Sainte-Virginie, Watersauga

Sainte-Virginie (2014 population 680) is a township (canton) in northwestern City-State of Watersauga, located immediately north of the Town of Aylmer, and about 29 km (18 mi) northwest of the city-state's capital of Ottawa - Gatineau. Primarily an agricultural community, Sainte-Virginie is a francophone township comprised of 680 people in 2014.

In 2012, a natural gas leak in the township led to a severe explosion, which destroyed over 56 buildings in the township, causing 2 deaths. Over 700 people were displaced. The population decreased from a peak population from 1,100 to 600 as a result.

The patron saint day of the township is 27 November. A celebration among the residents of the township is usually held in the local farmer's market on that day.

History
Sainte-Virginie is a result of the continuous spread of farmlands and developments along the Dawson River after the Second World War. Originally a part of the Town of Aylmer, the township conferred upon the city-state to form its independent township (canton) government in 2012. This was approved in 2013, and Sainte-Virginie officially became a township (canton) of its own on 1 September 2013.

Geography
The township is largely agricultural, with farmlands covering most of its 4-km² rolling hills. Where there is no farmland, woodlands of maple and oak is generally found.

The township's business core is located on a 150-m section of rue Principale-de-Virginie (Main St. Virginie), and the township's office is located on the hill (locally known as la colline) just north of the township's core. The bulk of the township's residents live sparsely on the southward-facing slope of la colline.