Summary
Val-des-Bois is a town and municipality in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. The town is located on the eastern shores of the Du Lièvre River, 47 kilometers (29 mi) north of Buckingham.
Val-des-Bois | |
|---|---|
 Municipal office | |
 Location within Papineau RCM | |
  Val-des-Bois Location in western Quebec | |
| Coordinates: 45°55′N 75°36′W / 45.917°N 75.600°W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Outaouais |
| RCM | Papineau |
| Constituted | January 1, 1885 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Roland Montpetit |
| • Federal riding | Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel |
| • Prov. riding | Papineau |
| Area | |
| • Total | 245.60 km2 (94.83 sq mi) |
| • Land | 222.67 km2 (85.97 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
| • Total | 920 |
| • Density | 4.1/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2016–2021 |  6.4% |
| • Dwellings | 837 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Highways |  R-309 |
| Website | www |
The main local economic activity depends on cottage tourism.[4] The eastern half of the municipality is part of the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve.
Geography edit
As part of the Laurentian Highlands, its territory is dotted with lakes such Écho, de l'Argile, de l'Aqueduc, Vert, and Delphis. Echo Lake lies at an altitude of 243 meters (797 ft), while the surrounding relief rises to 472 meters (1,549 ft) above sea level.[5]
History edit
In 1873, the Township of Villeneuve was formed and named after Léonard-Vincent-Léon Villeneuve (1808–1873), member of Society of Saint-Sulpice, professor at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal (1838–1846), and pastor of Oka from 1871 to 1873.[4]
In 1878, the local post office was named "Val-des-Bois". In 1883, the parish of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde was formed, and two years later, the United Township Municipality of Bowman-et-Villeneuve was established. In 1913, the townships separated, forming the Township Municipality of Bowman and the Township Municipality of Villeneuve.[4] In 1929, James Maclaren began construction on a dam at the High Falls of the Lièvre River, displacing 156 families because of the rising waters. The majority of them where German settlers, the average amount the families received from the MacLaren Co. were, depending on the acreage, between $1000 and $2000 each.[6]
In 1958, Villeneuve was renamed to Val-des-Bois (French for "Valley of the Woods"), in reference to the beautiful forest which decorated the banks of the Lièvre River.[4]
On 23 June 2010 a 5.0 earthquake struck the region, with its epicentre 8 km from Val-des-Bois, which was the closest settlement.[7]
Demographics edit
| 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 865 (-7.8% from 2011) | 938 (7.4% from 2006) |
| Land area | 225.42 km2 (87.04 sq mi) | 225.35 km2 (87.01 sq mi) |
| Population density | 3.8/km2 (9.8/sq mi) | 4.2/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| Median age | 58.4 (M: 58.4, F: 58.4) | 55.8 (M: 56.5, F: 55.3) |
| Private dwellings | 851 (total) | 1,003 (total) |
| Median household income | $46,592 | $42,378 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 544 | — |
| 1991 | 624 | +14.7% |
| 1996 | 668 | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 732 | +9.6% |
| 2006 | 873 | +19.3% |
| 2011 | 938 | +7.4% |
| 2016 | 865 | −7.8% |
| 2021 | 920 | +6.4% |
| Source: Statistics Canada | ||
Mother tongue:[3]
- English as first language: 5.8%
- French as first language: 91.9%
- English and French as first language: 1.2%
- Other as first language: 0.6%
Local government edit
List of former mayors:
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2020) |
- Marcel Proulx (2001–2013)
- Daniel Rochon (2013–2015)
- Roland Montpetit (2015–present)
References edit
- ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 64777". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 80140". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
- ^ a b c "Data table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Val-des-Bois, Municipalité (MÉ) [Census subdivision], Quebec". 9 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Val-des-Bois (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "Villeneuve (Canton)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "Tracing their footsteps" by research-author Anne Schnurr
- ^ "Earthquake Details (2010-06-23)".
- ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
External links edit
Media related to Val-des-Bois at Wikimedia Commons