Val-d'Or, Quebec

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Val-d'Or's location in Quebec

Val-d'Or is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,125 (2001). It is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near the Vérendrye provincial nature reserve.

Gold was discovered in the area in 1923 to 2005. The name of the town is literally "Valley of Gold." While gold is still mined in the area, base metals, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb) have become increasing important for the area. The ore is hosted in volcanic rocks that were deposited on the seafloor over 2.7 Ga, and are then referred to as volcanic-hosted (or volcanogenic) massive sulphide deposits, or VMS for short.

The city's mayor as of 2005 is Fernand Trahan.

The city is known for its vast parks, cycle tracks, and forests. Among the attractions are The City of Gold and the mining village of Bourlamaque, officially proclaimed historic sites in 1979.

The city hosted the Quebec Games in 1987. The Val d'Or Foreurs have played in the QMJHL since 1993, winning the league championship in 1998 and 2001 to claim a berth in the Memorial Cup. They play at Centre Air Creebec.

Val d'Or was once home to a Canadian Forces base (CFB Val d'Or) which closed in 1987. This base also had an underground bunker similar to the Diefenbunker, one of the Regional Emergency Government Headquarters (REGHQs).