La Malbaie

La Malbaie
—  Municipality  —

Coat of arms
Motto: In Fide Plantati et Radicati
La Malbaie
Coordinates:
Country  Canada
Province  Quebec
Region Capitale-Nationale
Regional county Charlevoix-Est
Established 1845
Constitution January 12, 1999
Government[1]
 • Mayor Lise Lapointe
 • Federal riding Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord
 • Prov. riding Charlevoix
Area[1][2]
 • Total 470.57 km2 (181.7 sq mi)
 • Land 459.34 km2 (177.4 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
 • Total 8,959
 • Density 19.5/km2 (50.5/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code G5A
Area code(s) 418 and 581
Website www.ville.lamalbaie.qc.ca

La Malbaie is a municipality in the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality in the province of Quebec, Canada, situated on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River, at the mouth of the Malbaie River. It was formerly known as Murray Bay.

The development of tourism in this area is said to date back to 1760, when the Scottish feudal lords John Nairne and Malcolm Fraser began receiving visitors to the region at their estates.

The Fairmont Manoir Richelieu hotel and Casino de Charlevoix are both located in the neighbourhood and former municipality of Pointe-au-Pic.

Contents

History

In 1608, Samuel de Champlain visited the place and didn't find suitable anchorage for his ship in the bay and therefore named it Malle Baye (archaic French for "bad/poor bay"), a name further justified when during low tide the bay dried up and his ships ran aground.[3]

In 1761, two Scottish officers of the British Army were attracted to the beauty of the place, and they each sought to obtain a concession. John Nairne (1731-1802) received the western shores of the Malbaie River, that he thereafter called the Seignory of Murray Bay that included the settlement of La Malbaie. Malcolm Fraser (1733-1815) was granted the eastern part that became the Seignory of Mount Murray. They also renamed the bay, the settlement, and river after James Murray (1721-1794), English General and successor of Wolfe. Although this name never received official approval, in the 18th and 19th centuries Murray Bay had become the internationally accepted toponym, but La Malbaie remained in local use.[3]

In 1774, the Parish of Saint-Étienne was formed. In 1845, the place was first incorporated as the Municipality of La Malbaie, but it was abolished in 1847. It was reestablished in 1855 as the Parish Municipality of Saint-Étienne-de-Murray-Bay. In 1896, the village itself separated from the parish municipality and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of La Malbaie.[3]

In 1957, Saint-Étienne-de-Murray-Bay was renamed to Saint-Etienne-de-la-Malbaie. A year later, the Village Municipality of La Malbaie changed status and became the Town of La Malbaie, that annexed the parish municipality in 1965.[3]

On February 15, 1995, the Town of La Malbaie and the Village Municipality of Pointe-au-Pic merged to form the Town of La Malbaie–Pointe-au-Pic. On December 1, 1999, the Municipalities of Rivière-Malbaie and Saint-Fidèle, the Village Municipality of Cap-à-l'Aigle, the Parish Municipality of Sainte-Agnès, and the Town of La Malbaie–Pointe-au-Pic were amalgamated to form the new Town of La Malbaie.[3]

La Malbaie is the seat of the judicial district of Charlevoix.[4]

Demographics

According to the Canada 2006 Census:[2]

Population trend:[5]

List of mayors

The mayors of La Malbaie were:[6]

Famous people from La Malbaie

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ministère des Affaires Municipales, Régions et Occupation du territoire - Répertoire des municipalités: La Malbaie
  2. ^ a b c "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=302&SR=376&S=1&O=A&RPP=25&PR=24&CMA=0. Retrieved 2009-05-19. 
  3. ^ a b c d e "La Malbaie (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/CT/toposweb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=357872. Retrieved 2010-05-13. 
  4. ^ Territorial Division Act. Revised Statutes of Quebec D-11.
  5. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
  6. ^ "Liste des conseils municipaux" (in French). Ville de La Malbaie. http://www.ville.lamalbaie.qc.ca/fr/lamalbaie_presentation/histoire/anciens_conseils.html. Retrieved 2010-05-13. 

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:La_Malbaie La Malbaie] at Wikimedia Commons