As early as 1651, Eustache Lambert set up a fishing post at this spot in the seigneury of Lauzon, then called Etchemin. Under the French Regime, farming, fishing and early logging drove the economy. After 1738, a road ran along the river from Pointe-Lévy to the lands of Lambert’s heirs. The area was first settled by a small group of Irish, soon followed by French Canadians.
The neighbourhood at a glance
BoroughCity of Lévis
Central Lévisacross from Sillery
Life in Saint-Romuald
The vibe
A riverside district that combines an old core on the shore, residential neighbourhoods and commercial streets farther south.
The housing
Older houses near the river and, farther south, neighbourhoods of single-family homes.
Nearby
Québec Bridge · Pierre-Laporte Bridge · Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
Good to know
Highway 20 borders the district to the south and Route 132 crosses it. The nearby Québec and Pierre-Laporte bridges lead to Sainte-Foy.
Landmarks
- Chemin du Fleuve
- Rivière Etchemin
- Chaudière-Bassin
History
The history of Saint-Romuald
- 1651Eustache Lambert’s fishing post
- 1818First bridge over the Etchemin
- 1854Parish created civilly
- 1969The oil refinery opens
- 2002Merged into the city of Lévis
In the early 19th century, Napoleon’s Continental Blockade pushed Great Britain to seek timber in its colonies. Henry Caldwell, who bought the seigneury in 1801, and later his son John built wharves, basins and sawmills on the Etchemin islets. The first bridge over the Etchemin was built in 1818, and shipbuilding became the main employer until the 1930s.
The parish of Saint-Romuald-d’Etchemin was separated from Saint-Jean-Chrysostome in 1853, then civilly erected in 1854; its church was built in 1855–1856. The population grew from 1,650 in 1856 to 3,993 in 1911, about two-thirds French-speaking and one-third Irish. In 1902, Cistercian nuns from France founded the Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil abbey, where they made chocolate.
Saint-Romuald-d’Etchemin became a town in 1963 and merged with Saint-Télesphore in 1965. In 1969, an oil refinery, now the Jean-Gaulin refinery, opened on the former territory of Saint-Télesphore. The Pierre-Laporte Bridge, completed in 1970, partly turned Saint-Romuald into a suburb of Québec City. The town took the name Saint-Romuald in 1982, then was merged into the new city of Lévis on January 1, 2002.
Frequently asked questions about Saint-Romuald
Where is Saint-Romuald?
On the south shore of the St. Lawrence, across from Sillery, between the Chaudière and Etchemin rivers. It is one of the four districts of the Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Est borough, in Lévis.
Where does the name Saint-Romuald come from?
It comes from the parish of Saint-Romuald-d’Etchemin, named after Saint Romuald, a monk born in Ravenna in the 10th century and founder of the Camaldolese order.
How do I get to Québec City from Saint-Romuald?
Via the nearby Québec Bridge or Pierre-Laporte Bridge, which lead to Sainte-Foy. Highway 20 runs along the south of the district.
How do I find an apartment for rent in Saint-Romuald?
Rental units managed by Lease Lane in Saint-Romuald will soon be listed on the site, along with the online rental application. In the meantime, Cléo can notify you as soon as a unit is posted.
Other areas
