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Bonaventure, Quebec

Coordinates: 48°03′N 65°29′W / 48.050°N 65.483°W / 48.050; -65.483
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Saint-Bonaventure, Quebec.
Bonaventure
City
Bonaventure Church
Bonaventure Church
Location within Bonaventure RCM
Location within Bonaventure RCM
Bonaventure is located in Eastern Quebec
Bonaventure
Bonaventure
Location in eastern Quebec
Coordinates: 48°03′N 65°29′W / 48.050°N 65.483°W / 48.050; -65.483[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionGaspésie–
Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCMBonaventure
Settled1760
ConstitutedJanuary 1, 1884
Government
[2]
 • MayorPierre Gagnon
 • Federal ridingGaspésie—
Îles-de-la-Madeleine
 • Prov. ridingBonaventure
Area
[2][3]
 • Total108.17 km2 (41.76 sq mi)
 • Land104.50 km2 (40.35 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Total2,733
 • Density26.2/km2 (68/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016-21)
Increase 1.0%
 • Dwellings
1,404
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G0C 1E0
Area codes418 and 581
Highways R-132
GNBC CodeEQKCG
NTS Map022A03
Websitewww.villebonaventure.ca Edit this at Wikidata

Bonaventure is a town on the Gaspé Peninsula in the Bonaventure Regional County Municipality of Quebec. It is located on Chaleur Bay near the mouth of the Bonaventure River. The town is situated on Route 132 between Saint-Siméon and New Carlisle.

The majority of the inhabitants are of Acadian descent, who found refuge there after the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. They arrived there in 1760. The Quebec Acadian Museum (Musée Acadien du Québec) is located in the town. Bonaventure celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2010.

The toponym Bonaventure has been associated with several locations in the Gaspé since the beginnings of New France, such as Bonaventure Island and Bonaventure River. No definite origin of this name has been identified.[4]

History

[edit]

In 1697, a concession on both sides of the Bonaventure River was granted in 1697 to Charles-Henry de La Croix.[1] Prior to permanent settlement, the Bonaventure harbour was often visited by Europeans and was the location of temporary camps and posts for many years.

Grand-Pré Avenue in Bonaventure early 20th-century

The first permanent European settlement of Bonaventure was in 1760 by Acadian refugees who had successfully avoided the expulsion of Acadians that had begun in 1755. Some of these early settlers were present at the Battle of Restigouche in July 1760, where a mixed force of French navy aided by Acadians were defeated by the Royal Navy. Many of today's Bonaventure residents are of Acadian descent.[4]

At the time of settlement, Bonaventure was located in lands possessed by France, but in 1763, after the Treaty of Paris, all of New France was ceded to Britain, and Bonaventure became part of British colony of the Province of Quebec. Later, some of the lands already settled by the Acadians were granted to anglophones, although after decades of petitioning the Quebec government, some of the Acadian settlers were able to gain title to the lands they occupied. However, even as late as 1891, more than half of the homesteaders in this region had no legal title to the lands they lived on.[5][6]

Bonaventure was raided by Americans during the War of Independence.[4]

In 1845, it was first incorporated as the Township Municipality of Hamilton, coinciding with the geographic township that was proclaimed in 1842 and named after Henry Hamilton.[7] In 1847, the township municipality was abolished, but reestablished on July 1, 1855. In 1884, it changed its name and statutes from Township Municipality of Hamilton to Parish Municipality of Saint-Bonaventure de Hamilton.[8]

On December 31, 1955, it changed its name and statutes again to become the Municipality of Bonaventure. On May 3, 1997, its statutes were changed to city (ville).[8]

Demographics

[edit]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Bonaventure had a population of 2,733 living in 1,318 of its 1,404 total private dwellings, a change of 1% from its 2016 population of 2,706. With a land area of 104.5 km2 (40.3 sq mi), it had a population density of 26.2/km2 (67.7/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

Canada census – Bonaventure community profile
202120162011
Population2,733 (+1.0% from 2016)2,706 (-2.5% from 2011)2,775 (+3.8% from 2006)
Land area104.50 km2 (40.35 sq mi)104.35 km2 (40.29 sq mi)104.15 km2 (40.21 sq mi)
Population density26.2/km2 (68/sq mi)25.9/km2 (67/sq mi)26.6/km2 (69/sq mi)
Median age52.4 (M: 51.6, F: 53.2)51.1 (M: 51.0, F: 51.2)48.6 (M: 48.5, F: 48.7)
Private dwellings1,404 (total)  1,318 (occupied)1,312 (total)  1,294 (total) 
Median household income$62,800$57,003$53,199
References: 2021[9] 2016[10] 2011[11] earlier[12][13]
Historical Census Data - Bonaventure, Quebec
YearPop.±%
1861 1,309—    
1871 1,484+13.4%
1881 1,367−7.9%
1891 2,328+70.3%
1901 2,862+22.9%
1911 3,667+28.1%
1921 2,780−24.2%
1931 2,804+0.9%
YearPop.±%
1941 3,015+7.5%
1951 2,945−2.3%
1956 3,010+2.2%
1961 2,929−2.7%
1966 3,209+9.6%
1971 2,857−11.0%
1976 2,895+1.3%
1981 2,950+1.9%
YearPop.±%
1986 2,995+1.5%
1991 2,844−5.0%
1996 2,884+1.4%
2001 2,756−4.4%
2006 2,673−3.0%
2011 2,775+3.8%
2016 2,706−2.5%
2021 2,733+1.0%
Source: Statistics Canada[14]

Mother tongue language (2021):[3]

Language Population Pct (%)
French only 2,525 93%
English only 145 5.3%
Both English and French 25 0.9%
Other languages 20 0.7%

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 325850". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 05045". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bonaventure census profile". 2021 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  4. ^ a b c Arsenault, Bona (1978). History of the Acadians. Lemeac. ISBN 0-7761-5034-0.
  5. ^ Gallant, abbé Patrice, Les Registres de La Gaspésie, 1961.
  6. ^ Legislature of Quebec, List of lands granted in the province of Quebec from 1763 to 31st December 1890, 1891.
  7. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Hamilton (canton)". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  8. ^ a b "Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Bonaventure (ville) 1.7.1845 - 1.9.1847 ● 1.7.1855 - ..." www.mairesduquebec.com. Institut généalogique Drouin. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  9. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  10. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  11. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  12. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  13. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  14. ^ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census
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