Montpellier, Quebec

Montpellier
Coordinates: 45°51′N 75°09′W / 45.85°N 75.15°W / 45.85; -75.15Coordinates: 45°51′N 75°09′W / 45.85°N 75.15°W / 45.85; -75.15
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Outaouais
Settled	1890s
Incorporation	October 11, 1920
Government
– Type	Municipality
– Mayor	Stéphane Séguin
Area[1]
– Total	249.16 km2 (96.2 sq mi)
– Land	247.55 km2 (95.6 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
– Total	966
– Density	3.9/km2 (10.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	J0V
Area code(s)	819
Website	www.montpellier.ca

Montpellier is a town and municipality in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. The town is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Papineauville.

The municipality includes the settlements of Montpellier and Lac-Schryer. Its western portion consists mostly of undeveloped Laurentian Hills, part of the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve.

History

In the late 19th century, pioneers arrived in the area searching for work in logging and agriculture. In 1882, in the north-west of what would later become the village, the forestry company W.C. Edwards opened a project to exploit timber at Muskrat Lake. Under the supervision of foreman, a man named Schraire, the log drivers brought logs down the creek to Lake Schryer to reach the saw mill downstream of the lake.^[3]

Settlement occurred slowly along the shores of Lake Schryer. In 1892, Louis Beaulieu, called Montpellier, settled here on a farm and opened a post office and general store. After his marriage to Albina Bissonnette, they settled in the village known as Montpellier today. Shortly after, Moses Faubert left Mulgrave Township and settled here with his sixteen children. Several other families from neighboring townships came to reside in the village, contributing to the development of the small community.^[3][4]

In 1900, construction began on a chapel at the village center. On 25 September 1902, the mission of Notre-Dame-de-la-Consolation was founded, and on 21 October 1907, the Archbishop of Ottawa decreed the establishment of the parish. On 23 October 1920, the Municipality of Montpellier was formed, matching the boundaries of the parish.^[3]

In 1998, the southern portion of the Lac-des-Écorces Unorganized Territory was annexed by Montpellier, adding about 136 square kilometres (53 sq mi) and more than doubling its size.^[4]

Demographics

Population:^[5]

• Population in 2006: 966
• Population in 2001: 734
  • 2001 to 2006 population change: 31.6 %
• Population in 1996: 835
• Population in 1991: 734

Total private dwellings (excluding seasonal cottages): 457

Languages:

• English as first language: 3 %
• French as first language: 94 %
• English and French as first language: 0 %
• Other as first language: 3 %

References

1. ^ Total area: Ministère des Affaires Municipales et Régions
   Land area: Statistics Canada
2. ^ Statistics Canada 2006 Census
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Histoire de Montpellier" (in French). Municipalité de Montpellier. http://www.montpellier.ca/montpellier2_1.php. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Montpellier (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/carto.asp?Speci=42155&Latitude=45,85&Longitude=-75,16666&Zoom=1700. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 
5. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census