Matapédia, Quebec

Toponomy

Its name may derive from the Mi'kmaq word matapegiag, meaning "river junction", from the parts mata (junction) and pegiag (river), referring to the Matapédia River that crosses the town just before its confluence with the Restigouche River. Another source from the late nineteenth century indicates that the Mi'kmaq named the area Magabegeak which means "roughly flowing". It has also been spelled many different ways over time such as Matapediach, Madapeguia, Matapeguia, Matapediac, Matakpediack, Madapeguia, Metapedia, or Matapediac.

Residents and village expatriates are known as Matapedians.

Geography

Matapédia is located south of the Saint Lawrence River on the south side of the Gaspé Peninsula at the eastern end of the Matapédia Valley at the mouth of the Matapédia River in junction with the Restigouche River. It is located 500 km northeast of Quebec City and 350 km southwest of the city of Gaspé. The major cities near Matapedia are Campbellton, New Brunswick 25 km to the east and Amqui 80 km to the northwest.

The municipality of Matapédia is part of the regional county municipality of Avignon in the administrative region of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine. It includes three hamlets:

Colonization

In 1808, colonization began with the arrival of Loyalists, followed by Irish settlers in 1850, Acadians in 1860, and French Canadians in 1865. The feat of colonization was no simple act, the entire valley had undergone immense forest fires at the middle of the 19th century, with building woods scarce. According to a commissioned report, a thousand square miles of forest had burned in the 1864 blaze, and even worst, the river had flooded in 1865.

In 1842, the geographic township was formed, named after the Matapédia River. In 1860, a mission is established, and in 1864, the Matapédia Post Office opened. On November 4, 1905, the place was incorporated as the Parish Municipality of Saint-Laurent-de-Matapédia, named after the local parish and township. But since 1973, it has been officially known by its abbreviated name Matapédia.

Present day

The village has one general store and a designated Heritage Railway Station since 1994. The economy is mainly focused on the local geography with activities such as salmon fishing, fly tying, hunting and tourism. For many years the town contained a baseball field, however in recent times it has been transformed into a soccer field. Matapédia contains a CLSC, although the closest hospital is on the New Brunswick side: the Restigouche Hospital Centre on Salmon Boulevard. The town also contains a belvedere facing the main part of town over 200 metres up. Fishing remains an important part of the Matapédia economy and heritage, conservation efforts have been made to help the Atlantic salmon in both rivers, such as protection of breeding grounds. On February 27, 2010, the status of the parish municipality was changed to just municipality. A ski hill exists in the village, known as Petit Chamonix since the mid-twentieth century. The Provigo warehouse has been abandoned for the past 15 years, on the side of the 132 Highway.

Recurring Floods

The junction of the Matapédia River and Restigouche River floods into the village during the thaw of the ice during the onset of Spring. Notable floods (natural disasters) have occurred in:

Cause of Floods

Since 1962, the Environment Canada hydrologic station located on the upper portion of the Restigouche River has reported substantial increases of water flow, sometimes at over 400% above previous levels. Clear cutting of forest on both the Matapédia River and Restigouche River has created areas with no shade along the banks of the river, resulting in a faster melt than in previous years. Furthermore, the clear cut land lacks the naturally occurring moss which would help colloidal suspension in soil and retention. This creates the ideal condition for Spring thawing. Another factor in the flooding is the construction of bridges in the rivers, with the dykes acting as dams, further blocking passage of the flow. This information was sent to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in a complaint by former owner of the Motel, Peter Dubé.

Administration

The Matapédia municipal council consists of a mayor and six councilors elected in rotating block every four years without territorial division.

Furthermore, Carole Bélanger is the Director-general, secretary treasurer and coordinator for emergency measures for the municipality.

Tourism

The Matapédia River is internationally recognized for its many pools for fishing for Atlantic salmon. To safeguard these pools for future generations, the wildlife reserve Rivières-Matapédia-et-Patapédia was established on a part of its course to protect this resource. The Matapédia flat is located near the mouth of the Restigouche just north of the bridge.

Famous Matapedians

Political Representation

Provincially it is part of the riding of Bonaventure . In the 2008 Quebec general election, the outgoing MP Nathalie Normandeau, of the Quebec Liberal Party, was re-elected to represent the population of Matapédia in the National Assembly of Quebec.

Federally, Matapédia is part of the federal riding of Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia. In the 2008 Canadian federal election, the incumbent Jean-Yves Roy of the Bloc Québécois was elected to represent the population Matapédia in the House of Commons of Canada.

Population

Population Change in Matapédia

According to Statistics Canada, the population of Matapédia, Quebec was 664 inhabitants in 2011. The demographic trend in recent years follows the overall pattern of Gaspé Peninsula and Bas-Saint-Laurent, that is to say a steady decrease.This corresponds to a decrease of 4.6% in five years. The median age of Matapédia residents is higher than in most of Quebec at 49.7 years.

The total number of dwellings in the municipality is 360 . However, only 311 of these units are occupied by permanent residents. The majority of homes are Matapedia Villas and apartment buildings.

According to Statistics Canada immigration is basically non-existent in Matapédia. 80% of the population has French listed as mother tongue and 20% are English-speaking Quebecers. However, 39% of the population masters the two official languages of Canada. For single language speakers, 46% speaks only French and 15% speak only English. No Aboriginals live in Matapedia.

The unemployment rate in the municipality was 23% in 2006. The median income of Matapédiens was 25 174 $ in 2005.

According to Statistics Canada, 32% of the population 15 years and over Matapédia has no high school diploma education. 37% of this population has only a high school diploma or vocational. 45 people have diplomas from university in Matapédia. All Matapedia graduates completed their studies in Canada. The main area of university studies for Matapédians is the business, management and public administration sectors.

Language

Mother tongue: