Ristigouche-Sud-Est (or Ristigouche-Partie-Sud-Est until February 2024) is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, near the head of the Baie de Chaleur. It is a rural municipality without population centres, situated along the CN Railway line which hosts the VIA Rail Ocean (train) route; the nearest VIA station is Matapedia.

Ristigouche-Sud-Est
Location within Avignon RCM
Location within Avignon RCM
Ristigouche-Sud-Est is located in Eastern Quebec
Ristigouche-Sud-Est
Ristigouche-Sud-Est
Location in eastern Quebec
Coordinates: 48°03′N 66°52′W / 48.050°N 66.867°W / 48.050; -66.867[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionGaspésie–
Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCMAvignon
ConstitutedJune 30, 1906
Government
 • MayorDavid Ferguson
 • Federal ridingAvignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia
 • Prov. ridingBonaventure
Area
 • Total53.81 km2 (20.78 sq mi)
 • Land51.76 km2 (19.98 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Total170
 • Density3.3/km2 (9/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016-21)
Decrease 0.6%
 • Dwellings
95
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code(s)418 and 581
Highways R-132
Websiteristigouche.ca Edit this at Wikidata

History

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At the beginning of the 19th century, the voyage between Quebec and Saint John passed the Temiscouata Portage and via the Saint John River valley. After the War of 1812, it was decided to develop a new maritime route which was to be located away from the border. The Matapedia River valley was selected, and the route would be named Kempt Road, for General Sir James Kempt, then Governor-General of British North America. Construction started in 1830, under the supervision of William MacDonald, Frederic Fournier and Major Wolfe, but the route remained difficult and government decided to abandon it in 1857. A new path between Causapscal and the Restigouche was adopted in 1862, and in 1868 the Intercolonial Railway project that was to transform the British North American Colonies into Canada selected the Matapedia River road to be its route. On 1 July 1876, the Sainte-Flavie-Campbellton section was opened.

The township municipality was formed in 1907 when it separated from the Township Municipality of Ristigouche (now Saint-André-de-Restigouche).[1]

On 17 April 1983, the 480 ha (4.8 km2) Ristigouche Ecological Reserve was formed by the Quebec government.

In March 2013, the municipality was served notice of pursuit by the resource extractor Gastem for $1.5 million because the municipality sought to protect its drinking water source from fracking, by imposing an exclusion zone of 2 km around water wells. Gastem later ceded its exploration permits to Pétrolia [fr].[4] now a subsidiary of the French multinational oil producer Maurel et Prom [fr],[5] The municipality had amassed $146,000 in its charitable legal defence fund as of March 2015. Gastem offered an amicable resolution at that time for that cost.[4] Ultimately, a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec ruled in the township's favour in 2017.[6]

In February 2024, the township changed status to became a regular municipality and took the current name of Ristigouche-Sud-Est.[7]

Demographics

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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Ristigouche-Sud-Est had a population of 170 living in 81 of its 95 total private dwellings, a change of -0.6% from its 2016 population of 171. With a land area of 51.76 km2 (19.98 sq mi), it had a population density of 3.3/km2 (8.5/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

Canada census – Ristigouche-Sud-Est community profile
202120162011
Population170 (-0.6% from 2016)171 (2.4% from 2011)167 (-3.5% from 2006)
Land area51.76 km2 (19.98 sq mi)51.70 km2 (19.96 sq mi)51.27 km2 (19.80 sq mi)
Population density3.3/km2 (8.5/sq mi)3.3/km2 (8.5/sq mi)3.3/km2 (8.5/sq mi)
Median age50.8 (M: 51.6, F: 50.0)56.5 (M: 57.2, F: 56.2)52.2 (M: 52.0, F: 52.8)
Private dwellings95 (total)  81 (occupied)91 (total)  91 (total) 
Median household income$.N/A$.N/A$.N/A
Notes: Income data for this area has been suppressed for data quality or confidentiality reasons.
References: 2021[8] 2016[9] 2011[10] earlier[11][12]
Historical Census Data - Ristigouche-Sud-Est, Quebec
YearPop.±%
1911 285—    
1921 357+25.3%
1931 312−12.6%
1941 371+18.9%
1951 288−22.4%
1956 271−5.9%
1961 170−37.3%
YearPop.±%
1966 159−6.5%
1971 145−8.8%
1976 194+33.8%
1981 155−20.1%
1986 145−6.5%
1991 154+6.2%
1996 155+0.6%
YearPop.±%
2001 165+6.5%
2006 173+4.8%
2011 167−3.5%
2016 171+2.4%
2021 170−0.6%
Source: Statistics Canada[13]

Language

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Canada Census Mother Tongue - Ristigouche-Sud-Est, Quebec[13]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2021
170
130   0.0% 76.5% 35   12.5% 20.6% 5   n/a% 2.9% 0   100.0% 0.0%
2016
175
130   4.0% 74.3% 40   14.3% 22.9% 0   100.0% 0.0% 5   n/a% 2.9%
2011
165
125   7.4% 75.8% 35   16.7% 21.2% 5   50.0% 3.0% 0   0.0% 0.0%
2006
170
135   8.0% 79.4% 30   14.3% 17.6% 10   n/a% 5.9% 0   0.0% 0.0%
2001
165
125   47.1% 75.8% 35   30.0% 21.2% 0   0.0% 0.0% 0   0.0% 0.0%
1996
140
85 n/a 60.7% 50 n/a 35.7% 0 n/a 0.0% 0 n/a 0.0%

Government

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Municipal council (as of 2024):[2]

  • Mayor: David Ferguson
  • Councillors: Daniel Charest, Lucien Leblanc, Francis Levesque, Marie-Ève Nadeau, Sabrina Landry-Court, Mélanie Côté

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Ristigouche-Partie-Sud-Est (Municipalité de canton)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  2. ^ a b c "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 06035". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  3. ^ a b c "Ristigouche-Partie-Sud-Est, Canton (municipalité de) (Code 2406035) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  4. ^ a b ledevoir.com: "Poursuivie par Gastem, Ristigouche craint la faillite", 17 Mar 2015
  5. ^ radio-canada.ca: "André Proulx écarté de Pétrolia?", 17 Sep 2013
  6. ^ Kassam, Ashifa (3 March 2018). "Tiny Canada town defeats oil firm in court fight over drinking water". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Partie 1 - Avis juridiques, 156e année, no. 10" (PDF). Gazette officielle du Québec. Éditeur officiel du Québec. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  9. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  10. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  11. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  12. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  13. ^ a b 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census
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