Saint-Damien, Quebec (Canada)

The Municipality of Saint-Damien (2,084 inhabitants in January 2002; 417 sq. km, therefore one of the biggest municipalities in Quebec) is located in the County Regional Municipality of Matawinie. Administrative Region of Lanaudière.

The municipality was officially founded in 1870 as a clearing of the forest. His Grace Ignace Bourget, Bishop of Montreal, used to name the new parishes after related saints. The twin brothers Cosmas and Damian are traditionally represented as doctors martyred at the end of the third century during Diocletian's persecution. Accordingly, the two new adjacent parishes were named Saint-Côme and Saint-Damien.

Saint-Damien is also known as Saint-Damien-de-Brandon. The District of Brandon, covering most of the municipality of Saint-Damien, was formed in 1827 but the exact origin of its name has been lost. Since Brandon is the name of an English city, it is most probable that the new district was named after someone of local significance coming from Brandon, England.

Saint-Damien is watered by the river Matambin (from the local word "matomban", a boarding place, whose valley separates the High and Low Laurentids. The municipal territory includes more than 250 lakes, some of them being popular places of summer vacation ( Lac Matambin, Lac Noir, Lac Corbeau, Lac Mondor, Lac Lachance, Lacs Quesnel and Lafrenière, Lacs Sainte-Rose and Hénault), which causes the population of the municipality to nearly double in summer. In winter, Saint-Damien is part of an area known as "Skidoo Paradise".

After "Saint-Damien de Brandon 1867-1994", by Abbot François Lanoue
Ivan Sache, 23 December 2006

The flag of Saint-Damien is vertically divided green-white-blue (1:2:1) with the municipal logotype placed in the middle of the white stripe. The logotype is made of the interlaced letters S and D (green with a blue shadow), surmounted by the writing MUNICIPALITÉ DE in black letters. The name of the municipality is written as ST-DAMIEN in black letters on a white scroll outlined in blue, placed below the shield. The interlaced letters are also shown on the municipal coat of arms, designed by Abbot François Lanoue and adopted on 7 April 1994. A photography shows the designer presenting the arms in front of the flag, therefore the flag seems to have predated the arms.

Source: LES ARMOIRIES, Municipalité de Saint-Damien
Ivan Sache, 23 December 2006