Les Méchins, Quebec

Les Méchins
Municipality
Location within La Matanie RCM.
Les Méchins Location in eastern Quebec.
Coordinates: 49°00′N 66°59′W / 49.000°N 66.983°WCoordinates: 49°00′N 66°59′W / 49.000°N 66.983°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Bas-Saint-Laurent
RCM	La Matanie
Settled	1850s
Constituted	November 27, 1982
Government[2]
• Mayor	Jean-Sébastien Barriault
• Federal riding	Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia
• Prov. riding	Matane-Matapédia
Area[2][3]
• Total	469.80 km^2 (181.39 sq mi)
• Land	441.77 km^2 (170.57 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	1,107
• Density	2.5/km^2 (6/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	3.6%
• Dwellings	699
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	G0J 1T0
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	Route 132
Website	www.lesmechins.com

Les Méchins is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, about 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Matane along Quebec Route 132.

In addition to Les Méchins (formerly known as Grands-Méchins) itself, the municipality also includes the communities of Anse-des-Méchins, Cherbourg, Cherbourg-Centre, Les Îlets Méchins, and Petits-Méchins.

The name Méchins is of uncertain origin although according to one theory, it may come from the French word méchants, meaning "wicked", and referring to rocks in the sea that would make navigation there dangerous. Another, less likely suggestion is that it may be a transformation of "Matsi", a 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall one-eyed monster of Mi'kmaq folklore who would come down from the mountains with a stick as big as a tree to terrorize the local people.^[1]

History

Grands-Mechins in 1930

Colonization began in 1859 when three families arrived. By 1865, it had grown to 119 inhabitants. The Mission of Saint-Édouard was established in 1876 and the following year, the area was incorporated as the United Township Municipality of Dalibaire-et-Romieu. In 1880, the chapel was completed and its registers were opened. From that year onward, the place experienced a development boom due to the founding of a herring smokehouse and maritime industry, including ship building in the late 19th century.^[1][4]

While Méchins became a separate municipality in 1952, it was not until 1982 that the current Municipality of Méchins was formed through the merger of Méchins with Saint-Paulin-Dalibaire (formed in 1954) and Saint-Thomas-de-Cherbourg (formed in 1954).^[1]

Demographics

Canada census – Les Méchins, Quebec community profile
	2011	2006	2001
Population:	1,107 (-3.6% from 2006)	1,148 (-5.9% from 2001)	1,220 (-4.7% from 1996)
Land area:	441.77 km^2 (170.57 sq mi)	441.70 km^2 (170.54 sq mi)	441.70 km^2 (170.54 sq mi)
Population density:	2.5/km^2 (6.5/sq mi)	2.6/km^2 (6.7/sq mi)	2.8/km^2 (7.3/sq mi)
Median age:	53.1 (M: 53.3, F: 53.0)	49.0 (M: 48.4, F: 49.6)	44.3 (M: 44.0, F: 44.7)
Total private dwellings:	699	779	755
Median household income:	$36,887	$29,257	$24,714
References: 2011[3] 2006[5] 2001[6]

Historical Census Data - Les Méchins, Quebec[7]
Year Pop. ±% 1991 1,339 —	Year Pop. ±% 1996 1,280 −4.4%	Year Pop. ±% 2001 1,220 −4.7%	Year Pop. ±% 2006 1,148 −5.9%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 1,107 −3.6%

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References

1. "Les Méchins (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
2. "Les Méchins". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
3. "Les Méchins census profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
4. "Les Méchins 125 Ans d'Histoire" (in French). Municipalité de Les Méchins. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
5. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
6. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
7. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census