Val-des-Bois
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 | Marcel Proulx |
| • Federal riding | Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel |
| • Prov. riding | Papineau |
| Area | |
| • Total | 245.60 km2 (94.83 sq mi) |
| • Land | 225.35 km2 (87.01 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 938 |
| • Density | 4.2/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2006-2011 |  7.4% |
| • Dwellings | 1,003 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Highways |  R-309 |
| Website | www |
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.
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
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
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 were German settlers and the average amount the families received from the MacLaren Co., depending on the acreage, was between $1,000 and $2,000 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
Population trend:[8]
- Population in 2011: 938 (2006 to 2011 population change: 7.4%)
- Population in 2006: 873
- Population in 2001: 732
- Population in 1996: 668
- Population in 1991: 624
Private dwellings (occupied by usual residents): 469
Languages:
- English as first language: 4%
- French as first language: 95%
- English and French as first language: 1%
- Other as first language: 0%
References
- ^ "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 "Val-des-Bois (Code 2480140) Census Profile". 2011 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
- ^ 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
- ^ http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/recent_eq/2010/20100623.1741/index-eng.php
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
Places adjacent to Val-des-Bois | |
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 Subdivisions of Papineau Regional County Municipality | |
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