Rivière-au-Tonnerre, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Rivière-au-Tonnerre is a municipality
in the Côte-Nord
region of the province
of Quebec
in Canada
.
In addition to Riviere-au-Tonnerre itself, the communities within the municipality include Rivière-Pigou, Rivière-aux-Graines, and Sheldrake, all located along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
and accessible via Quebec Route 138
.
The main and almost exclusive local economic activity is crab fishing. A factory which processes the crab meat sustains the bulk of the population.
The eponymous Thunder River (French: Riviere au Tonnerre), which flows through the municipality, has a large series of waterfalls at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from its mouth in the Saint Lawrence. These falls with a total drop of about 50 metres (164 ft) have a roar that reminds one of the noise caused by lightning.
in the Gaspésie region. At the same time, the first chapel was built and the Parish of Saint-Hippolyte was formed. However it was commonly called Rivière-au-Tonnerre, like the settlement. In 1890, the post office opened under the English equivalent name of "Thunder River" (Frenchized in 1933). By 1908, there were 70 families engaged in agriculture. In 1925, the Municipality of Riviere-au-Tonnerre was formed.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 187 (total dwellings: 294)
Mother tongue:
Types of municipalities in Quebec
The following is a list of the types of local and supralocal territorial units in Quebec, including those used solely for statistical purposes, as defined by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec....
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
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
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....
in 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...
.
In addition to Riviere-au-Tonnerre itself, the communities within the municipality include Rivière-Pigou, Rivière-aux-Graines, and Sheldrake, all located along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
and accessible via Quebec Route 138
Quebec 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...
.
The main and almost exclusive local economic activity is crab fishing. A factory which processes the crab meat sustains the bulk of the population.
The eponymous Thunder River (French: Riviere au Tonnerre), which flows through the municipality, has a large series of waterfalls at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from its mouth in the Saint Lawrence. These falls with a total drop of about 50 metres (164 ft) have a roar that reminds one of the noise caused by lightning.
History
The first permanent settlers arrived circa 1853 or 1854, and founded Sheldrake and Riviere-au-Tonnerre as fishing settlements. In 1875, more pioneers followed, originating notably from PaspébiacPaspébiac, Quebec
Paspébiac is a town on Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 3,159. The town is noted for the Banc de Paspébiac, a large sandbar jutting out into the bay...
in the Gaspésie region. At the same time, the first chapel was built and the Parish of Saint-Hippolyte was formed. However it was commonly called Rivière-au-Tonnerre, like the settlement. In 1890, the post office opened under the English equivalent name of "Thunder River" (Frenchized in 1933). By 1908, there were 70 families engaged in agriculture. In 1925, the Municipality of Riviere-au-Tonnerre was formed.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 390 (2001 to 2006 population change: -6.0 %)
- Population in 2001: 415
- Population in 1996: 476
- Population in 1991: 526
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 187 (total dwellings: 294)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 0 %
- French as first language: 100 %
- English and French as first language: 0 %
- Other as first language: 0 %