Paspébiac

Paspébiac
City

Location within Bonaventure RCM.
Paspébiac

Location in eastern Quebec.

Coordinates: 48°02′N 65°15′W / 48.033°N 65.250°WCoordinates: 48°02′N 65°15′W / 48.033°N 65.250°W[1]
Country  Canada
Province  Quebec
Region Gaspésie–
Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCM Bonaventure
Settled 1755
Constituted August 20, 1997
Government[2]
 • Mayor Paul-Arthur Blais
 • Federal riding Gaspésie—
Îles-de-la-Madeleine
 • Prov. riding Bonaventure
Area[2][3]
 • Total 95.20 km2 (36.76 sq mi)
 • Land 94.54 km2 (36.50 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
 • Total 3,198
 • Density 33.8/km2 (88/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011 Decrease 3.4%
 • Dwellings 1,470
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s) G0C 2K0
Area code(s) 418 and 581
Highways Route 132
Website www.paspebiac.com

Paspébiac is a city on Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. The population was 3,198 as of the Canada 2011 Census. The town is noted for the Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac, a large sandbar jutting out into the bay which has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.[4]

Paspébiac was Quebec's first cod fishing port. The town also has Portuguese roots and an accent which is different from the rest of the region. Its name comes from the Mi'kmaq espression papgeg ipsigiag, meaning "split flats" or "lagoon".[1]

In addition to Paspébiac itself, the town's territory also includes the communities of Duret, Paspébiac-Ouest, and Rivière-Paspébiac.

History

Lagoon bridge in Paspébiac, circa 1910

In 1707, the area was granted as a seignory to Pierre Haimard (1674–1724) and this marked the beginning of the colonization of Gaspésie's southern shores. But it only saw periodic visits during the fishing season until 1755 when settlers from Acadia, Normandy, Basque, and Jersey arrived. In 1767, the Charles Robin Company established there a permanent fishing operation. This, together with its natural harbour, made Paspébiac the region's main commercial centre.[1]

In 1796, the local parish was founded, and in 1832, its post office opened. In 1855, the place was incorporated as the Township Municipality of Cox, named after the geographic township that in turn was named in honour of Nicholas Cox (ca. 1724-1794), Lieutenant Governor of the Gaspé District. In 1877, this township municipality ceased to exist when it was divided into the Municipalities of Paspébiac and New Carlisle.[1]

In 1922, the western part of the municipality split off to form the Municipality of Paspébiac-Ouest. But on August 6, 1997, Paspébiac-Ouest was merged back into Paspébiac. In 1999, it changed its status to ville (town).[1]

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Paspébiac, Quebec[7]
YearPop.±%
1991P 3,752—    
1996P 3,654−2.6%
YearPop.±%
2001 3,326−9.0%
2006 3,309−0.5%
YearPop.±%
2011 3,198−3.4%
(P) pre-merger combined totals for the municipalities of Paspébiac and Paspébiac-Ouest.

Language

Mother tongue (2011):[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Paspébiac (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Paspébiac". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Paspébiac census profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  4. ↑ Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  6. ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  7. ↑ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  8. ↑ "Paspébiac community profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2015-01-11.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paspébiac.