Maniwaki, Quebec

Coordinates: 46°23′N 75°59′W / 46.383°N 75.983°W / 46.383; -75.983

Maniwaki
Main street (Hwy. 105)
Coordinates: 46°22′30″N 75°58′0″W / 46.375°N 75.966667°W / 46.375; -75.966667
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Outaouais
Incorporation	March 15, 1904
Government
- Type	City
- Mayor	Robert Coulombe
Area[1]
- Total	5.80 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
- Total	4,102
- Density	707.4/km2 (1,832.2/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	J9E
Website	www.ville.maniwaki.qc.ca

Maniwaki is a town north of Gatineau and located north-west of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is situated on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, not far south of Route 117 (Trans-Canada Highway). It is the administrative centre for La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec.

History

The history of Maniwaki is closely linked to that of the adjacent Kitigan Zibi Reserve, because the Town of Maniwaki was developed on land that was originally part of this reserve. Its municipal lands were included in historical land claims by Kitigan Zibi; some of which were settled as recently as 2007.^[3]

In the first half of the nineteenth century, Algonquins of the mission at Lake of Two Mountains, under the leadership of Chief Pakinawatik, came to the area of the Désert River. Shortly after in 1832, the Hudson's Bay Company followed them and installed a trading post at the confluence of the Désert and Gatineau Rivers. A decade later, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate established the mission of Notre-Dame-du-Desert and, from 1849, they demanded of the authorities the demarcation of a township in order to establish a reserve for the Algonquins. The township limits are drawn in 1850 and given the name of Maniwaki by the Oblates at this time (Algonquian for "Mary's Land").^[4] Soon after, wood merchants, farmers, trade workers, businessmen and professionals, drawn by the forest's wealth, came to live in Maniwaki. The Canadian Pacific Maniwaki subdivision linked Maniwaki with Wakefield and was abandoned in 1986.

Christ-Roi church

In 1851, the Oblats founded the L'Assomption-de-Maniwaki parish.^[5] Forestry took root and became the livelihood of many settlers in this still virgin region. Irish, French and First Nations Peoples contributed to the development of the town and lived side by side in harmony. Maniwaki was officially founded in 1851 and became a township municipality in 1904. It obtained the status of "village" in 1930, and status of "ville" in 1957.^[5]

At the beginning of the 20th century, the region, like everywhere in Quebec, was hit by an epidemic of the Spanish influenza. In less than two weeks, some twenty deaths were related to this sickness. Scared, people refused to go outdoors, and for the first time in its history, a Sunday passed without any mass being celebrated at the Assumption church.

The flood of 1974 is an event remembered by the local population. On May 14 of that year, the waters of the Gatineau river and those of the Désert River overflowed. The water rose at an alarming rate of 3 to 6 inches an hour. Over 1,000 residences in the Maniwaki area were flooded and approximately 3,000 persons had to be evacuated. Although no one was injured, damages reached many millions of dollars.

Since 1974, no other major calamity has occurred. The area continues prospering every year in two predominant fields, namely forestry and tourism.

Demographics

Population:^[6]

• Population in 2006: 4102
• Population in 2001: 4020
  • 2001 to 2006 population change: 2.0 %
• Population in 1996: 4527 (included additional area before ceded to Kitigan Zibi)
• Population in 1991: 4605

Total private dwellings (excluding seasonal cottages): 1919

Languages:

• English as first language: 5.5 %
• French as first language: 90.7 %
• English and French as first language: 0.7 %
• Other as first language: 3.1 %

References

1. ^ Statistics Canada
   Ministère des Affaires Municipales et Régions shows an area of 5.60 km².
2. ^ Statistics Canada 2006 census
3. ^ "Fact Sheet - Old Burial Ground Specific Claim Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg". Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nr/prs/m-a2007/2-2920-fs-eng.asp. Retrieved 2008-09-17. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Kitigan Zibi (Réserve indienne)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/carto.asp?Speci=291403&Latitude=46,33333&Longitude=-75,96667&Zoom=1700. Retrieved 2008-09-16. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Maniwaki (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/carto.asp?Speci=38514&Latitude=46,38333&Longitude=-75,96667&Zoom=1700. Retrieved 2008-09-17. 
6. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census