A network of authentic heritage villages, located in remarkable landscapes

120, rue Saint-Joseph,

Deschambault-Grondines,

(Québec)

418-652-8150

Tous droits réservés, 1998 / 2009, l'Association des plus beaux villages du Québec.

All Rights Reserved, 1998 / 2010, Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec

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An artists' rendez-vous on the shores of the Richelieu River

To be completed...

History of our village

Alongside the majestic Richelieu River, which weaves effortlessly through the rich agricultural plains towards the St. Lawrence River, a people’s history leaves its trace. Gently nestled on the shores of the Richelieu River, Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu bears the stamp of Old Europe, seen as much through the calm of its agricultural landscape as through its traditional way of life.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the river, on Chemin des Patriotes, the events of 1837-1838 have left their mark (French-speaking patriots rose in revolt and were prosecuted, condemned and then hanged or deported in Australia by the English). The village is also the birthplace of one of the 1867 Fathers of Confederation, Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier, as well as Mother Marie-Rose (Eulalie Durocher), the founder of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary (Sœurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie). Monuments bearing their effigy commemorate their lives.

Once attached to the seigneury of Contrecoeur during the seventeenth century, Saint-Antoine became self-sufficient in 1749, and served as a ferry transit point between southern Quebec and the Saint Lawrence River, though the service has since been abandoned. Today, however, a small ferry does commute between Saint-Antoine and the village of Saint-Denis, located across the bank. In winter, the river freezes, forming an ice bridge crossing fit for even the most skeptical drivers to cross…

The preservation of the village’s rural surroundings has enticed artists and craftspeople alike to come and practice their art, such as painting, engraving, sculpting, vegetable dyeing, canoe and sailboat making, and other traditional hobbies.

The village architecture is a range of varying eighteenth and nineteenth century styles that make use of stone and wood, including one interesting building built in a whimsical Moorish style. The imposing church with its two towers dates back to 1914, and the presbytery back to 1882. The Chemin du Rivage, which is the main road, follows the river, ever preserving the tranquility and charm of days gone by.