Amqui
| Amqui | |||
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 Amqui
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| Coordinates (20, promenade de l'Hôtel-de-Ville[1]): 48°28′N 67°26′W / 48.467°N 67.433°WCoordinates: 48°28′N 67°26′W / 48.467°N 67.433°W[2] | |||
| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Quebec |
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| Region | Bas-Saint-Laurent | ||
| RCM | La Matapédia | ||
| Settled | 1870s | ||
| Constituted | January 16, 1991 | ||
| Government[1] | |||
| • Mayor | Gaëtan Ruest | ||
| • Federal riding | Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia | ||
| • Prov. riding | Matapédia | ||
| Area[1][3] | |||
| • Total | 126.80 km2 (48.96 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 120.81 km2 (46.65 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011)[3] | |||
| • Total | 6,322 | ||
| • Density | 52.3/km2 (135/sq mi) | ||
| • Change (2006–11) |  1.0% |
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| • Dwellings | 2,925 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) | ||
| Postal code(s) | G5J | ||
| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 | ||
| Website | www.ville.amqui.qc.ca | ||
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Amqui (2011 Population 6,322) is a town in eastern Quebec, Canada, at the base of the Gaspé peninsula. Located at the confluence of the Humqui and Matapédia Rivers, it is the seat of La Matapédia Regional County Municipality.
The Mi'kmaq word amqui, also spelled as humqui, ankwi, and unkoui, means "place of amusement or pleasure". It is likely referring to the location as a festive gathering place in the past of Native Americans, who maintained a presence in this area until the early twentieth century.[2]
The main access road is Quebec Route 132.
In addition to the primary community of Amqui, the boundaries of the municipality also include the smaller communities of Baie-Saint-Laurent, Boulay, Couturval and Val-d'Irène.
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[edit] History
Originally Mi'kmaq territory, the area was granted as a seignory by Louis de Buade de Frontenac to Charles-Nicolas-Joseph D’Amours in 1694. D'Amours died in 1728 and none of his descendants claimed the rights to the seignory. So it remained a remote and undeveloped land until the 19th century. In 1830 construction began on the Kempt Road, a strategic military road between Quebec and the Maritimes, completed in 1833, that opened the area to colonization. But it was the construction of the Intercolonial Railway in the 1870s that brought real development.
In 1879, the post office opened under the name Amqui. In 1881, the Mission of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre was established, named after Benedict Joseph Labre. In 1889, the mission became a parish and the following year it was incorporated as the Parish Municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre.[2]
In 1907, the village itself separated from the parish municipality and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre, renamed to Amqui in 1948. It gained ville (town/city) status in 1961.[2]
In January 1991, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre was merged into the City of Amqui.[2]
[edit] Municipal council
- Mayor: Gaëtan Ruest
- Councillors: Paule Lévesque (district #1), Germain Boulianne (district #2), Diane Arbour (district #3), Égide Charest (district #4), Richard Leclerc (district #5), Jean-François Guay (district #6)
[edit] Demographics
The central community of Amqui, excluding the smaller communities within its municipal boundaries, is counted as a population centre in Canadian census data, with a population of 4,557 in 2011; three non-contiguous parcels of land which were part of the pre-1991 boundaries of Amqui but are not sufficiently urbanized to be included in the primary population centre are also separately counted as a designated place, with a population of 258 in the same census.
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Population trend:[6]
- Population in 2011: 6322
- Population in 2006: 6261
- Population in 2001: 6473
- Population in 1996: 6800
- Population in 1991: 6518
[edit] Languages
According to the Statistics Canada website, 6,090 of Amqui's 6,120 residents speak French as their first language. In addition, only 12% can speak both French and English.
| Mother tongue | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| French | 6,090 | 99.51% |
| English | 10 | 0.16% |
| English and French | 0 | 0% |
| Other languages | 15 | 0.25% |
[edit] Notable people from Amqui
- Alfred Belzile - politician and farmer.
- Sébastien Caron - former NHL goaltender
- Olivier Roy - goaltender drafted by the Edmonton Oilers
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Amqui" (in French). Répertoire des municipalités. Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. http://www.mamrot.gouv.qc.ca/repertoire-des-municipalites/fiche/municipalite/07047/. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ a b c d e "Amqui (ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=1250. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ a b "Amqui census profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=2407047&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=Amqui&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. 2007-02-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amqui |
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St-Alexandre-des-Lacs | ||
 Amqui  |
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