La Macaza

La Macaza is a municipality and village in the province of Quebec, Canada. The village is located in the Laurentian Mountains, in the Laurentian region, in Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality. Its population was 1150 in the 2016 Canadian census.

La Macaza
Municipality
Location within Antoine-Labelle RCM
La Macaza
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 46°22′N 74°46′W[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionLaurentides
RCMAntoine-Labelle
Settled1866
ConstitutedJanuary 1, 2006
Government
[2]
 • MayorYves Bélanger
 • Federal ridingLaurentides—Labelle
 • Prov. ridingLabelle
Area
[2][3]
 • Total175.50 km2 (67.76 sq mi)
 • Land163.48 km2 (63.12 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • Total1,150
 • Density7.0/km2 (18/sq mi)
 • Pop 2011-2016
 9.2%
 • Dwellings
1,043
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
J0T 1R0
Area code(s)819
HighwaysNo major routes
Websitewww.munilamacaza.ca

It is home to the La Macaza – Mont Tremblant International Airport that serves the region. A medium security federal penitentiary is located next to the airport.

There is a covered bridge that runs over the Macaza River, built in 1904, and is an international tourist attraction. There are many lakes and beaches in the municipality.

According to the Geographic Names of the Province of Quebec (1921), "Macaza is the name of a native chief from the region", possibly the name of an old Amerindian who camped on the shores of Lake Macaza.[1]

History

Although indigenous peoples had lived in the area, the first European settlers arrived circa 1866. In 1904, La Macaza was established when the parish of Notre-Dame-du-Divin-Pasteur (Our Lady of Divine Shepherd) was founded. In 1930, the municipality was formed when its territory was detached from the municipality of Marchand (now part of Rivière-Rouge).[1]

It was first a farming community and later on its inhabitants worked mostly in logging, but today La Macaza receives a flood of vacationers each year.[1]

On December 18, 2002, La Macaza was merged into the new town of Rivière-Rouge when the Québec government forced certain province-wide mergers that were alleged to save citizens money. In 2004 the residents voted to separate from the city and on January 1, 2006, the municipality was reinstated.[1]

Demographics
Canada census – La Macaza community profile
20162011
Population1,150 (9.2% from 2011)1,053 (7.4% from 2006)
Land area163.48 km2 (63.12 sq mi)162.78 km2 (62.85 sq mi)
Population density7.0/km2 (18/sq mi)6.5/km2 (17/sq mi)
Median age55.6 (M: 54.7, F: 56.4)53.7 (M: 53.9, F: 53.4)
Total private dwellings1,0431,020
Median household income$42,944$29,096
References: 2016[4] 2011[5] earlier[6][7]
Historical census populations – La Macaza
YearPop.±%
1976 851—    
1981 840−1.3%
1986 863+2.7%
1991 900+4.3%
1996 1,020+13.3%
YearPop.±%
2001 1,015−0.5%
2006 980−3.4%
2011 1,053+7.4%
2016 1,150+9.2%
Source: Statistics Canada[8]

Mother tongue:

  • English as first language: 2%
  • French as first language: 92%
  • English and French as first language: 1%
  • Other as first language: 6%

Local government
La Macaza municipal hall

List of former mayors:

  • Christian Bélisle (2006–2013)
  • Céline Beauregard (2013–2021)
  • Yves Bélanger (2021–present)

Education

Sainte Agathe Academy (of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts serves English-speaking students in this community for both elementary and secondary levels.[9]

See also

References
  1. "La Macaza (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  2. Total area: Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation de territoire Archived 2012-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "(Code 2479047) Census Profile". 2016 census. Statistics Canada. 2017.
  4. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  5. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  6. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  7. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  8. 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  9. "About Us." Saint Agathe Academy. Retrieved on September 4, 2017. See Elementary zone map and Secondary zone map - Note that all areas covered in the elementary map are also covered in the secondary one.
  • Media related to La Macaza at Wikimedia Commons
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