Berthier-sur-Mer
Municipality in Quebec, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berthier-sur-Mer (French pronunciation: [bɛʁtje syʁ mɛʁ], lit. 'Berthier on Sea') is a municipality/town in the Montmagny Regional County Municipality within the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, east of Quebec City on Route 132.
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Berthier-sur-Mer | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of Berthier-sur-Mer | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Sur terre et sur mer, Berthier toujours plus fier | |
 Location within Montmagny RCM | |
  Berthier-sur-Mer Location in province of Quebec | |
| Coordinates: 46°55′N 70°44′W[1] | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Quebec |
| Region | Chaudière-Appalaches |
| RCM | Montmagny |
| Constituted | July 1, 1855 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Richard Gallibois |
| • Fed. riding | Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata |
| • Prov. riding | Côte-du-Sud |
| Area | |
• Total | 26.85 km2 (10.37 sq mi) |
| • Land | 26.85 km2 (10.37 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,744 |
| • Density | 65/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2016-2021 |  12.2% |
| • Dwellings | 939 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | 418 and 581 |
Highways   A-20 (TCH) |  R-132 |
| Website | berthiersurmer |
History
Berthier-sur-Mer was named after Alexandre Berthier, a captain in the Carignan-Salières Regiment, who was given title to this area in 1672. A year later, Berthier acquired another concession in the Lanaudière region, and his seignories became known as Berthier-en-bas (Lower Berthier) and Berthier-en-Haut (Upper Berthier, now Berthierville).[1]
In 1722, the Parish of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption-de-Bellechasse was created, but the place was called Berthier-en-bas in common use. In 1845, the Parish Municipality of Berthier en bas was formed, dissolved in 1847, and reestablished in 1855.[1][4]
On August 29, 1971, the parish municipality was renamed to Berthier-sur-Mer, following the local practice of referring to the St. Lawrence River as a sea at this point due to its increasing width, tides, and salinity. On February 7, 2004, it changed statutes and became a regular municipality.[1][4]
Demographics
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,744 (+12.2% from 2016) | 1,555 (11.2% from 2011) | 1,398 (12.8% from 2006) |
| Land area | 26.85 km2 (10.37 sq mi) | 26.92 km2 (10.39 sq mi) | 26.79 km2 (10.34 sq mi) |
| Population density | 65.0/km2 (168/sq mi) | 57.8/km2 (150/sq mi) | 52.2/km2 (135/sq mi) |
| Median age | 49.6 (M: 48.4, F: 50.4) | 50.3 (M: 50.3, F: 50.4) | 49.7 (M: 49.8, F: 49.6) |
| Private dwellings | 939 (total) 789 (occupied) | 892 (total) | 791 (total) |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $70.336 | $57,955 |
Historical census populations – Berthier-sur-Mer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Statistics Canada[3][8][9] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Geology
A strip of rather interesting underlying sedimentary bedrock maintains a relatively straight shoreline through which a natural harbour, quite round in shape, has been eroded. The bedrock is set at about a 60 to 80° angle and is composed of hundreds of very thin layers of red shale interspersed every meter or so with 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) layers of what appears to be limestone. It is quite dramatic in places where it hasn't been worn down by human activities.
Notable people
- Victor Allard, mayor of Berthier from 1899 to 1903 and from 1912 to 1915
- Camille Roy, literary critic
- Paul-Eugène Roy, Archbishop of Quebec
- Jean-Marc Vallée, filmmaker
