Cap-Chat, Quebec

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Cap-Chat (Cape Cat)
City
Capchat.jpg
Location within La Haute-Gaspésie RCM.
Location within La Haute-Gaspésie RCM.
Cap-Chat (Cape Cat) is located in Eastern Quebec
Cap-Chat (Cape Cat)
Cap-Chat (Cape Cat)
Location in eastern Quebec.
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[1]
Country  Canada
Province  Quebec
Region Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCM La Haute-Gaspésie
Settled 1815
Constituted March 15, 2000
Government[2]
 • Mayor Judes Landry
 • Federal riding Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
 • Prov. riding Gaspé
Area[2][3]
 • Total 207.40 km2 (80.08 sq mi)
 • Land 181.89 km2 (70.23 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
 • Total 2,623
 • Density 14.4/km2 (37/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011 Decrease 5.5%
 • Dwellings 1,368
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s) G0J 1E0
Area code(s) 418 and 581
Highways Route 132

Cap-Chat (English: Cape Cat) is a town in the Canadian province of Québec, in the Regional County Municipality of Haute-Gaspésie, and in the administrative region of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Cap-Chat is found 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. As of 2006, Cap-Chat's population is 2,777.[4]

In addition to Cap-Chat itself, the town's territory also includes the communities of Cap-Chat-Est, Capucins, and Petit-Fonds.

History

There are two theories about the origin of the town's name. One simply holds that the headland called Cap-Chat bore a likeness to a cat ("chat" in French). The other theory is a bit more fanciful. According to a local legend, a cat walking along the shore killed and ate various animals, whereupon the "cat fairy" accused him of having eaten her offspring. For his punishment, the cat was turned into stone for ever.

It seems most likely, however, that the town's name is a corruption of "Aymar de Chaste", who was New France's lieutenant-general in 1603.

Cap-Chat was one of the prime viewing areas for the total solar eclipse of July 10, 1972. Unfortunately, cloudy skies prevented most observers from viewing the total phase of the eclipse.

On March 15, 2000, the Municipality of Capucins was amalgamated into the Town of Cap-Chat.[1]

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Cap-Chat, Quebec[7]
Year Pop. ±%
1991 2,926 —    
1996 2,847 −2.7%
Year Pop. ±%
(2000) 3,127 +9.8%
2001 2,913 −6.8%
Year Pop. ±%
2006 2,777 −4.7%
2011 2,623 −5.5%

Economy

Cap-Chat has become synonymous with wind energy. There is a wind farm there containing 76 wind generators in revenue service. Each one of these is a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT), but there is also to be seen there one called Éole, which is the world's tallest vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) at 110 m. It is capable of producing 4 MW of power. Everything that there is to know about wind power at Cap-Chat may be learnt at the interpretative centre at the wind farm.

Cap-Chat has other things that are worth seeing, such as the aforesaid cat-shaped headland, and a lighthouse.

Those interested in wilderness and spectacular scenery can explore the areas inland from Cap-Chat, where there was once a village called Saint-Octave-de-l'Avenir (which ironically means Saint Octavius of the Future, though it's long in the past now). Salmon fishing and moose hunting are other activities available in the Cap-Chat area, as are hiking, horseback riding, and off-road four-wheel drive excursions in the back country.

In winter, Cap-Chat has a downhill skiing centre, as well as trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Images

  • Fishing boats in the harbour at Cap-Chat

  • Wind turbines at Cap-Chat

  • Mont Nicol-Albert.png

    Mont Nicol-Albert

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "cp2011" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census

External links


Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Les Méchins Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
  Cap-Chat  
Coulée-des-Adolphe Mont-Albert


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