La Motte, Quebec

La Motte
Municipality
Location within Abitibi RCM.
La Motte Location in western Quebec.
Coordinates: 48°20′N 78°07′W / 48.333°N 78.117°WCoordinates: 48°20′N 78°07′W / 48.333°N 78.117°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Abitibi-Témiscamingue
RCM	Abitibi
Settled	1910s
Constituted	May 30, 1921
Government[2]
• Mayor	René Martineau
• Federal riding	Abitibi—Témiscamingue
• Prov. riding	Abitibi-Ouest
Area[2][3]
• Total	214.40 km^2 (82.78 sq mi)
• Land	176.76 km^2 (68.25 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	457
• Density	2.6/km^2 (7/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	15.7%
• Dwellings	236
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0Y 1T0
Area code(s)	819
Highways	Route 109
Website	www.municipalite delamotte.ca

La Motte is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Abitibi Regional County Municipality and the administrative region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

As of 2013, the town did not have a restaurant or inn. In preparation for the potential media influx due to the papability of Cardinal Ouellet after the resignation of pope Ratzinger, an old church basement had been converted into a media centre.^[4]

Geography

The village of La Motte is located midway between the city of Amos (distance of 27.5 km) and city of Malartic (distance of 30.5 km). The Provincial road 109 crosses the municipal territory north to south. The village of La Motte is located 80.7 km from the city of Rouyn-Noranda and 57.2 km from Val D'Or. The Harricana River which is the eastern boundary of the municipal territory includes at the height of La Motte two bulges forming large lakes in the area: the Lake Malartic southeast and the lake La Motte at northeast. Access to the village of La Motte is by Highway 117 connecting Val d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda, or by the road 111 linking Val d'Or to Amos.

The municipal area of La Motte straddles the watershed between the basin of the James Bay (Eastern part of the territory of La Motte) and watershed Saint Lawrence River (western). In the early 19th century, colonization of the territory gained strength thanks to the arrival of the Transcontinental railway in Amos in 1913, linking Abitibi to Quebec city. The railway which passes through Hervey-Jonction (Middle Mauricie), La Tuque (Haute-Mauricie) and Senneterre (Abitibi) generated a considerable influx of settlers across the North West Quebec.

Toponymy

In the Abitibi area, four namesake "La Motte" are used in relation to the village of La Motte: La Motte Township, the municipality of La Motte, La Motte lake (formed by a widening of the Harricana River) and the Bay of La Motte (located on the lake in the town of Malartic La Motte). The name of the municipality was chosen in honor of the military Guillaume-Jérôme Vacquier de Lamothe, a French army officer who served under Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. Among his works of life, military assumed the role of captain in the regiment of Béarn in Montcalm's army.^{[1] [5]}

Demographics

Population trend:^[6]

• Population in 2011: 457 (2006 to 2011 population change: 15.7%)
• Population in 2006: 395
• Population in 2001: 406
• Population in 1996: 409
• Population in 1991: 415

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 191 (total dwellings: 236)

Mother tongue:^[7]

• English as first language: 0%
• French as first language: 100%
• English and French as first language: 0%
• Other as first language: 0%

Multipurpose community center

Inaugurated on June 2, 2011, the community center of La Motte was built within the walls of the old church of Saint-Luc (built in 1937). Purchased for $1 by the municipality in 2005, the building which was renovated at the level of $260,000 includes a multipurpose room (Heritage room with a stage for public shows) formed in the nave (ground floor) for public events with 300-seat and Pioneers room in the basement with 150 seats, with a well equipped kitchen. These rooms are used for publics meetings, presentations, exhibitions, weddings, entertainment ... The choir retains its authenticity especially the religious celebration of baptisms, funerals, masses, weddings and other important religious events. A grid and a retractable curtain separates the nave of this section for worship. Calendar of events in community center is available on the official website of the municipality.^[8]

Windows and woodwork of the old church have been carefully restored. The former sacristy was subdivided with a section dedicated to the needs of the factory of the Saint-Luc parish. A nonprofit committee manages this Community Centre. Over 3,000 volunteer hours were devoted to the restoration of the building for its new multi-functional vocation. This restoration is a model of integration of religious heritage in order to respond to community needs. ^[9]

Municipal council

• Mayor: René Martineau
• Councillors: Jean-Marc Albert, Claude Hardy, Léopold Larouche, Jocelyne Lefebvre, Oliver Lemieux, Jocelyne Wheelhouse

La Motte municipal office

Notable people

• Cardinal Marc Ouellet of the Roman Catholic Church was born in La Motte on June 8, 1944.^[10]

References

1. Commission de toponymie du Québec - Fiche descriptive : La Motte
2. "La Motte". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
3. "La Motte census profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
4. CTV News Channel, CTV News, 9:05pm EST, 4 March 2013 airdate
5. Commission of toponymy of Quebec - Fact Sheet: La Motte
6. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
7. "La Motte community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
8. http://municipalitedelamotte.ca/centre_communautaire Official site officiel of municipality of La Motte (Abitibi, Quebec)(French)
9. Article "La Motte donne une 2e vie à son église" (La Motte gives a second life to the church) - (Official Opening of Community Centre La Motte, June 2, 2011), by Martin Guindon, published June 3, 2011, Abitibi Express.(French)
10. White, Marianne, Canwest News Service (June 30, 2010). "Que. cardinal appointed to Vatican job, don't think he will become Pope". The Gazette. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2010.