Messines, Quebec

Messines
Municipality
Messines Location in western Quebec.
Coordinates: 46°14′N 76°01′W / 46.233°N 76.017°WCoordinates: 46°14′N 76°01′W / 46.233°N 76.017°W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Outaouais
RCM	La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau
Constituted	August 19, 1921
Government[2]
• Mayor	Ronald Cross
• Federal riding	Pontiac
• Prov. riding	Gatineau
Area[2][3]
• Total	130.70 km^2 (50.46 sq mi)
• Land	113.95 km^2 (44.00 sq mi)
Population (2011)[3]
• Total	1,608
• Density	14.1/km^2 (37/sq mi)
• Pop (2006–11)	0.1%
• Dwellings	949
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	J0X 2J0
Area code(s)	819
Website	www.messines.ca

Messines is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec. It includes the population centres of Messines and Farley.

In 1840, the village of Messines was known by the name of Burbridge. The consolidation of this community, at the start of the 1900s, was thanks to the arrival of the railway, which for more than a century connected Hull (Gatineau) to Maniwaki. The name was changed to Messines around 1919. The Saint-Raphaël parish was legally constituted in 1906.

The first municipal council was elected in 1921 with Louis Lécuyer as its first mayor.

In the middle of the 20th century, Messines was very active in growing potatoes thanks to its sandy soil, ideal for extensive exploitation of this staple. For many years, an important agricultural co-operative was formed between the local and regional farmers of the day. The original main building of the co-op today houses a sawmill. During the second half of the century, the municipality’s economy gradually changed to tourism and cottagers, thanks to the presence of its magnificent lakes. Some of the more popular ones are: Blue Sea Lake, Big Cedar and Little Cedar Lakes. There are also many forested areas which are great for outdoor activities throughout the year. Today, the municipality is also known for its hunting and fishing territories, and for a wide variety of recreational activities available all year long.

List of mayors

The mayors of Messines were:

Ronald Cross 2001 to date Normand St-Jacques 1997-2001 Ronald Cross 1993-1997 Marc Beaulieu 1987-1993 Joseph Mayer 1985-1987 Marcel Lévesque 1983-1985 Léo Lafontaine 1978-1983 Viateur Saumure 1977-1978 Jean-Louis Latourelle 1972-1977 Rolland Jolivette 1971-1972 Jean-Paul Dault 1968-1971 Rolland Jolivette 1965-1968 Oscar St-Jacques 1961-1965 Ludger Beaudoin 1953-1961

Alexandre Lafrenière 1951-1953 Oscar St-Jacques 1947-1951 Alexandre Lafrenière 1945-1947 Anastase Saumure 1943-1945 Frank Nault 1942-1943 Alexandre Lafrenière 1937-1941 Louis Lécuyer 1935-1937 Alexandre Lafrenière 1933-1935 Ernest Noël 1931-1933 Harmidas Latourelle 1929-1931 Louis Corbeil 1928-1929 Louis Lécuyer 1926-1927 Louis Corbeil 1923-1926 Louis Lécuyer 1921-1923

References

1. Reference number 177564 of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (French)
2. Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire shows an area of 108.46 km2.
3. Statistics Canada 2011 Census - Messines census profile