Les Escoumins

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Coordinates: 48°21′05″N 69°24′27″W / 48.35139°N 69.40750°W / 48.35139; -69.40750[1]
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For the Indian reserve formerly known as Les Escoumins, see Essipit.

Les Escoumins
Municipality
Location within La Haute-Côte-Nord RCM.
Location within La Haute-Côte-Nord RCM.
Les Escoumins is located in Côte-Nord region, Quebec
Les Escoumins
Les Escoumins
Location in Côte-Nord region of Quebec.
Coordinates: 48°21′05″N 69°24′27″W / 48.35139°N 69.40750°W / 48.35139; -69.40750[1][2]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionCôte-Nord
RCMLa Haute-Côte-Nord
Settled1825
Constituted5 May 1863
Government
[3]
 • MayorAndré Desrosiers
 • Federal ridingBeauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix
 • Prov. ridingRené-Lévesque
Area
 (2021)[4]
 • Land265.89 km2 (102.66 sq mi)
 • Population centre792.4 km2 (305.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[4]
 • Total1,794
 • Density6.7/km2 (17/sq mi)
 • Population centre
1,274
 • Population centre density1.61/km2 (4.2/sq mi)
 • Pop 2016-2021
Decrease 5.1%
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G0T 1K0
Area code(s)418 and 581
Highways R-138
Websitewww.escoumins.ca

Les Escoumins is a municipality in La Haute-Côte-Nord Regional County Municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. It is located on the north shore of the maritime estuary of the St. Lawrence River.

Etymology[edit]

Its name has traditionally been recognized to come from the Innu-aimun iskomin, meaning "where there are many seeds" or "there are fruits or seeds", in turn from the roots isko or ishko ("as far as this/that") and min (red seeds, or wild berries in general). According to more recent theory, it could also be a variation of the Mi'kmaq term eskumunaak, meaning "lookout place". In addition, other sources say that the place is named Essipit in Innu-aimun, meaning "river of shells".[2]

Several spellings have been used over the centuries such as Uscamin, Les Escoumains, Essuie-Mains, L'Esquemin, Lesquemin, Leschemin (Champlain, 1629), L'Esquemain, and Lesquemain (1611 map of Champlain and other texts of 1626). The oldest reference to this name dates back to the map of Levasseur of 1601, that shows Escanimes; and to a contract of 1604 that included the rare spelling Esguenim.[2]

History[edit]

St. Marcelin, Catholic parish church, Hôpital street

The area is considered the cradle of the Côte-Nord Amerindian, who have lived there for thousands of years. The Innu (Montagnais) and Mi'kmaq frequented the area, particularly in the spring to gather berries that covered the rocks and adorned the mossy plains.[2][5]

The first Europeans in the area were the Basques around the 1630s. In 1723, a cross was erected in honour of Our Dame of Bon-Désir, thereafter the place was also known as Bon-Desir. That same year the Mission of Saint-Marcellin was founded. But the first permanent European settler in Escoumins was Joseph Moreau, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, who arrived in 1825. It wasn't until 1845 that a real village began to form when many families from the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, especially from Trois-Pistoles, Rivière-Ouelle, Rimouski, and a group of Charlevoix settled there.[2][5]

In 1853, the local post office opened. The timber trade caused the village to grow rapidly when logs were floated down the Escoumins River from the cutting area to the Bay des Escoumins where they were loaded in barges. In 1863, the Municipality of Les Escoumains was formed. In the beginning of 1957, the spelling of the municipality's name was corrected to the current form.[2]

Services[edit]

Its economy is mostly based on the service sectors, especially education, health, and tourism. The village is currently the largest of the so-called "Secteur BEST" (i.e. the municipalities of Bergeronnes, Escoumins, Sacré-Coeur, Tadoussac). It is home to a hospital (The Centre de santé de la Haute-Côte-Nord, previously known as Hôpital St-Alexandre), an Indian reserve (Essipit, an Innu community), the Laurentian Pilotage Authority[6] (part of the St. Lawrence Seaway), and is an internationally known scuba diving site. An FM radio station, CHME, is located within Essipit.

It is accessible via Route 138 and by the sea.

Navigation[edit]

A ferry service runs between Les Escoumins and Trois-Pistoles.

Demographics[edit]

Federal census population history of Les Escoumins
YearPop.±%
19912,212—    
19962,136−3.4%
20012,106−1.4%
20062,073−1.6%
20112,000−3.5%
20161,891−5.4%
20211,794−5.1%
Source: Statistics Canada[4][7][8][9][10][11]

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Les Escoumins had a population of 1,794 living in 856 of its 983 total private dwellings, a change of -5.1% from its 2016 population of 1,891. With a land area of 265.89 km2 (102.66 sq mi), it had a population density of 6.7/km2 (17.5/sq mi) in 2021.[4]

The median age of the population in 2021 was 54.8 and 92% of the people were over 15.[4] At the same census 14.86% reported being Indigenous, almost evenly divided between Métis and First Nations.[4]

Languages spoken at the 2021 census, as a mother tongue were French (99.71%), English (0.29%), and other languages (0.29%).[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Les Escoumins". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Les Escoumins". Quebec Gouvernement (in French). Commission de Toponymie Quebec. 6 November 1986. Retrieved 27 April 2024. The possibility of watching blue whales or fishing for cod attract many holidaymakers in search of sun and sea bathing.
  3. ^ "Les Escoumins (95025)". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Government of Quebec. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024. This gentilé is an official form, i.e. it has been the subject of a resolution of the municipal council.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Nunavut". Statistics Canada. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Histoire des Escoumins" (in French). Municipalité des Escoumins. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Safety of Navigation on the St. Lawrence and Saguenay". Maritime Pilotage Services. Laurentian Pilotage Authority. Retrieved 26 April 2024. A federal Crown corporation responsible for administering and providing marine pilotage and related services in the waters of the Laurentian region
  7. ^ "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Quebec)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. p. 21. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Quebec)". Statistics Canada. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Quebec)". Statistics Canada. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Quebec)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2024.

External links[edit]

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