Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia
Municipality in Quebec, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃t‿alɛksi də matapedja]) is a village and municipality in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec, Canada.
Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia | |
|---|---|
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 Location within Avignon RCM | |
  Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia Location in eastern Quebec | |
| Coordinates: 47°58′N 67°03′W[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Gaspésie– Îles-de-la-Madeleine |
| RCM | Avignon |
| Constituted | July 1, 1855 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Cynthia Dufour |
| • Federal riding | Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj |
| • Prov. riding | Bonaventure |
| Area | |
• Total | 85.07 km2 (32.85 sq mi) |
| • Land | 84.91 km2 (32.78 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[3] | |
• Total | 519 |
| • Density | 6.1/km2 (16/sq mi) |
| • Pop (2016–21) |  3.8% |
| • Dwellings | 285 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | 418 and 581 |
| Highways | No major routes |
| Website | www.matapedia lesplateaux.com |
In addition to Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia itself, the municipality also includes the communities of Léonard-de-Matapédia and Saint-Benoît-de-Matapédia.
Its name comes from Alexis Mailloux (1801-1877), a Roman Catholic vicar general who presided over the founding of the parish, and from the Matapedia river and township, in turn from the Mi'kmaq word matapegiag, meaning "river which forks".[1]
History
The place was first incorporated in 1845 as the Township Municipality of Matapédia. Its first inhabitants were Acadians from Rustico, Prince Edward Island, who arrived around 1860. That same year, a mission was established that became a parish in 1870.[1]
The local post office opened in 1866 under the name Avignon, but was renamed to Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia in 1922. Sometime before the 1920s, the municipality had changed its status and name to the Parish Municipality of Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia.[1]
In 1966, the Municipality of Saint-Benoit was merged into Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia.[4]
In 2003, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia changed statutes to become a regular municipality.[1]
Demographics
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 519 (+3.8% from 2016) | 500 (-8.8% from 2011) | 548 (-12.3% from 2006) |
| Land area | 84.91 km2 (32.78 sq mi) | 84.09 km2 (32.47 sq mi) | 84.40 km2 (32.59 sq mi) |
| Population density | 6.1/km2 (16/sq mi) | 5.9/km2 (15/sq mi) | 6.5/km2 (17/sq mi) |
| Median age | 58.8 (M: 56.8, F: 61.2) | 57.3 (M: 56.3, F: 58.4) | 54.3 (M: 52.5, F: 57.1) |
| Private dwellings | 285 (total) 249 (occupied) | 283 (total) 232 (occupied) | 286 (total) |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $39,765 | $34,713 |
Historical Census Data – Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia, Quebec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada[4][8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
