Laurierville, Quebec: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Laurierville is a small municipality in Quebec’s Centre-du-Québec region, in the MRC de L’Érable. The village sits in maple and farm country between the St. Lawrence lowlands and the Appalachian foothills, with local services, parish landmarks and nearby forest parks shaping a quiet rural visit.
Travellers should treat Laurierville as a local village first. Its best travel value comes from understanding the L’Érable landscape, where fields, sugar bush roads and small village services sit close together.
How Laurierville Started
Laurierville’s story begins with Sainte-Julie-de-Somerset, a rural parish and township setting in the old Somerset area. Settlement followed farming, parish organization, local roads and the development of services around the church and village core.
The village municipality of Laurierville was created near the end of 1902 after the built-up area around the church separated from the surrounding rural municipality. The name honours Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Canadian prime minister from nearby Arthabaska.
Modern Laurierville took shape through municipal consolidation. In 1997, the village of Laurierville and the municipality of Sainte-Julie joined to form the present municipality. That helps explain why the community has both a compact village centre and a wider rural territory.
What Laurierville Is Like Today
Laurierville today is a small rural municipality with about 1,300 residents in the 2021 census. The community supports local households, farms, maple operations, small businesses and travellers moving through L’Érable.
The village core remains practical: municipal services, local shops, community facilities and roads leading out to fields and woodlots. The surrounding region is strongly associated with maple production, agricultural roads and forest recreation.
A short visit will feel low-key. Laurierville is strongest as a place to pause, walk the village, understand the Laurier name connection and connect with a broader Centre-du-Québec countryside route.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Start in the village core. Look for the parish setting, local streets and community buildings that show how Laurierville grew from a church-centred rural settlement.
Use the wider L’Érable region for outdoor context. Parc régional des Grandes-Coulées, located elsewhere in the MRC, offers forest trails and wetland landscapes that fit Laurierville’s agricultural setting.
Maple-country travel is another natural theme. Spring sugar season, local food stops and rural roads can help visitors understand why L’Érable is closely tied to maple production.
For services, accommodations or a larger stop, Plessisville and Victoriaville are useful regional centres. Keep Laurierville as the quiet village anchor in the itinerary, with city services planned before or after the rural stop.
Quick Facts
- Province: Quebec
- Region: Centre-du-Québec
- Municipality type: Municipality
- 2021 census population: 1,313 in the Municipality of Laurierville
- Official website: laurierville.ca
- Main travel areas: village core, parish area, rural roads, maple-country routes and L’Érable regional parks
- Key routes: Route 116, local rang roads and roads toward Plessisville and Victoriaville
Travel Notes
Laurierville is easiest to visit by car. Many attractions sit elsewhere in the region, so check opening dates, trail conditions and maple-season timing before building a trip around them. Winter roads can be snowy and exposed in rural areas. In the village core, park where permitted and respect church, cemetery and private property boundaries.