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Aguanish, Quebec

Coordinates: 50°13′N 62°05′W / 50.217°N 62.083°W / 50.217; -62.083
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Aguanish
Municipality
River[1] and Municipality
River[1] and Municipality
Aguanish is located in Côte-Nord region, Quebec
Aguanish
Aguanish
Location in Côte-Nord region of Quebec
Coordinates: 50°13′N 62°05′W / 50.217°N 62.083°W / 50.217; -62.083[2]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionCôte-Nord
Regional county municipalityMinganie
Settled1849
ConstitutedJanuary 1, 1957
Government
[3]
 • MayorLéonard Labrie
 • Federal ridingManicouagan
 • Prov. ridingDuplessis
Area
[3][4]
 • Total
680.61 km2 (262.78 sq mi)
 • Land532.04 km2 (205.42 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[4]
 • Total
224
 • Density0.4/km2 (1/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016–21)
Decrease 8.6%
 • Dwellings
152
Time zoneUTC-5 (Within the AST legislated time zone boundary but observes EST[5])
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G0G 1A0
Area codes418 and 581
Highways R-138
Websitewww.aguanish.org Edit this at Wikidata


Aguanish is a municipality located on the banks of the Aguanish River, on the north shore of Jacques Cartier Strait,[6] in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Minganie Regional County Municipality, Côte-Nord region, Quebec, Canada.[1][2]

In addition to Aguanish itself, the municipality also includes the hamlet of L'Île-Michon, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) to the East.[7][8]

Community

[edit]

Aguanish has barely 300 inhabitants, the Aguanishoises and Aguanishois live in one of the smallest municipalities in Quebec.[9]

L'Île Michon

[edit]

The hamlet of L'Île Michon is located opposite the island of the same name, 700 m from the coast and 3.5 km downstream from Aguanish, on the coast of the Jacques Cartier Strait, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.[7][11]

According to certains sources, Île-Michon was founded by Jean Michon, a craftsman who landed on the island opposite the village to build fishing boats.[12]

Toponymy

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Aguanish is named after the Goynish or Aguanish River (ancien name Aguanus River), that flows through and drains into the Strait of Jacques Cartier, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence right at the village. This word of Innu origin came from aguanus, in turn from akwanich, from the roots akwan (shelter) and ich (small). It has undergone many different spellings, including: Goines (17th century); Guanis, Goinis (1744 map by Bellin); Goynish (1776 map by Carver); Agwanus, Aguanus or Agouanus (maps of the 19th century).[2]

History

[edit]

The main prehistoric cultures, called "archaic", were based on three sets of groups coming from the southwest, from as far away as the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River, those coming from the great plateaus of the interior and James Bay, and those from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New England.[13][14]

From the 14th to the 17th century, the presence of Europeans in the regions of the North Shore and the Gulf of St. Lawrence began with the periodic visits of the Basques and Breton fishermen.

In 1831, the Hudson's Bay Company opened the Nabisipi trading post (also spelled Nabaysepie, Nabaysippi, or Nabaysipieat) at the mouth of the Nabisipi River (just west of the current town site). After a brief closure, it was reopened in 1832, and operated until circa 1860.[15]

The first European inhabitants, fishermen from the Magdalen Islands, settled in the area circa 1849. They were joined in 1875 by people from Kégashka (today Kegaska) and from Nabisipi River.[2] Until the advent of World War II (1939-1945) the growth of the population occurred in concert with the development of the pulp and paper industry.

The place was incorporated as a municipality in 1957.[2]

Demographics

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Population

[edit]
Canada census – Aguanish community profile
202120162011
Population224 (-8.6% from 2016)245 (-11.9% from 2011)278 (-8.3% from 2006)
Land area532.04 km2 (205.42 sq mi)586.40 km2 (226.41 sq mi)600.61 km2 (231.90 sq mi)
Population density0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi)0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi)0.5/km2 (1.3/sq mi)
Median age59.6 (M: 59.6, F: 59.6)54.1 (M: 56.0, F: 52.8)49.7 (M: 51.4, F: 48.3)
Private dwellings152 (total)  119 (occupied)148 (total)  145 (total) 
Median household income$N/A$55,936$N/A
Notes: 2021 and 2011 income data for this area has been suppressed for data quality or confidentiality reasons.
References: 2021[16] 2016[17] 2011[18] earlier[19][20]
Historical Census Data - Aguanish, Quebec
YearPop.±%
1961 560—    
1966 638+13.9%
1971 550−13.8%
1976 530−3.6%
1981 487−8.1%
1986 408−16.2%
1991 402−1.5%
YearPop.±%
1996 380−5.5%
2001 343−9.7%
2006 303−11.7%
2011 278−8.3%
2016 245−11.9%
2021 224−8.6%
Source: Statistics Canada[21]

Language

[edit]
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Aguanish, Quebec[21]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2016
245
 240 Decrease 12.7% 98.0% 0 Decrease 100.0% 0.0% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 5 Increase n/a% 2.0%
2011
280
 275 Decrease 5.2% 98.2% 5 Increase n/a% 1.8% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 0 Decrease 100.0% 0.0%
2006
300
 290 Decrease 13.4% 96.7% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 10 Increase n/a% 3.3%
2001
335
 335 Decrease 10.7% 100.0% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0% 0 Steady 0.0% 0.0%
1996
375
 375 n/a 100.0% 0 n/a 0.0% 0 n/a 0.0% 0 n/a 0.0%

Economy

[edit]

Economic activity primarily centers on crab and salmon fishing.[10]

Transportation

[edit]

By Route 138, according to Google Map, Aguanish is 125 kilometres (78 mi) from Havre-Saint-Pierre and 341 kilometres (212 mi) from Sept-Îles.[12]

Until the arrival of The Whale Route (Route 138)[22][23] in 1996, a regular means of access to the area was the boat service maintained during the navigation season by Clarke Steamship Company, Ltd, sailing from Montreal and Quebec.[24] Also, numerous lakes of the area provide suitable landings for floatplane based at Mingan and Havre-Saint-Pierre. Canoe travel is difficult in the region and require several portages.[25]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Aguanish River - Toponymy". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Commission de Toponymy Quebec. 11 April 1985. Retrieved 3 September 2024. One of the remarkable elements of its route is the Trait de Scie, a narrow and deep canyon into which the river rushes less than 6.5 km from its mouth.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Aguanish". Quebec Gouvernement. Commission de Toponymie Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 16 May 2024. The village is located 20 km west of Natashquan and 56 km from Baie-Johan-Beetz
  3. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 98030". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  4. ^ a b "Aguanish, Municipalité (MÉ) Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  5. ^ National Research Council Canada - Time Zones & Daylight Saving Time Archived 2010-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "The Explorers Jacques Cartier 1534-1542". Canadian Museum of History. Retrieved 6 September 2024. Jacques Cartier was a sufficiently experienced navigator to be asked by Francis I to undertake the official exploration of North America. There is no doubt that he was already familiar with the sea route that he took in 1534
  7. ^ a b "L'Île-Michon, hamlet". Quebec Gouvernement (in French). Commission de Toponymie Quebec. 1986-12-18. Retrieved 17 May 2024. The hamlet is named L'Île-Michon in memory of Captain Jean-Phidyme Michon who was shipwrecked in November 1876
  8. ^ "Aguanish and Île-Michon sector" (PDF) (in English and French). Côte-Nord Tourism. 25 January 2023. p. 2. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Touristicical attractions and activities - Map
  9. ^ "Aguanish: an invitation to take the time" (in French). Municipality of Aguanish. 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024. Aguanish covers an enormous territory of almost 600 square kilometers.
  10. ^ a b "Municipality of Aguanish de la Côte-Nord". Grand Quebec. 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024. A crab fishing ground to meet the needs of its residents and salmon, out of passion.
  11. ^ "Michon Island, toponymy". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Commission de Toponymy Quebec. 25 February 1976. Retrieved 7 September 2024. According to some, the island takes its name from Jean Michon, a craftsman who settled on the island in 1850 to build boats.
  12. ^ a b "Aguanish history". Official site (in French). Municipality of Aguanish. Retrieved 17 May 2024. The municipality covers an enormous territory of nearly 600 square kilometers.
  13. ^ Pierre Frenette (2013). "The Gulf Historical Society" (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2024. a legacy left by the meeting of several worlds, including that of the Laurentian peoples, that of the indigenous peoples of the interior and those of the different maritime peoples of the Gulf of St. Laurent
  14. ^ "The prehistory of Quebec". Archeo-Quebec (in French). The archeology dissemination network. 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024. Archaic Native Americans exploited all available animal and plant resources. They live a seasonal nomadism
  15. ^ "Hudson's Bay Company: Nabisipi". pam.minisisinc.com. Archives of Manitoba - Keystone Archives Descriptive Database. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  16. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  17. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  18. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  19. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  20. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  21. ^ a b 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  22. ^ "Network of observation sites along the Whale Route (Route 138)" (PDF). 2010-05-21. p. 12. Retrieved 11 May 2024. Whale-watching sites for everyone
  23. ^ "Whales of the St. Lawrence river". Whales Online. 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024. The estuary is home to belugas all year round. In summer, the estuary also hosts rorquals and other species of toothed whales that benefit from the abundance of krill, capelin and other small fish.
  24. ^ "The Clarke Steamship Co Ltd" (PDF). 7 June 2014. pp. 41 of 74. Retrieved 17 May 2024. The North Shore service now sailed from Quebec every Tuesday at 9 am, serving no fewer than thirty locales, consisting of pulpwood ports, native villages, trading posts and fishing settlements,
  25. ^ Duncan S. McPhee (1959). "Preliminary report on the Aguanish region, Saguenay Electoral District" (PDF). Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources - Government of Quebec. p. 8. The Aguanish area was mapped during the summer 1958 - Travel by canoe is difficult within the area and requires considerable portaging.
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