Saint-Narcisse

Saint-Narcisse is a locality with a rural and ancestral character, located in Mid-Mauricie, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, in the regional county municipality of Les Chenaux, in Mauricie. The village is located at the junction of route 352 (linking Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap to Sainte-Thècle) and route 361 (linking Batiscan to Saint-Narcisse).

This locality has many houses dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Economy
During the colonization period (19th century), the local economy was based on forestry and agriculture. In the 21st century, its economy is based on a group of manufacturing industries, agriculture, partly forestry, certain public services (primary school), recreational and tourist activities (Batiscan River park, resorts, camping, hunting and sport fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiles) and local shops.

This locality has a territory of where 1832 inhabitants reside. In summer, the municipality has many seasonal workers due to vacationing (including second homes) and Canadian citizens who migrate south in winter.

History
Marie-Joseph (known as Louis) Cosset is recognized as the first settler to settle permanently in 1803 in the current territory of Saint-Narcisse. Around 1840, the first sawmill was built on the rang St-Pierre stream, in the place designated "the old mill". Then a flour mill was installed around 1850 about 10 arpents downstream.

The first chapel was built in 1851-53. The second church was built from 1971 to 1973. In 1879, there was the exhumation and transport of approximately 350 bodies from the 2nd row cemetery, in the one near the current church. The latter was restored and enlarged in 1916 by giving it a new facade with two bell towers 9 m from the street. The civil establishment took place in 1854, that is to say the same year of the abolition of the seigniorial outfit. The school board was established in 1855.

The section of the "Chemin de fer du Nord" was built in 1877-78 to link Montreal to Quebec on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. This railway project included the construction of the Piles branch which was built in 1879-80 and passed notably through the parishes of Saint-Narcisse and Saint-Maurice. This branch contributed to the economic development of the parishes served. The year 1904 marks the installation of electric light in the village of Saint-Narcisse.

Geography
The locality of Saint-Narcisse is part of the Batiscanie (hydrographic basin), because of the watersheds of the rivière des Chutes and the rivière à la Tortue, which flow into the Batiscan River. Covering an area of, the municipal territory is subdivided by seven ranges.

The Batiscan River flows from north to south over starting from lac Édouard in Mauricie. It drains into the St. Lawrence River at Batiscan. The Batiscan river divides the parish of Saint-Stanislas in two. Beginning in 1852, the Price Brothers and Company began to harvest the forest in the Batiscan valley. The transport of wood by flotation on the Batiscan River was abandoned in 1963.

The rivière des Chutes mainly drains the territory of Saint-Narcisse. It flows over including  in Saint-Stanislas. It flows into the Batiscan River upstream of the Saint-Narcisse dam.

Taking its source at Lac à la Tortue in Hérouxville, the rivière à la Tortue flows over crossing Hérouxville, Saint-Séverin, Saint-Narcisse and Saint-Stanislas. It flows into the Rivière des Envies in Saint-Stanislas.

Taking its source in the marshes of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, the rivière au Lard flows on crossing Saint-Maurice and Saint-Narcisse, then will flow into the Champlain River at Saint-Maurice.

Taking its source at the "plé de Saint-Narcisse", the rivière à la Fourche flows over crossing Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Saint-Narcisse, Saint-Maurice and Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes. It flows into the Champlain River in Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes.

Get in
The village of Saint-Narcisse is accessible by road, snowmobile and all terrain vehicles.

By car

 * From Montreal (. Time: 1 hr 55 min. From Montreal, take highway 40 (north shore) eastbound, to Trois-Rivières (Cap-de-la-Madeleine sector); Route 352 (northbound), crossing the villages of Saint-Maurice, to the village of Saint-Narcisse.
 * From Quebec City (. Time: 1 hr 17 min. From Quebec City, take highway 40 westbound to Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan; take road 361 through the village of Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan, to the village of Saint-Narcisse.

Camping
(See section "Parc de la rivière Batiscan" (Batiscan River Park) for camping)