Normétal, Quebec

Normétal
—  Municipality  —
Normétal
Coordinates: 49°00′N 79°22′W / 49°N 79.367°W / 49; -79.367Coordinates: 49°00′N 79°22′W / 49°N 79.367°W / 49; -79.367
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Regional county	Abitibi-Ouest
Settled	1925
Incorporated	January 1, 1945
Government[1]
– Mayor	Louise Quesnel
– Federal riding	Abitibi—Témiscamingue
– Prov. riding	Abitibi-Ouest
Area[2]
– Land	57.06 km2 (22 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
– Total	886
– Density	15.5/km2 (40.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	J0Z 3A0
Area code(s)	819
Website	www.normetal.ao.ca

Normétal is a municipality in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality. It covers 55.89 km² and had a population of 981 in the Canada 2006 Census.

History

In 1923, zinc and copper was discovered near the Calamité River and two years later, the Abana Mine Company obtained the mining rights. The new settlement, formed by families from Saint-Eustache, Portland^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Bellechasse and the Mauricie, was therefore first called Abana. In 1931, the Normetal Mining Corporation acquired the mine and brought it to full operation six years later. In 1939, the railway and road to Dupuy was completed. In 1945, the place was incorporated, taking the name of the mining corporation whose name in turn is a portmanteau for "northern" and "metal".^[3][4]

In 1949, street lighting was installed in Normétal. In 1950, the mining corporation came under control of Noranda (which became Falconbridge Ltd. and bought by Xstrata in 2006). In 1956, the mine had a peak production of 900 tons of ore per day and employed over 600 persons. In 1961, the town reached a population of 2519, its largest number of residents. But in 1975, after reaching a depth of 8,000 feet (2,400 m), the copper mine closed, resulting in a large exodus of people from the community with many going to the mines of Matagami and Joutel that had just opened. By the following year, the population had dropped to 1455.^[3][4][5]

In 1990, the Normetmar Mine close. In 2005, work began on rehabilitation of the mine site by removing the tailings and planting vegetation.^[4][5]

Demographics

Population trend:^[6][4]

• Population in 2006: 886 (2001 to 2006 population change: -13.1 %)
• Population in 2001: 1019
• Population in 1996: 1129
• Population in 1991: 1193
• Population in 1986: 1231

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 394 (total dwellings: 431)

Mother tongue:^[2]

• English as first language: 0 %
• French as first language: 100 %
• English and French as first language: 0 %
• Other as first language: 0 %

Municipal council

• Mayor: Daniel Therrien
• Councillors: Manon Boisclair, Monique Bouchard, Vicky Gaudet, Jasmine Lampron, Roger Lévesque, Bertrand Naud

List of mayors

The former mayors of Normétal were:^[7]

Albert Lafond 1945–47 Georges Barré 1947–55 Roméo Morin 1955–56 Lucien Trottier 1956–61 Lionel Mayer 1961–63 Samuel Petitclerc 1963–65, 1975–76 Régis Comeau 1965–68 Philippe Doire 1968–75

Réal Gamache 1976–81 Maurice Moisan 1981 André Rivest 1981 Normand Beaupré 1981–2005 Daniel Therrien 2005–07 Jean Bergeron 2007–2010 Louise Quesnel 2010–

References

1. ^ "Normétal" (in French). Répertoire des municipalités. Ministère des Affaires Municipales, Régions et Occupation du territoire. http://www.mamrot.gouv.qc.ca/repertoire-des-municipalites/fiche/municipalite/87115/. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Normétal community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=2487115&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&Data=Count&SearchText=Normetal&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Normétal (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=44703. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} "Histoire de Normétal" (in French). Municipalité de Normétal. http://www.i-autogere.com/secur/NORMETALAutogere?page=NORMETAL666.html. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Bienvenue à Normétal" (in French). Municipalité de Normétal. http://www.normetal.ao.ca/normetal.html. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 
6. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
7. ^ "Maires de 1945 à aujourd'hui" (in French). Municipalité de Normétal. http://www.i-autogere.com/secur/NORMETALAutogere?page=NORMETAL658.html. Retrieved 2011-01-07. 

External links

• Normétal official website