Fermont, Quebec

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Fermont
other_name =
native_name = Ville de Fermont
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motto = Faire front, faire face Languageicon|fr|French


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 = Province
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subdivision_type2 = Region
subdivision_name2 = Côte-Nord
subdivision_type3 = Regional county municipality
subdivision_name3 = Caniapiscau
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leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Lise Pelletier
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established_title = First Settlement
established_date = 1971
established_title2 = Incorporated (city)
established_date2 = October 15, 1974
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area_total_km2 = 497.45
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population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes = StatsCan
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population_total = 2471
population_density_km2 = 5
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timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd= 52
latm= 48
lats= 08
latNS= N
longd= 67
longm= 05
longs= 31
longEW= W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 610
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postal_code_type = Postal Code
postal_code = G0G 1J0
area_code = 418
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website = [http://www.caniapiscau.net/fermont City of Fermont official site] Languageicon|fr|French
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Fermont is a French-speaking town in northeastern Quebec, Canada. It has a population of 2,471 (2006), and lies near the Quebec-Labrador border about 23 kilometres from Labrador City on Route 389, which connects to the Trans-Labrador Highway (Route 500). Fermont (French contraction of "Fer Mont", meaning "Iron Mountain") was founded as a company town in the early 1970s to exploit rich iron ore deposits from nearby Mont Wright. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Caniapiscau.

The town is notable for the huge self-contained structure containing apartments, stores, schools, bars, a hotel, restaurants, a supermarket and swimming pool which shelters a community of smaller apartment buildings and homes on its leeward side. The structure was designed to permit residents (other than mine workers) to never leave the building during the long winter, which usually lasts about seven months. The town, designed by Maurice Desnoyers and Norbert Schoenauer, was inspired by similar projects in Sweden designed by Ralph Erskine, notably that of Svappavaara, a copper mining town in Sweden. The building measures 1.3 kilometres long and stands 50 metres high. [cite web|url=http://www.caniapiscau.net/tourism/index.html|title=The Windscreen (from Caniapiscau)|accessdate=2006-06-24]

City Council

The city council is comprised of a mayor and six city councilors. The current mayor is Lise Pelletier, and the councilors are Dave Bouchard, Janelle Gauthier, Claude Meilleur, Brigitte Poitras, Martin St-Laurent and Yan St-Pierre.

Economy

The local economy is entirely dependent on the mine owned by Québec Cartier Mining Company [cite web|url=http://www.dec-ced.gc.ca/complements/ProgrammesServices/profilsEN/profil-cote-nord-an/profil-cote-nord-an.htm|title=Socio-economic profile CÔTE-NORD|accessdate=2006-06-24] . Average earnings for full time workers was $63,982 in 2001, compared to $39,217 in Quebec as a whole. [cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=2497035&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=fermont&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=|title=Statistics Canada Community Profile|accessdate=2006-06-24] The mine product is shipped to Port-Cartier on the Cartier Railway where it is converted to pellets. In 2006 the mine was affected by a labour dispute which lasted from early April to early June. It was amicably resolved with a six-year contract renewal. [cite web|url=http://www.qcmines.com/pc/www_en/default.html|title=Cartier Mining press release|accessdate=2006-06-24]

ee also

* Roadtown

Notes

Sources

* [http://www.caniapiscau.net/fermont City of Fermont official site] Languageicon|fr|French retrieved September 7, 2007
* [http://www.mamr.gouv.qc.ca/repertoire_mun/repertoire/repertoi.asp Directory of Québec Municipalities] Languageicon|fr|French
* [http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/topos.html Toponymie Commission of Québec] Languageicon|fr|French

External links

* [http://www.caniapiscau.net/fermont City of Fermont official site] Languageicon|fr|French
* [http://www.ascoffanscuff.com/que/fermont/fermont-01.html Photos and brief description]
* [http://www.caniapiscau.net/tourism/index.html Official tourism site]
* [http://www.caniapiscau.net/tourisme/ville_fermont.pdf Map]
* [http://www.espritdeslieux.ca/ref/18.htm Additional photos]
* [http://cac.mcgill.ca/schoenauer/pictures/CAC73-2901.jpgOriginal site plan by Norbert Schoenauer]