Saint-Paulin

Saint-Paulin is a parish municipality of the Maskinongé Regional county municipality (MRC de Maskinongé), in Basse-Mauricie, Quebec, Canada.

In addition to the main village, the municipal territory includes in its northern part the hamlet of Hunterstown, located upstream from the falls of Trembles and Le Baluchon-Éco-villégiature; in its southern part, the hamlet Le Bas-Fond located in the moraine, on the chemin du Grand rang; the Renversy hamlet, around the train station; and in the western part of the territory, the hamlet Bout-du-Monde which is located on the east bank of the Loup River.

History
The municipality of the parish of Saint-Paulin was erected in 1847 by detachment from the municipality of Saint-Léon-le-Grand. The first wooden chapel was erected in 1848, and the stone parish church in 1887.

The heart of the village was built around the intersection of rue Laflèche (north-south direction) which is parallel to provincial road 349, and rue Lottinville which is partly provincial roads 349 and 350. The Centre Multiservice Réal-U.-Guimond was erected in 1994 and was inaugurated in March 1995. The locality celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2000.

Geography
The Rivière du Loup forms a north-facing semicircle, the radius of which varies between and  around the centre of the village of Saint-Paulin. After heading north (in the northeastern part of the municipality), the course of the river branches off to the southeast (i.e. in the northeastern part of the municipal territory). Then, the Loup River successively crosses the Trembles Falls, the Chaudières Falls and the Magnan Falls. These falls are attractions for visitors. Upstream from the Hunterstown Rapids, a hamlet in the northern part of Saint-Paulin territory, the river surface is above sea level; after this series of falls and rapids, the surface is at  at the foot of the fall in Magnan (located south of route 350), i.e., a drop of.

The village of Saint-Paulin is crossed from west to east by the Saint-Louis River. The rivière du Roi (King's River) flows in the northern part of the municipality; before its mouth, its course bypasses Juneau Island (length: ).

Economy
Economic activities in Saint-Paulin have mainly been: agriculture, forestry, small industries (e.g., sawmill), local businesses and local services (e.g., municipality, elementary school education). Recreational and tourist activities have intensified, particularly with Le baluchon Éco-villégiature and various other accommodations.

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

By car

 * From Montreal (, 1 hr 34 min). Take Highway 40 (north shore) eastbound, to Chemin Caron in Louiseville; take Chemin Caron (northbound); take route 148 (eastbound) through the village of Louiseville; take route 349 (northbound) to the village of Saint-Paulin.
 * From Quebec City (, 1 hr 57 min). Take Highway 40 (westbound), to Trois-Rivières; take highway 55 (northbound) to the village of Saint-Étienne-des-Grès; take Chemin des Dalles (westbound); take the 2nd row (northbound); take route 350 (westbound) to the village of Saint-Paulin.

By train

 * The following routes serve Saint-Paulin:
 * Between Jonquière and Montreal including stops in Hervey-Jonction, Shawinigan, Saint-Paulin, Saint-Justin, and Joliette. Operates one day per week. Route operates as a wilderness service: a request stop may be made at any point along the route for those who want to hike and kayak in the remoter regions of Quebec that the train passes through.
 * Between Senneterre and Montreal including stops in La Tuque, Hervey-Jonction, Shawinigan, Saint-Paulin, Saint-Justin, and Joliette. Operates one day per week. Route operates as a wilderness service: a request stop may be made at any point along the route for those who want to hike and kayak in the remoter regions of Quebec that the train passes through.
 * Between Senneterre and Montreal including stops in La Tuque, Hervey-Jonction, Shawinigan, Saint-Paulin, Saint-Justin, and Joliette. Operates one day per week. Route operates as a wilderness service: a request stop may be made at any point along the route for those who want to hike and kayak in the remoter regions of Quebec that the train passes through.