Saint-Alban, Quebec

Saint-Alban is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, known for its caves, crevices and rock-climbing walls at the gorge of the Sainte-Anne River.

History
The first settlers, coming from Saint-Ambroise-de-la-Jeune-Lorette, Deschambault, Grondines, and Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade, began clearing the area around 1830. In 1851, a mill was built that led to the development of the village. In 1856, the parish was founded, followed by the post office in 1857, and the parish municipality in 1860. Its official full name was Saint-Alban-d'Alton, and named after Saint Alban, the first martyr in Britain in the third century. Alton refers to its location in the geographic township of Alton, formed in 1841, and named after a town in Hampshire, England.

On 27 April 1894, Canada's largest known landslide occurred in Saint-Alban. Displacing 185 e6m3 of rock and dirt, it made a 40 m deep mark that covered 4.6 e6m2.

In January 1918, the village centre separated from the parish municipality and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Saint-Alban. In 1991, the parish and village municipalities merged again to form the new Municipality of Saint-Alban.

Demographics
Population trend:
 * Population in 2011: 1225 (2006 to 2011 population change: 7.6%)
 * Population in 2006: 1138
 * Population in 2001: 1170
 * Population in 1996: 1159
 * Population in 1991: 1176

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 552 (total dwellings: 764)

Mother tongue:
 * English as first language: 0%
 * French as first language: 100%
 * English and French as first language: 0%
 * Other as first language: 0%