Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec
| Havre-Saint-Pierre | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
 | |
| Motto: Terre digne de richesses | |
  Havre-Saint-Pierre | |
| Coordinates: 50°14′N 63°36′W / 50.233°N 63.600°WCoordinates: 50°14′N 63°36′W / 50.233°N 63.600°W[1] | |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Province |
 Quebec |
| Region | Côte-Nord |
| RCM | Minganie |
| Settled | 1857 |
| Constituted | January 1, 1873 |
| Government[2] | |
| • Mayor | Berchmans Boudreau |
| • Federal riding | Manicouagan |
| • Prov. riding | Duplessis |
| Area[2][3] | |
| • Total | 3,896.30 km2 (1,504.37 sq mi) |
| • Land | 2,821.65 km2 (1,089.45 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 3,418 |
| • Density | 1.2/km2 (3/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2006-2011 |
 8.5% |
| • Dwellings | 1,484 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) |
| Postal code(s) | G0G 1P0 |
| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 |
| Highways |
 Route 138 |
| Website | www.havresaintpierre.com |
Havre-Saint-Pierre is a town situated on Pointe-aux-Esquimaux, which is on the Quebec north shore (Côte-Nord) of the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. Located along Route 138 some 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Sept-Îles, it is the largest town and seat of the Minganie RCM, and home to many government, municipal, and regional services.
Historically, the town's first inhabitants came from the Magdalen Islands in the nineteenth century. As a result, the people of the town speak a dialect much more closely related to Acadian French than to Quebec French.
Other important geological features near the town include the Romaine River to the north and west, les Chutes Manitou, on the Manitou River to the west, l'Ile du Havre, less than a kilometre offshore from the town, and Anticosti Island, which on clear days can be seen to the south of the town.
History
In 1857, a group of Acadian families from the Magdalen Islands, who had previously been deported from Savannah (Georgia, USA), settled on Eskimo Point (Pointe aux Esquimaux). The first mass was held on June 29, 1857, day of the feast of Saint Peter. In 1872, the Parish of Saint-Pierre-de-la-Pointe-aux-Esquimaux was officially established, the same year its post office opened under the name Esquimaux Point.[1]
In 1873, the place was incorporated as a municipality. In 1924, the post office changed its name to Havre-Saint-Pierre, followed by the town in 1927, in order to focus on the harbor, which characterizes the area, while retaining the original parish name. It remained the largest town on the North Shore until 1936 when it was overtaken by Baie-Comeau.[1]
Demographics
Population trend:[4]
- Population in 2011: 3418 (2006 to 2011 population change: 8.5%)
- Population in 2006: 3150
- Population in 2001: 3291
- Population in 1996: 3450
- Population in 1991: 3502
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 1367 (total dwellings: 1484)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 0.5%
- French as first language: 98.4%
- English and French as first language: 0%
- Other as first language: 1.1%
Economy
The city hospital is the major employer in the region. Havre-Saint-Pierre is also located near Canada's only titanium mine, for which the town serves as a port. Since 1948, the Quebec Iron and Titanium Company mines deposits of ilmenite, a mineral composed of iron and titanium, at a site some 40 kilometres (25 mi) north.[1] The Chemin de fer de la Rivière Romaine brings it by rail cars to Havre-Saint-Pierre.
Tourism contributes significantly to the local economy due to the town's position near the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, a park encompassing a large number of islands in Mingan Archipelago of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and noted for the unique variety of flora and fauna to be found there, such as puffins and the rare Mingan Thistle, as well as the unique geological features on many of the islands referred to as monoliths.
The town is also noted for the excellent fishing, being made up largely of snow crab, scallops, and lobster, with excellent salmon and trout to be found in the numerous rivers and lakes.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Havre-Saint-Pierre (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire - Répertoire des municipalités: Havre-Saint-Pierre
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Statistics Canada 2011 Census - Havre-Saint-Pierre census profile
- ↑ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Havre-Saint-Pierre. |
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Lac-Jérôme | | ||
| Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan Mingan FN reserve |
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Baie-Johan-Beetz | ||
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| Gulf of Saint Lawrence (Jacques Cartier Strait) / L'Île-d'Anticosti |
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