Murdochville, Quebec

Murdochville
City

Location within La Côte-de-Gaspé RCM.
Murdochville

Location in eastern Quebec.

Coordinates: 48°58′N 65°30′W / 48.967°N 65.500°W / 48.967; -65.500Coordinates: 48°58′N 65°30′W / 48.967°N 65.500°W / 48.967; -65.500[1]
Country  Canada
Province  Quebec
Region Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCM La Côte-de-Gaspé
Settled 1950
Constituted July 15, 1953
Government[2]
  Mayor Délisca Ritchie Roussy
  Federal riding Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine
  Prov. riding Gaspé
Area[2][3]
  Total 63.80 km2 (24.63 sq mi)
  Land 61.18 km2 (23.62 sq mi)
Elevation 535 m (1,755 ft)
Population (2011)[3]
  Total 764
  Density 12.5/km2 (32/sq mi)
  Pop 2006-2011 Decrease 5.9%
  Dwellings 508
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s) G0E 1W0
Area code(s) 418 and 581
Highways Route 198
Website www.murdochville.com

Murdochville is a town located in Quebec, Canada, one of only a few inland communities on the Gaspé Peninsula. Its population (as of 2011) is 764.

Murdochville is located along Quebec Route 198 in the geographic township of Holland, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of L'Anse-Pleureuse and 93 kilometres (58 mi) west of Gaspé. It is 535 metres (1,755 ft) above sea level and surrounded by high mountains.

History

Ski hill, looking north from Murdochville

In 1921, copper ore was discovered in the area by the Miller brothers: Alfred, Sydney, Frederick, Angus and Theophilus. However, it was not until 1950 that Noranda Mines actually began mining. The mining town was set up and named after James Y. Murdoch, owner of the mine and first president of Noranda. In 1953, the town was incorporated.[1]

The mining operation in the town was comparatively large, starting with mining the raw ore and finishing with an end product of pure copper anode. In the 1970s, the mining operation in Murdochville was large enough to support a population of 5000 inhabitants. A number of large union battles in Murdochville also helped lay the groundwork for ideas that still exist today. Workers in Murdochville fought for their rights in 1957, which led to the adoption of several new laws protecting the rights of unionized workers in Quebec.

In 1987, the mine was partially destroyed by an underground fire, and mining only resumed two years later.[1]

The mine closed in 1999, leaving the town to fight for survival. After several close calls, the small town has decided to fight back, in an effort to reverse the economic uncertainty that has befallen the town. This has included the creation of several large wind turbine projects, along with the diversification of the local economy, with emphasis on tourism (such as skiing in the winter months).

Demographics

Population

Historical Census Data - Murdochville, Quebec[7]
YearPop.±%
1991 1,689    
1996 1,595−5.6%
YearPop.±%
2001 1,171−26.6%
2006 812−30.7%
YearPop.±%
2011 764−5.9%

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Murdochville, Quebec[7]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2011
760
725 Steady 0.0% 95.39% 30 Steady 0.0% 3.95% 5 Increase n/a% 0.66% 0 Decrease 100.0% 0.00%
2006
805
725 Decrease 34.4% 90.06% 30 Decrease 14.3% 3.73% 0 Decrease 100.0% 0.00% 50 Increase 400.0% 6.21%
2001
1,175
1,105 Decrease 25.6% 94.04% 35 Decrease 65.0% 2.98% 25 Increase 150.0% 2.13% 10 Increase n/a% 0.85%
1996
1,595
1,485 n/a 93.10% 100 n/a 6.27% 10 n/a 0.63% 0 n/a 0.00%

Climate

Murdochville lies between the temperate subarctic and the cold humid continental climates. Summers are relatively cool and short, whereas winters are long and at times very cold with massive amounts of snowfall. The brief summers are however mild enough to keep September (the fourth warmest month) right on the edge of the 10 °C (50 °F) isotherm for humid continental. The high amount of precipitation and snowfall would also be very unusual for subarctic climates.

Climate data for Murdochville, Quebec
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3)
15.6
(60.1)
16.7
(62.1)
23.5
(74.3)
29.4
(84.9)
33.0
(91.4)
33.5
(92.3)
32.8
(91)
28.9
(84)
24.0
(75.2)
20.0
(68)
10.6
(51.1)
33.5
(92.3)
Average high °C (°F) −9.2
(15.4)
−7.9
(17.8)
−2
(28)
4.4
(39.9)
12.1
(53.8)
18.4
(65.1)
21.1
(70)
19.8
(67.6)
14.1
(57.4)
6.9
(44.4)
0.3
(32.5)
−5.9
(21.4)
6.01
(42.78)
Daily mean °C (°F) −13.9
(7)
−12.6
(9.3)
−6.6
(20.1)
0.1
(32.2)
7.2
(45)
13.4
(56.1)
16.4
(61.5)
15.3
(59.5)
9.9
(49.8)
3.5
(38.3)
−3
(27)
−9.8
(14.4)
1.66
(35.02)
Average low °C (°F) −18.5
(−1.3)
−17.2
(1)
−11.2
(11.8)
−4.2
(24.4)
2.3
(36.1)
8.3
(46.9)
11.6
(52.9)
10.7
(51.3)
5.6
(42.1)
0.1
(32.2)
−6.2
(20.8)
−13.6
(7.5)
−2.69
(27.14)
Record low °C (°F) −36.1
(−33)
−36.7
(−34.1)
−29.0
(−20.2)
−22.2
(−8)
−12.8
(9)
−3.9
(25)
1.5
(34.7)
−1.7
(28.9)
−6.1
(21)
−15.0
(5)
−21.0
(−5.8)
−30.5
(−22.9)
−36.7
(−34.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 101
(3.98)
73
(2.87)
102
(4.02)
80
(3.15)
64
(2.52)
87
(3.43)
111
(4.37)
96
(3.78)
79
(3.11)
87
(3.43)
111
(4.37)
127
(5)
1,118
(44.03)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 91.1
(35.87)
68.5
(26.97)
91.4
(35.98)
56.7
(22.32)
10.6
(4.17)
0.3
(0.12)
0.0
(0)
0.1
(0.04)
0.5
(0.2)
23.4
(9.21)
77.3
(30.43)
111.5
(43.9)
531.4
(209.21)
Average precipitation days 14.8 12.8 13.9 12.4 12.3 13.7 15.0 13.0 13.5 13.6 17.4 17.2 169.6
Average rainy days 1.3 0.6 1.9 4.7 10.7 13.7 15.0 13.0 13.3 10.0 5.2 2.0 91.4
Average snowy days 14.2 12.5 12.6 8.3 2.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 4.8 13.2 16.2 84.4
Source: [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Murdochville (ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  2. 1 2 "Murdochville". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  3. 1 2 "Murdochville census profile". 2011 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  4. "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  5. "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  6. "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  7. 1 2 Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  8. "Historical Weather for Murdochville, Quebec". Weatherbase. Retrieved July 5, 2012.

External links



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