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La Minerve, Quebec

Coordinates: 46°15′N 74°56′W / 46.250°N 74.933°W / 46.250; -74.933
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La Minerve
Lake Marie-Louise in La Minerve
Lake Marie-Louise in La Minerve
Location within Les Laurentides RCM
Location within Les Laurentides RCM
La Minerve is located in Central Quebec
La Minerve
La Minerve
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 46°15′N 74°56′W / 46.250°N 74.933°W / 46.250; -74.933[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionLaurentides
RCMLes Laurentides
Settled1885
ConstitutedDecember 30, 1892
Government
 • MayorJohnny Salera
 • Federal ridingLaurentides—Labelle
 • Prov. ridingLabelle
Area
 • Total328.10 km2 (126.68 sq mi)
 • Land274.92 km2 (106.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Total1,421
 • Density5.2/km2 (13/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016-21)
Increase 17.9%
 • Dwellings
1,638
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code819
HighwaysNo major routes
Websitewww.municipalite.
laminerve.qc.ca

La Minerve (French pronunciation: [la minɛʁv]) is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality.

Located in the Laurentian Mountains, La Minerve is still fairly forested and covered with many lakes, notably Chapleau, Désert, and La Minerve Lakes. Its southern portion is part of the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve. The area is popular for cottage vacationing. In the summer, the small local population swells with nearly 15,000 tourists.[4]

History

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Before the arrival of missionary colonizer Antoine Labelle, journalists of the Montreal newspaper "La Minerve" explored this region between 1880 and 1885. At that time, the Club Island was known as "Governor Island" and belonged to Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, controller of the newspaper.[4] Afterwards, employees of La Minerve began to strongly encourage the settlement of the area which came to be named after this newspaper.[5] The 30 January 1886 edition of La Minerve reported:

"From Iroquois Chute, you can go on a good road to Minerva Township, where there are several inhabitants and where the chapel, the sawmill needs to be built soon. The site of the village is wonderful. At two miles away, opposite Lake Desert, is Chapleau Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in this region. There is a beautiful island of 3200 acres of land, fertile and well wooded, which belongs to the Honorable Secretary of State. There is enough to make a princely mansion and enjoy in summer all the benefits of country life and the most beautiful lakes."[4]

During the years 1880 to 1890, the government granted the first land concessions. The first settler, Isaac Grégoire, arrived in 1885, and in the fall of the same year, notary Joseph Lefebvre, from Waterloo in the Eastern Townships, and some of his friends came to the area taking possession of some lots in La Minerve. Lefebvre opened a flour mill and a sawmill on the shores of Lake Desert.[4]

In 1892, the Township of La Minerve and its township municipality were formed. In 1896, the post office opened, named Minerve (but renamed to La Minerve in 1949).[5] In 1897, there were 331 acres (1.34 km2) under cultivation, 13 houses, 4 barns, 40 arpents of fencing (about 2.34 km). Twenty years later in 1917, there were 125 families with a total of 677 inhabitants.[4]

On January 1, 1995, La Minerve absorbed the unorganized territories of Lac-Marie-Le Franc and Lac-aux-Castors located in the Labelle and Gagnon townships, but subsequently lost about 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) to the Municipality of Labelle. In 1998, the Township Municipality of La Minerve obtained a new legal status and became the Municipality of La Minerve.[5]

Demographics

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Population

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Canada census – La Minerve community profile
202120162011
Population1,421 (+17.9% from 2016)1,205 (-2.4% from 2011)1,234 (-4.7% from 2006)
Land area274.92 km2 (106.15 sq mi)278.49 km2 (107.53 sq mi)278.01 km2 (107.34 sq mi)
Population density5.2/km2 (13/sq mi)4.3/km2 (11/sq mi)4.4/km2 (11/sq mi)
Median age62.0 (M: 62.4, F: 62.0)60.9 (M: 61.8, F: 59.8)57.7 (M: 57.9, F: 57.6)
Private dwellings1,638 (total)  767 (occupied)1,674 (total)  1,586 (total) 
Median household income$57,600$51,021$45,601
References: 2021[6] 2016[7] 2011[8] earlier[9][10]
Historical Census Data - La Minerve, Quebec
YearPop.±%
1901 307—    
1911 463+50.8%
1921 684+47.7%
1932 578−15.5%
1941 722+24.9%
1951 813+12.6%
1956 813+0.0%
YearPop.±%
1961 808−0.6%
1966 762−5.7%
1971 751−1.4%
1976 686−8.7%
1981 734+7.0%
1986 736+0.3%
1991 880+19.6%
YearPop.±%
1996 927+5.3%
2001 1,080+16.5%
2006 1,295+19.9%
2011 1,234−4.7%
2016 1,205−2.4%
2021 1,421+17.9%
Source: Statistics Canada[3][11]

Mother tongue (2021):[3]

  • English as first language: 5.3%
  • French as first language: 91.2%
  • English and French as first language: 1.4%
  • Other as first language: 1.4%

Education

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Sainte Agathe Academy (of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts serves English-speaking students in this community for both elementary and secondary levels.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 347587". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 78130". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  3. ^ a b c d "La Minerve, Quebec (Code 2478130) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Historique" (in French). Municipalité de La Minerve. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  5. ^ a b c "La Minerve (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  6. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  7. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  8. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  9. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  10. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  11. ^ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census
  12. ^ "About Us." Saint Agathe Academy. Retrieved on September 4, 2017. See Elementary zone map Archived 2017-09-04 at the Wayback Machine and Secondary zone map Archived 2017-09-04 at the Wayback Machine - Note that all areas covered in the elementary map are also covered in the secondary one.
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