Baie-Comeau, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Baie-Comeau is a town located approximately 420 kilometres (261 mi) north-east of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in the Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord is the second largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec...
region of the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
near the mouth of the Manicouagan River
Manicouagan River
The Manicouagan River is a river in Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. The river originates at the Daniel-Johnson Dam of the Manicouagan Reservoir and flows approximately south, emptying into the Saint Lawrence River near Baie-Comeau...
, and is the seat of Manicouagan Regional County Municipality
Manicouagan Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Manicouagan is a Regional County Municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River with its seat in Baie-Comeau...
.
The town is named after the adjacent Comeau Bay, which is named in honour of Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau
Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau
Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau was a self-taught naturalist and Canadian government official. The city of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, is named after him , as well as this city's history museum building....
, a Québécois naturalist.
Former Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
is a native of the town.
History
The oldest part of Baie-Comeau is the area known as Vieux-Poste (Old Post) near the mouth of the Amédée River where in 1889, the Saint-Eugène-de-Manicouagan Mission was founded by Eudists. In 1898, the first sawmill in the Côte-Nord region was built there by the brothers Damase and Henri Jalbert, but it closed in 1907 after their timber stock was swept into the St. Lawrence. In 1916, Route 138Quebec route 138
Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal...
was extended to Saint-Eugène-de-Manicouagan and in 1929, its post office opened with the English name of Comeau Bay (frenchified in 1936).
Baie-Comeau itself (the eastern part of the current town) was founded in 1936 when a paper mill was constructed by Colonel Robert R. McCormick
Robert R. McCormick
Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick was a member of the McCormick family of Chicago who became owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper...
, publisher of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. Experiencing remarkable growth, the Town of Baie-Comeau was incorporated the following year. The area continued to see economic development with the establishment of the hydro-electric power stations on the Manicouagan and Outardes Rivers beginning with the Chutes-aux-Outardes Station in 1952, an aluminum smelter in 1958, and grain warehouses (the largest in Canada) in 1959.
In 1950, the village of Saint-Eugène-de-Manicouagan was incorporated as the Municipality of Hauterive. In June 1982, Hauterive was merged into Baie-Comeau, taking effect on January 1, 1983.
Baie-Comeau is the seat of the judicial district of Baie-Comeau.
Demographics
The population was 25,554 at the 1996 census, declining to 22,402 according to the census of 2006. This decrease in population for the past decade is partly explained by the fact that many baby-boomers not born in the city retire then move elsewhere. The absence of university and many college-level courses forces young people to get their education elsewhere; there are few employment opportunities which drives migration to the larger urban areas of MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
or Quebec City.
Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 22,554 (2001 to 2006 population change: -2.3 %)
- Population in 2001: 23,079
- Population in 1996: 25,554
- Population in 1991: 26,012
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 9602 (total dwellings: 9931)
Mother tongue:
- French as first language: 98.2 %
- English as first language: 0.7 %
- English and French as first language: 0.2 %
- Other first language: 0.9 %
Economy
The region is a major forestry center for the pulp and paper industry, owned by Abitibi Consolidated as of October 2006. Alongside hydro-electricity and the paper industry, an aluminum plant has fed employment for decades.Transportation
The town is along Route 138Quebec route 138
Route 138 is a major highway in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the entire north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with New York State south-west of Montreal...
about 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) east of Forestville
Forestville, Quebec
Forestville is a town in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River along Route 138, approximately southwest of Baie-Comeau. There is a vehicle and passenger ferry service from Forestville to Rimouski, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence...
and about 230 kilometres (142.9 mi) west of Sept-Îles
Sept-Îles, Quebec
For the islands in north of Brittany, see JentilezSept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec, Canada. It is the northernmost town in Quebec with any significant population...
. A ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service also links the town to Matane
Matane
Matane is a city in Quebec, Canada.Matane may also refer to:*Matane , Quebec*Matane Regional County Municipality, Quebec*Matane River, Quebec*Paulias Matane, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea...
on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The town is the southern terminus of Route 389
Quebec route 389
Quebec's Route 389 connects Route 138 adjacent to Baie-Comeau with the Newfoundland and Labrador border, connecting with the Trans-Labrador Highway to Wabush and Labrador City, and beyond to Goose Bay...
, which leads to the Daniel-Johnson Dam
Daniel-Johnson Dam
The Daniel-Johnson Dam , formerly known as Manic-5, is a multiple arch buttress dam on the Manicouagan River which creates Manicouagan Reservoir. The dam is composed of 14 buttresses and 13 arches and is north of Baie-Comeau in Quebec, Canada...
, the town of Fermont
Fermont, Quebec
Fermont is a town in northeastern Quebec, Canada, near the Quebec-Labrador border about from Labrador City on Route 389, which connects to the Trans-Labrador Highway...
, and the Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
region of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
The Baie-Comeau Airport
Baie-Comeau Airport
Baie-Comeau Airport is located south southwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, near the St. Lawrence River.-Airlines and destinations:...
, located in neighbouring Pointe-Lebel
Pointe-Lebel, Quebec
Pointe-Lebel is a village in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. Its territory makes up the western half of the Manicouagan Peninsula between the mouths of the Outardes and Manicouagan Rivers.-Demographics:Population trend:...
, has scheduled flights by Air Canada.
City council
The Baie-Comeau city council consists of the mayor of Baie-Comeau and eight elected city councilors, four from each of the two sectors of town. The current mayor of Baie-Comeau is Christine Brisson.Education
Baie-Comeau is home to several French languageFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
public elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, two French language public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, one French language private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
high school, and one English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
public school that includes both the elementary and high school level of education.
The town is also home to one French language CEGEP
Cégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
called the Cégep de Baie-Comeau
Cégep de Baie-Comeau
Cégep de Baie-Comeau is a CEGEP in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. Cégep de Baie-Comeau, a pre-university and technical college, is affiliated with ACCC, and CCAA.-Mission:...
.
List of schools in Baie-Comeau:
| School Name | Level | Sector |
| École Bois-Du-Nord | Elementary | Western |
| École Boisvert | Elementary | Eastern |
| École Jean-Paul II | High School | Eastern |
| École Leventoux | Elementary | Eastern |
| École Mgr-Bélanger | Elementary | Western |
| École Saint-Cœur-de-Marie | Elementary | Western |
| École Serge-Bouchard | High School | Western |
| École Trudel | Elementary | Western |
| Polyvalente des Baies | High School | Eastern |
| Baie-Comeau High School | Elementary and high school | Eastern |
Climate
Although at the same latitude as VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
or Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Baie-Comeau has a borderline subarctic climate
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfc), a little short of a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
. The cold Labrador Current
Labrador Current
The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia...
makes the Gulf of St. Lawrence very cold and tends to cool the weather during summer much more than the marginal warming of the winters resulting from its maritime location. With the moist northeasterly winds coming in from the Icelandic Low
Icelandic Low
The Icelandic Low is a semi-permanent centre of low atmospheric pressure found between Iceland and southern Greenland and extending in the Northern Hemisphere winter into the Barents Sea. In summer it weakens and splits into two centres, one near Davis Strait and the other west of Iceland...
, snowfall is very heavy, averaging around 3.6 metres (141.7 in) per year with a peak depth of around 0.63 metres (24.8 in) in March typical. The extreme snow depth was 2.26 metres (88.98 in) on 10 January of 1969.
Sports
The 1993 Quebec Winter Games were played in Baie-Comeau.Many different sports are played in Baie-Comeau:
Hockey
Baie-Comeau is home to the Baie-Comeau DrakkarBaie-Comeau Drakkar
The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at Centre Henry-Leonard in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. Their franchise was granted for the 1997–98 season.-History:...
, an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
since 1997. The team plays in the Centre Henry-Leonard
Centre Henry-Leonard
The Centre Henry-Leonard is a 3,042 capacity multi-purpose arena in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. It is home to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar Ice hockey team. It was built in 1970....
located in the eastern sector of the town.
Skiing
The Centre de ski du Mont-Tibasse is an alpine skiAlpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
centre located a few kilometers north of the town where it offers twelve slopes. Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
is also popular.
Golf
An 18 holes golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course is available in the western sector of the town. It is a semi-private golf club and is open for most of the summer.
Swimming
The two major high schools of the city each offer an indoor swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and are open to the public year round. Two outdoor swimming pools are also available to the public. These are open from the end of June until the middle of August each summer.
Some beaches are also available in the summer. There are other beaches are along the shore of the St. Lawrence river such as: The Plage Champlain and the Plage Pointe-Lebel, among others.
Tennis
Several outdoor tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts are available to the public in the different parks across town. They are open for most of the summer.