Clermont, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec

Clermont
City
Coat of arms
Location within Charlevoix-Est RCM.
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Capitale-Nationale
RCM	Charlevoix-Est
Settled	1800
Constituted	February 16, 1935
Government
• Mayor	Jean-Pierre Gagnon
• Federal riding	Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix
• Prov. riding	Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré
Area
• Total	52.30 km2 (20.19 sq mi)
• Land	49.65 km2 (19.17 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	3,118
• Density	62.8/km2 (163/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	2.5%
• Dwellings	1,437
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	G4A
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	R-138
Website	www.ville.clermont.qc.ca

Clermont is a ville in the Canadian province of Quebec, and the seat of government for the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality. It is located on the southern banks of the Malbaie River.

History

Around 1800, the first settlers moved into the area, living primarily of agriculture. Followed by a saw and flour mill, tradeshops, and stores, a settlement grew that was then known as Chute Nairne. At the close of the century, the place attracted attention for its hydro-electric potential, and by 1900, a dam was built across the Malbaie River, supplying electricity to La Malbaie and surrounding area.

In 1909, Rodolphe Forget founded the East Canada Power and Pulp Company, and wanting to profit from the phenomenal growth in the pulp and paper market, he built Chute Nairne's first paper mill in 1911. The industrial development changed the place from a rural and agricultural society to a rapidly growing urban community.

Félix-Antoine Savard, famous Québécois author and at that time priest of the Parish of Saint-Étienne in La Malbaie, was also responsible for Chute Nairne. His parishioners there were upset about being left a bit to themselves and about being far away from the parish church. Savard, at the request of residents of Chute Nairne, petitioned the bishop of Chicoutimi, Charles Lamarche, to obtain permission for a new parish and church. The request was accepted on September 18, 1931, and the Parish of Saint-Philippe-de-la-Chute-Nairn was formed.

On February 16, 1935, the place separated from La Malbaie and was incorporated as a municipality, officially adopting the name Clermont for the new municipality. Félix-Antoine Savard greatly admired and paid tribute to Blaise Pascal who came from Clermont-Ferrand in France.

In 1949, Clermont changed its status to village and in 1967 to town.

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Clermont (Capitale-Nationale), Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1991 3,385 —     1996 3,225 −4.7%

Year Pop. ±% 2001 3,078 −4.6% 2006 3,041 −1.2%

Year Pop. ±% 2011 3,118 +2.5%

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 1,393 (total dwellings: 1,437)

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 0.3%
• French as first language: 99.4%
• English and French as first language: 0.3%
• Other as first language: 0%

Economy

Clermont's economy centres on the Abitibi-Bowater paper mill, formerly the Donohue mill that was originally founded in 1936 by the brothers Timothy and Charles Donohue and employed close to a thousand people in the 1970s.

Clermont is also the end of the Charlevoix Railway and therefore is an intermodal freight transport hub primarily for wood.

See also

• List of cities in Quebec