Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is a parish municipality of the Maskinongé Regional county municipality (MRC de Maskinongé), in Moyenne-Mauricie.

This locality is experiencing a growing resort. Besides the village, the locality has two hamlets: Domaine Saint-Paulin (north of the village) and Domaine-Ouellet (east of the village).

Quebec storyteller Fred Pellerin, a native of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, is renowned for his humorous and poetic stories. His artistic performances take place entirely in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton and its surroundings. The performances of this Quebec artist are publicized and thus grant international notoriety to this picturesque village.

The municipality's website indicates in 2021 that Saint-Élie is a land of nature and culture. A visit to the "Garage de la culture" is a must.

Understand

History

The suffix Caxton refers to the cadastral township proclaimed in 1839. Caxton is a village in England near Cambridge.

The municipality of Saint-Élie dates It was formed from three unorganized territories in 1865. In 2005, the municipality of Saint-Élie became Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. In 2015, Saint-Élie-de-Caxton celebrated its 150-year history.

Geography

The village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is located in a small valley between the surrounding mountains, in particular the mountain of Calvaire (to the north-east of the village), a second to the east (summit at 216 m) and a third to the south-west (summit at 284 m). The locality is rather wooded, except the area near the village.

The main body of water is Lac à l'Eau Claire (except the northern part of the lake) which is famous for vacationing and nautical activities. The other main bodies of water are: lac des Souris, Grand lac Long, lac à la Perchaude and lac Patterson. The main rivers are: Rivière à l'Eau Claire, Rivière du Roi and the Yamachiche river. The Paterson Lake cove crosses the southern part of the village, skirting the foot of the mountain towards the east (altitude: 284 km (176 mi)). The rivière du Loup passes 4.7 km (2.9 mi) south of the village center.

The vacationer is densified around Lac Plaisant, Lac du Barrage, Petit lac Long and Grand lac Long.

Economy

The main economic activities are forestry, as well as several recreational tourism activities (vacationing, camping, hiking trails, observation of flora and fauna, mountain biking, snowmobiles, cycling, hunting and fishing, and arts activities via the "Garage de la culture").

Between 1991 and 2016, the population of Sainte-Élie-de-Caxton grew from 1,400 to 1,800 people.

Get in

The village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is accessible by road, snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles.

By car

• From Montreal (149 km (93 mi), 1 hr 40 min). Take highway 40 (north shore) eastbound up to Yamachiche; take highway 153 (northbound) through the village of Saint-Barnabé-Nord, to the hamlet Bournival; take route 351 (northbound) to the village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton.
• From Quebec (city) (172 km (107 mi), 1 hr 52 min). Take highway 40 (direction West); cross the city of Trois-Rivières; take Autoroute 55 (northbound) to Saint-Étienne-des-Grès; take Chemin des Dalles (westbound); take the 2nd row (northbound), to the village of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton.

Get around

• 1 Borne véhicule électrique (Electric charging stations), 32-60 chemin des Loisirs, ☏ +1 800-686-9243. Charging station for electric vehicles. (updated Nov 2021)

See

Heritage tour

• 1 Église de Saint-Élie-de-Caxton (Saint-Élie-de-Caxton Church), 2386, avenue Principale. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Montagne du calvaire (Calvary mountain), rang des 12 Terres. Mountain of 226 m (at its summit) located northeast of the center of the village and with an illuminated cross at its summit. In 1886, a Stations of the Cross was built there. The first cross was erected at the top there in 1895. It is between Route 351 (to the northwest and to the south), Lac Plaisant (to the north) and Lac à la Vase (to the southeast). This ordeal is also a place of spirituality. In 2011, the Ministry of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women assigned the heritage character of the entire Calvary site, including the church, the presbytery, the cemetery and the Calvary mountain. In 2016, Calvaire Mountain was restored following a crowdfunding campaign. (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Jardin botanique (Botanical Garden). This botanical garden offers a wide variety of flowers and succulents. In 2021, the Monarch butterfly is in the spotlight. This public garden has a size of 105 m by 45 m. The primary mission of the garden is horticultural education (from children to the elderly). This magnificent garden has paths, a large assortment of plants, a "wish fountain", two water jet pools, a children's play area and a picnic area. Signs highlight each of the 17 municipalities of the MRC de Maskinongé. (updated Nov 2021)

Do

• 1 Garage de la Culture (Culture Garage), 2191, ave. Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2839, info@st-elie-de-caxton.ca. The Culture Garage is the village's centre of attraction, allowing artists from Saint-Élie-de-Caxton and the Mauricie to express their talents and creativity, particularly in the performing arts, literature and music. This cultural hub also offers conferences, workshops, talks and exhibitions. Interested parties can subscribe to the cultural and tourist newsletter on the Garage de la culture website. This arts gathering hub is open to all residents and visitors. The ticket office is accessible online. A tourist reception office has been set up there. (updated Nov 2021)

Events

• Guided Tours, 2191, ave. Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2839, info@st-elie-de-caxton.ca. The Garage de la culture offers a program of varied tourist activities, in particular: a historic tour of the village by cart with guide, historical walking tour with audio guide, Monarque bikes. (updated Nov 2021)

Buy

Foods

• 1 Alimentation R Audet, 2531, avenue Principale, ☏ +1 514-221-3200. Grocery store. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Café brocante Victor, 2361, avenue Principale, ☏ +1 514-258-4735. (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Chez elle, 2350, avenue Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2741. Food establishment specializing in meal boxes. (updated Nov 2021)
• 4 Ferme Forestière Winchester, 4571, route des Lacs (opposite Lac à la Perchaude.), ☏ +1 819-221-2061. (updated Nov 2021)

Eat

• 1 Resto-Gîte Le Lutin Marmiton, 2410, avenue Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2150. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Du bon pain croûte que croûte, 2440, ave. Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2755. (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Le Prince Élie, 2382, ave. Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2815, info@leprinceelie.com. Meals on site. Pick up outside. (updated Nov 2021)

Sleep

Chalet, gîte, inn

• 1 Floribell Station Touristique, 391, chemin du lac Bell, ☏ +1 819-221-5731. With a multifunctional room and many activities for residents. (updated Nov 2021)
• 2 Resto-Gîte Le Lutin Marmiton, 2410, avenue Principale, ☏ +1 819-221-2150. Restaurant, lodging (5 rooms) and caterer. (updated Nov 2021)
• 3 Chalet Le Semeur, 320, rue St-Louis, ☏ +1 819-221-5588. (updated Nov 2021)
• 4 Avenue du Moulin, 100, avenue Dumoulin, ☏ +1 819-221-5588. (updated Nov 2021)

Camping

• 5 Camping Bivouak (ancien camping Tournesol), ☏ +1 819-221-4001. Offer of a ready-to-camp. All types of camping equipment: RV, tent trailer, tent. (updated Nov 2021)
• 6 Camping Floribell, 391, chemin du Lac Bell, ☏ +1 819-221-5731. Wi-Fi. This campsite has 144 sites for all types of equipment. Various services available: children's play area, 2 sanitary blocks, laundry room, recreation rooms, mini-convenience store and on-site snack bar. Many organized activities. The large beach allows swimming, boat trips (kayaks, pedal boats). Pricing also for daily access. (updated Nov 2021)

Go next

• 1 Shawinigan Town of the Moyen-Mauricie with an industrial, residential, commercial, public services and recreational tourism economy.
• 2 Saint-Boniface (Quebec) Municipality of the western suburbs of Shawinigan.
• 3 Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc Last village-relay before the southwest entrance to Mauricie National Park. This locality is a hotbed of recreational and tourist activities (La Mauricie National Park, resorts, camping, hiking trails, observation of flora and fauna, maple groves, mountain biking, snowmobiles, cycling, hunting and fishing) and forestry.
• 4 Saint-Alexis-des-Monts Being the last village-relay before the Mastigouche wildlife reserve, Saint-Alexis-des-Monts is an important center of recreational and tourist activities.
• 5 Saint-Paulin The main economic activities of the locality are forestry, recreational tourism and agriculture. In its eastern part, the course of the Loup river constitutes the intermunicipal limit; and on the west side, the course of the Chacoura river.
• 6 Charette Laid out at the foot of the Laurentians, Charette has developed through agriculture and forestry.

Routes through Saint-Élie-de-Caxton

Yamachiche ← Saint-Barnabé ←

W  E

→ Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides → Shawinigan