Saint-Lazare is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Regional County Municipality of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. History Originally part of the Seigneurie de Vaudreuil in the 18th century, the territory corresponding to Saint-Lazare was considered difficult to farm owing to sandy soil, and remained mostly uninhabited. In 1812, the first settlers were Americans from New England, then circa 1820 English from Cumberland, followed soon after by French Canadians. Saint-Lazare was founded as a parish municipality on December 29, 1875. The first church was built in 1877, destroyed by a fire in 1942 and subsequently rebuilt in 1947. A passenger train from Canadian Pacific Railway previously ran through the town but was discontinued in 1960. The station located on the corner of Sainte-Angélique and Duhamel was demolished. Originally a rural farming town, the city of Saint-Lazare experienced rapid growth in the 1990s, fueled predominantly by the arrival of young, middle-class families. New residents flocked to the area seeking a more relaxed lifestyle than that of the island of Montreal, as well as larger homes and property for less money than on the island of Montreal. In December 2001, Saint-Lazare changed its statutes and became a city. In 2015, the Saint-Lazare government began using pictograms instead of text on signs when the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) asked it to remove its English-language signs; the Saint-Lazare community believes in accommodating bilingualism and its Anglophone residents. Communities Saint-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil Saint-Lazare-Sud Saint-Lazare-Nord Saddlebrook Sandcastle Cedarbrook Sunnybrook Chanterel Forest Hill Maple Ridge Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saint-Lazare had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Soils Saint-Lazare was built on thick deposits of sand. Poorly drained areas are most common in the eastern part of town and have been mapped as muck, Peat or Vaudreuil series (a "half-bog" or gleysol), while the well to rapidly drained classic podzols are assigned to Ste. Sophie or Upland series. Attractions Some of the popular attractions are: Aéroport Cooper Bar Chez Maurice Bar Planète St-Lazare Club équestre Les Forestiers Sports Complex Festivals Festival équestre Gymkhana Horse shows La Pinière Torchlight Parade (ATV) Trails and paths Canins canine sport center Parks Saint-Lazare is graced by significant public funding for its ambitious recreational projects. Bedard