Val-Saint-Gilles, Quebec

Val-Saint-Gilles
Municipality
Location within Abitibi-Ouest RCM. Location within Abitibi-Ouest RCM.
Val-Saint-Gilles Location in western Quebec.
Coordinates:
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Abitibi-Témiscamingue
RCM	Abitibi-Ouest
Settled	c. 1935
Constituted	April 1, 1939
Government
• Mayor	Réjean Lambert
• Federal riding	Abitibi—Témiscamingue
• Prov. riding	Abitibi-Ouest
Area
• Total	108.20 km2 (41.78 sq mi)
• Land	110.52 km2 (42.67 sq mi)
	There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources
Elevation	345 m (1,132 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	178
• Density	1.6/km2 (4/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	4.1%
• Dwellings	79
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0Z 3T0
Area code(s)	819
Highways	Route 393
Website	valst-gilles.ao.ca

Val-Saint-Gilles is a municipality in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality about 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of La Sarre. It covers 110.54 km² and with a population of 154 in the Canada 2006 Census, it is the least populous incorporated municipality in the regional county.

It lies at the northern edge of the Abitibi Clay Belt. The undulating land is dotted with swamps, a few small lakes, and sand and gravel deposits. Its high point is marked by two hills near the village with an altitude of 345 metres (1,132 ft). The Turgeon River, the only notable river and tributary of the Harricana River, flows through the north-western part of the municipality.

History

The first settlers, arriving circa 1935 as part of the Vautrin Settlement Plan, came from Clermont, Montreal, and Mont-Laurier. In 1937, they founded the Saint-Gilles-de-Clermont Parish, and two years later, the place separated from Clermont Township and was incorporated as the Municipality of Val-Saint-Gilles, named after Saint Giles.

But because of the harsh land, the settlers could barely make a living and many soon left, reducing the population from over 600 persons to less than 200 today. Its residents mostly commute to La Sarre and the surrounding area, working particularly in the mining and forestry sectors.

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Val-Saint-Gilles, Quebec
Year Pop. ±% 1991 207 —     1996 187 −9.7%	Year Pop. ±% 2001 169 −9.6% 2006 171 +1.2%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 178 +4.1%

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Val-Saint-Gilles, Quebec
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2011		185		180	5.9%	97.30%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		5	n/a%	2.70%
2006		170		170	10.5%	100.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%
2001		190		190	9.5%	100.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%		0	0.0%	0.00%
1996		210		210	n/a	100.00%		0	n/a	0.00%		0	n/a	0.00%		0	n/a	0.00%

Municipal council

• Mayor: Benoît Sarrazin
• Councillors: Kathy Beauchesne, Ghyslain-Guy Lavoie, Jean-Marie Lavoie, Marie-Rose Lavoie, Réal Paul, Daniel Poirier

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec