The Canton
Page updated
25 / 02 / '02
The Canton of Guichen - Introduction
The Canton of Guichen is situated South-West of Rennes in the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine. It comprises of eight communes - Baulon .. Bourg-des Comptes..Goven.. Guignen.. Guichen.. Laillé.. Lassy.. St. Senoux. These range in size from a couple of hundred homes to the larger towns (Guichen, Bourg-des-Comptes) with 6-7000 people.
Each commune has its own municipal council, with an elected mayor. It handles its
own local affairs with a budget appropriate to the size of the area. Each commune has at least one pre-
school and primary school facility. Secondary education is provided in three Collèges,
- the Collège St. Joseph, Guignen (a private co-educational school under the direction of the local Catholic church),
- the Collège Noel de Fail (a large public co-educational school) in Guichen.
- a smaller private College also in Guichen.
French children attend a "collège" up to the age of 15/16 and then transfer to a "lycée".
The Canton does not have a Lycée and pupils travel to Bruz or Rennes to complete their baccalauréat, or
final examination.
The area is quite rural and there are many pleasant forest walks, particularly in the vicinity of St. Senoux. Water sports and fishing are enjoyed on the Vilaine river which flows through the Canton. Bourg-des-Comptes has a campsite. Horticulture and agriculture play an important part in the life of the Canton. There are a number of small industries which provide employment. An increasing number of commuters to Rennes have increased the population in many of the communes.