Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Dolbeau-Mistassini is a town in northern Quebec
, Canada
, at the confluence of the Mistassibi River
, Riviere aux Rats and the Mistassini River
, on Lac Saint-Jean
. Dolbeau-Mistassini is in the Maria-Chapdelaine Regional County Municipality
and is the commercial hub of Lac-St-Jean with big stores and shopping centres.
The city was formed in 1997 through the amalgamation of the cities of Dolbeau and Mistassini. Dolbeau is located on the right (west) bank of the Mistassini River
, in the geographic township of Parent (not in the adjacent Dolbeau Township). The town of Mistassini is on the left (east) bank of the Mistassini River at the confluence with the Mistassibi River
, directly opposite Dolbeau.
for founding the town, an exceptional case in Quebec. In 1892, the Trappists of Oka
were granted 2025 hectares (5,003.9 acre) of land between the Mistassini and Mistassibi Rivers by the government of Charles Boucher de Boucherville
. They first settled at the mouth of the Mistassibi then on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean. In 1895, the Parish of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini was founded, and two years later, it was incorporated as a municipality.
In 1930, the town centre of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini separated from the municipality to form the Village Municipality of Mistassini. During the construction of the Chute-des-Passes Dam on the Peribonka River
in 1944, it experienced commercial growth and gained city status in 1947. In 1976, the Municipality of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini and the Village Municipality of Mistassini were merged again to form the City of Mistassini.
As for Dolbeau, it was founded in 1926 by English industrialist Emil Andrew Wallberg who established there the Lake Saint John Power and Paper Co. paper mill. The town, incorporated in 1927, was named after Jean Dolbeau
(1586-1652), Récollet missionary in the Tadoussac and Lac Saint-Jean area from 1615 to 1617 and from 1618 to 1620.
On December 17, 1997, the cities of Dolbeau and Mistassini were merged to form the City of Dolbeau-Mistassini.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 6367 (total dwellings: 6838)
Mother tongue:
factory. It is owned by the AbitibiBowater
Company. In June 2009, the company stop the production and have not restarted yet (as of july 2010).
The enviornmental organization, SGE, outfits the town with town bicycles from St. Jean Baptiste to September. The green bicycles belong to the town so you can hop on one where ever and leave it for someone else somewhere else.
is celebrated during this festival every year between August 3 and 7. Festivities include exhibitions, animation, performances, giant games, blueberry contests, a parade by night, and the baking of a giant blueberry pie. It is celebrated in august, the month which blueberries are picked up in blueberry fields.
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...
, at the confluence of the Mistassibi River
Mistassibi River
The Mistassibi River is a river in central Quebec, Canada. It is long and has a drainage basin of . Its source is an area with unnamed lakes about east of Canso Bay of Lake Albanel, eastern neighbor of Lake Mistassini....
, Riviere aux Rats and the Mistassini River
Mistassini River
The Mistassini River is a river in central Quebec, Canada, draining into the north-western portion of Lac Saint-Jean. It is long and has a watershed area of...
, on Lac Saint-Jean
Lac Saint-Jean
Lac Saint-Jean is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated 206 kilometres north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area of 1003 km² Lac Saint-Jean is a large, relatively...
. Dolbeau-Mistassini is in the Maria-Chapdelaine Regional County Municipality
Maria-Chapdelaine Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Maria-Chapdelaine is a Regional County Municipality in northeastern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is in Dolbeau-Mistassini. The RCM runs from Lac Saint-Jean in the south to the deep interior of northern Quebec in the north...
and is the commercial hub of Lac-St-Jean with big stores and shopping centres.
The city was formed in 1997 through the amalgamation of the cities of Dolbeau and Mistassini. Dolbeau is located on the right (west) bank of the Mistassini River
Mistassini River
The Mistassini River is a river in central Quebec, Canada, draining into the north-western portion of Lac Saint-Jean. It is long and has a watershed area of...
, in the geographic township of Parent (not in the adjacent Dolbeau Township). The town of Mistassini is on the left (east) bank of the Mistassini River at the confluence with the Mistassibi River
Mistassibi River
The Mistassibi River is a river in central Quebec, Canada. It is long and has a drainage basin of . Its source is an area with unnamed lakes about east of Canso Bay of Lake Albanel, eastern neighbor of Lake Mistassini....
, directly opposite Dolbeau.
History
The first settler in Mistassini may have been François Gaudreault in 1884. But credit is given to TrappistsTrappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
for founding the town, an exceptional case in Quebec. In 1892, the Trappists of Oka
Oka, Quebec
-References:...
were granted 2025 hectares (5,003.9 acre) of land between the Mistassini and Mistassibi Rivers by the government of Charles Boucher de Boucherville
Charles Boucher de Boucherville
Sir Charles-Eugène-Napoléon Boucher de Boucherville, KCMG was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He twice served as the third Premier of Quebec....
. They first settled at the mouth of the Mistassibi then on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean. In 1895, the Parish of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini was founded, and two years later, it was incorporated as a municipality.
In 1930, the town centre of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini separated from the municipality to form the Village Municipality of Mistassini. During the construction of the Chute-des-Passes Dam on the Peribonka River
Peribonka River
The Peribonka River is a river in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area in Quebec, Canada. It is long and drains an area of . It drains into Lac Saint-Jean at Pointe-Taillon National Park and is the largest tributary of this lake...
in 1944, it experienced commercial growth and gained city status in 1947. In 1976, the Municipality of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini and the Village Municipality of Mistassini were merged again to form the City of Mistassini.
As for Dolbeau, it was founded in 1926 by English industrialist Emil Andrew Wallberg who established there the Lake Saint John Power and Paper Co. paper mill. The town, incorporated in 1927, was named after Jean Dolbeau
Jean Dolbeau
Jean Dolbeau was a Recollect friar, one of the four Recollects who were the first Catholic missionaries to northern New France, present day Canada. Dolbeau-Mistassini in Quebec is named for him.-Life:Jean Dolbeau entered the order at the age of nineteen at Balmette, near Angers...
(1586-1652), Récollet missionary in the Tadoussac and Lac Saint-Jean area from 1615 to 1617 and from 1618 to 1620.
On December 17, 1997, the cities of Dolbeau and Mistassini were merged to form the City of Dolbeau-Mistassini.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 14,546 (2001 to 2006 population change: -2.2 %)
- Population in 2001: 14,879
- Population total in 1996: 15,214
- Dolbeau (ville): 8310
- Mistassini (ville): 6904
- Population in 1991:
- Dolbeau (ville): 8181
- Mistassini (ville): 6842
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 6367 (total dwellings: 6838)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 0.5 %
- French as first language: 98.9 %
- English and French as first language: 0.1 %
- Other as first language: 0.5 %
Industry
The main source of employment in Dolbeau is a paper millPaper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
factory. It is owned by the AbitibiBowater
AbitibiBowater
Resolute Forest Products , formerly known as AbitibiBowater Inc. is a pulp and paper manufacturer headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, formed by the merger of Bowater and Abitibi-Consolidated, which was announced 29 January 2007...
Company. In June 2009, the company stop the production and have not restarted yet (as of july 2010).
The enviornmental organization, SGE, outfits the town with town bicycles from St. Jean Baptiste to September. The green bicycles belong to the town so you can hop on one where ever and leave it for someone else somewhere else.
Tourism
The following are the attractions in Dolbeau-Mistassini:- Do-Mi-Ski: local ski resort
- Festival Western
- Downtown Beaches and Beaches on the Lac-St-Jean shores
- Dolbeau-St-Félicien AirportDolbeau-St-Félicien AirportDolbeau-Saint-Félicien Airport, , is located southwest of Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec. Canada.-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory...
- Entrance of the Great Quebec north for hunting and fishing
- RaftingRaftingRafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
spots on the Mistassibi - Festival of Stories (told at night) for the whole summer
- Festival du bleuet August
Blueberry Festival
A symbol of the Lac Saint-Jean region, the blueberryBlueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
is celebrated during this festival every year between August 3 and 7. Festivities include exhibitions, animation, performances, giant games, blueberry contests, a parade by night, and the baking of a giant blueberry pie. It is celebrated in august, the month which blueberries are picked up in blueberry fields.