Pont-Rouge is a city along the Jacques-Cartier River in southern Quebec, Canada. In the Canada 2011 Census the population was 8,723 inhabitants.HistoryThe first efforts to colonise the area came around 1769.On April 15, 1867, the archbishop of Quebec, Charles-François Baillargeon, founded the parish of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Neuville from portions of Cap-Santé, Saint-Basile, and Neuville. After the separation of the parish in two in 1911 (the village of Pont-Rouge and the parish of Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge), the new City of Pont-Rouge was established when these two municipalities merged on January 3, 1996.Transportation had considerable influence on the development of the parish, mainly the two bridges and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge in 1874. The Royal Bridge (now called Pont Déry), was reconstructed several times because of the weakness of the centre of the bridge. This bridge served its purpose for the transportation of heavy loads and mail between Quebec and Montreal. The bridge was a toll bridge, and the money served the construction of a second bridge le pont Rouge, which was free. It united the western part to the eastern part of Dupont Street, named in honour of Father Charles-François Dupont, who was priest there from 1917 to 1933. A newer bridge has now replaced this bridge as of 2009.DemographicsPopulation trend:  Population in 2011: 8723 (2006 to 2011 population change: 16.0%) Population in 2006: 7518 Population in 2001: 7146 Population in 1996: Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge (municipality): 2145 Pont-Rouge (village): 4676 Sainte-Jeanne-de-Pont-Rouge (municipality): 1966 Pont-Rouge (village): 4133 Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 3471 (total dwellings: 3617)