Saint-Zotique

The first economic activities in the region started in the mid-18th century with forest exploitation and agriculture. The place was first named "Concession-du-Lac" and "Lac-Saint-François" after the adjacent lake. Subsequently, it was also known as "Longueuil-sur-le-Lac" (because it was part of the seigneury of New Longueuil, and "Moulin-Biron" (named after the owner of the first sawmill built near the wharf). Saint-Zotique officially became parish near 1849 when it was separated from the parish of Saint-Polycarpe located a few kilometres to the north. In 1854, its post office opened, and a year later in 1855, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Zotique was formed. In 1913, the village itself split off from the parish municipality to form the Village Municipality of Saint-Zotique, and eventually the two municipalities merged again to form a new village municipality in 1967. On 4 April 2009, it changed its status to just municipality and in 2023, it became a city. ==Geography==

The southern part of the municipality is bordered by the St. Lawrence River, which flows eastward. Autoroute 20 crosses it from west to east. ==Demographics==

The town is home to a popular beach which can accommodate as many as 10,000 people. Located on Lac Saint-François, nautical sports are among the region's most popular activities and the town also has a golf course. ==Government==

Saint-Zotique forms part of the federal electoral district of Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon and has been represented by Claude DeBellefeuille of the Bloc Québécois since 2019. Provincially, Saint-Zotique is part of the Soulanges electoral district and is represented by Marilyne Picard of the Coalition Avenir Québec since 2018. List of former mayors: • Firmin François Liénard (1913–1915) • Joseph Arsène Adolphe Bray (1916, 1931–1933) • Joseph Omer Alphonse Méthot (1916–1917) • Henri-Pie-Marie-Joseph-Alfred La Rocque (1917–1921) • Jean Baptiste Sauvé (1921–1925) • Josephat Léger (1925–1929) • Hilaire Duval (1929–1931, 1933–1935) • Joseph François d'Assise Adrien Cadieux (1935) • Joseph Joachim Eugène Bissonnette (1935) • Pierre Montpetit (1935) • Albert Rochon (1935–1939) • Joseph Tancrède Asselin (1939–1942) • Cyrille Joseph Albert Richer Laflèche (1942, 1944) • Louis Julien Bergevin (1942–1944) • Joseph-Wilfrid-Godefroi Blanchard (1944–1971) • Joseph Alfred Jacques Claude Blanchard (1971–1985) • Joseph-Wilfrid-Maurice-Yvon Leroux (1985–1998) • Robert Hovington (1998–2005) • Gaëtane Legault (2005–2013) • Yvon Chiasson (2013–2025) • Jean-Pierre Daoust (2025–present) ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Located on Route 338 and just south of Autoroute 20 near the Ontario-Quebec border, it is easily accessible from the busiest transportation corridor of the country with direct links to Montreal, Cornwall and Toronto. ==Education==

Commission Scolaire des Trois-Lacs operates Francophone schools. • École de la Riveraine • École des Orioles • École Saint-Zotique • École Virginie-Roy • 2e Avenue is zoned to École Léopold-Carrière in Les Coteaux Lester B. Pearson School Board operates Anglophone schools. • Soulanges Elementary School in Saint-Télesphore or Evergreen Elementary and Forest Hill Elementary (Junior Campus and Senior campus) in Saint-Lazare ==See also==