Waltham, Quebec
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Waltham | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Outaouais |
| Incorporation | 1859 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Municipality |
| - Mayor | Wayne Venne |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 451.43 km² (174.3 sq mi) |
| - Land | 375.71 km² (145.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 360 |
| - Density | 1.0/km² (2.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | J0X |
Waltham is a village and municipality in the Outaouais region, part of the Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. It is located at the mouth of the Noire River, along the north shore of the Ottawa River at Allumette Island.
The municipality consists of the hamlet of Carroll and the village of Waltham, both near the Ottawa River[3] between Chichester and Mansfield-et-Pontefract, about 30 kilometers (19 mi) west of Fort-Coulonge.[4] Quebec Route 148 connects Waltham to Allumettes Island and Pembroke, Ontario.
Its territory, with a maximum elevation of just over 350 meters (1,150 ft),[3] is sparsely populated, the majority of the population living along or near the Ottawa River. The northern portion is dotted with lakes, such as Findlay, Landon, Gagnon, and Caughlin, and is popular for fishing.[4]
[edit] History
The name Waltham, mentionned on the Gale and Duberger map of 1795, comes from a place on the River Lea in Essex, England, named Waltham Abbey. In 1849, the Waltham Township was formed[3]. In 1859, it was officially reorganized into a township municipality, also named Waltham,[4] and its first mayor was John T. Coghlan.[5]
In 1869, the Bryson Township was annexed, creating the United Township Municipality of Waltham-et-Bryson. The name Bryson comes from George Bryson Sr. (1813–1900), influential logging merchant, and mayor of Mansfield-et-Pontefract.[4] In 1888, the railroad from Fort-Coulonge to Waltham was completed but not until August 27, 1894, was the railroad opened by the Pontiac Pacific Junction Railway Company.[6] Four years later, in 1898, a post office was established, called Waltham Station.[4]
In 1937, a hydroelectric generating station and dam were built across the Noire River just north of Waltham village, forming a reservoir called Robinson Lake.[7]
In 1959, rail service to Waltham is discontinued, and in 1984 the railline was removed and later turned into the Cycloparc PPJ bike path stretching from Bristol, Quebec, to Pembroke, Ontario.[8]
In 1997, Waltham-et-Bryson is reorganized into the Municipality of Waltham.[4]
[edit] Demographics
Population:[9]
- Population in 2006: 360
- Population in 2001: 425
- 2001 to 2006 population change: -15.3%
- Population in 1996: 496
- Population in 1991: 466
Total private dwellings (excluding seasonal cottages): 153
Languages:
- English as first language: 69%
- French as first language: 25%
- English and French as first language: 3%
- Other as first language: 3%
[edit] References
- ^ Total area: Affaires municipales et régions Québec (MAMR)
Land area: Statistics Canada - ^ Statistics Canada 2006 census
- ^ a b c Canton de Waltham (French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ a b c d e f Municipalité de Waltham (French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Waltham municipality. Pontiac MRC Gateway. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ Significant dates in Ottawa railway history. Colin Churcher's Railway Pages (2006-07-30). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
- ^ Barrage de Waltham (French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ History of the railroad PPJ. CLD du Pontiac. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
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Lac-Nigault |
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| Chichester |  |
Mansfield-et-Pontefract | |||||
 Waltham  |
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| Ottawa River, bridge to Allumette Island | Ottawa River / Whitewater Region, Ontario |
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