

Parks

Saint-Lazare is graced by significant public funding for its ambitious recreational projects. Bedard Park in the centre of the town is a relatively large park equipped with a small water park, a grass field, three baseball diamonds, and tennis courts. In the winter two hockey rinks and an ice skating oval are added. The park hosts several events throughout the year, among the biggest of which is the annual St-Jean-de-Baptiste festival. Other parks in Saint-Lazare are scattered among the small subdivisions throughout the municipality.

A new sports centre was opened to the public in 2006.

Equestrian

Areas surrounding Saint-Lazare are dedicated to equestrian horse riding, including sanctioned trails that flow through wooded forests and nearby lakes in the region. Many trails are sand based, which is due in part to the popularity of this type of activity in the region. The town has one of the largest populations of horses, approximately 3,500 with many residential properties fully dedicated to breeding and horse training.

ATV

All-terrain vehicles are very popular in the region with an officially sanctioned trail, which runs between Saint-Lazare and the nearby town of Rigaud, Quebec

Rigaud, Quebec

Rigaud is a municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the county of Vaudreuil-Soulanges at the junction of the Ottawa River and the Rigaud River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 6,780...

. The trail is maintained by regional members of local ATV clubs. The trails are open in all four seasons, and groomed in the winter using heavy machinery.

Transportation

A trial bus service is currently in process of being tested to provide public transportation between Saint-Lazare and Saint-Anne-De-Bellevue on the island of Montreal, connecting the town's residents to the extensive public transit network of the greater Montreal area.

Education

A new senior elementary school, Forest Hill Senior, was opened in 2006. Several high schools in the surrounding area provide secondary education to the region's growing young population. These include two English language public high schools (Westwood Senior - formerly Hudson High School - and Westwood Junior-formerly known as Vaudreuil Catholic High School), one French language public high school (Cité-des-Jeunes in Vaudreuil-Dorion), and a semi-private French-speaking institution in Rigaud (Collège-Bourget). A new English-language elementary school (Birchwood Elementary) is under construction and slated to open for the 2011 - 2012 school year.

External links

• Site officiel de la Ville de Saint-Lazare - Official website of Ville de Saint-Lazare
• Surrounding area - Hudson, Quebec