Donnacona, Quebec

Coordinates: 46°40′29″N 71°43′46″W / 46.67472°N 71.72944°W / 46.67472; -71.72944
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Donnacona
Recreation Centre
Recreation Centre
Coat of arms of Donnacona
Official logo of Donnacona
Motto(s): 
Mets l'Épaule à la Roue
(Put the shoulder to the wheel)
Location within Portneuf RCM
Location within Portneuf RCM
Donnacona is located in Central Quebec
Donnacona
Donnacona
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 46°40′29″N 71°43′46″W / 46.67472°N 71.72944°W / 46.67472; -71.72944[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionCapitale-Nationale
RCMPortneuf
Constituted21 January 1967
Government
 • MayorJean-Claude Léveillée
 • Federal ridingPortneuf—Jacques-Cartier
 • Prov. ridingPortneuf
Area
 • Total37.30 km2 (14.40 sq mi)
 • Land20.13 km2 (7.77 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[4]
 • Total7,663
 • Density357.6/km2 (926/sq mi)
 • Pop 2011-2016
Increase 14.6%
 • Dwellings
3,111
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code(s)418 and 581
Highways
A-40

R-138
Websitevillededonnacona.com Edit this at Wikidata

Donnacona is an industrial town located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Quebec City in Portneuf County, Quebec, Canada.

History[edit]

Some people believe the city was named after Donnacona, a 16th-century St. Lawrence Iroquois chief who was taken to France. The chieftain lived further down-river in Stadacona.

It was actually named after the first paper mill erected at the mouth of the Jacques-Cartier River, The Donnacona Paper Ltd. It was located where the Jacques-Cartier River meets the St. Lawrence River. The local paper mill played a key role in creating and quickly developing the local settlement to the point of making Donnacona the most populous urban town in Portneuf County. Economic difficulties affected the lumber and pulp and paper industry and the local factory was sold a number of times. In 2007, Bowater had a debt of $7 billion and merged with Abitibi-Consolidated. The merger was to sell off Abitibi's assets and close its mills for liquidity to settle Bowater's debt.[citation needed] It closed in January 2008. It had employed 240 people manufacturing of 230,000 tonnes per annum of commercial grade paper. The demolition was scheduled to take 12 to 14 months. For three years, the town unsuccessfully tried to find an entrepreneur to restart the industry. Demolition began in March 2011.[5]

Prior to the chartering of Donnacona as a town in 1915, the area was named Pointe-aux-Écureuils. A New France Seigneurie existed under the name of Les Écureuils as a surrounding rural parish municipality prior to its final merge with Donnacona in 1967.

Demographics[edit]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Donnacona had a population of 7,436 living in 3,300 of its 3,410 total private dwellings, a change of 3.3% from its 2016 population of 7,200. With a land area of 20.2 km2 (7.8 sq mi), it had a population density of 368.1/km2 (953.4/sq mi) in 2021.[6]

Population trend:[7]

  • Population in 2021: 7436
  • Population in 2014: 6960
  • Population in 2011: 6283 (2006 to 2011 population change: 12.9%)
  • Population in 2006: 5564
  • Population in 2001: 5479
  • Population in 1996: 5739
  • Population in 1991: 5659

Mother tongue:

  • English as first language: 1.1%
  • French as first language: 97.4%
  • English and French as first language: 0.4%
  • Other as first language: 0.9%

Economy[edit]

A Canadian National rail line through Donnacona borders the St. Lawrence.[citation needed] There is no rail station.

The Federal Correctional Service Canada maximum security Donnacona Institution is located along Route 138.[8][9]

Transportation[edit]

Sister city[edit]

Its sister city is Jarnac, France.[citation needed]

Notable residents[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 18836". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire - Répertoire des municipalités: Donnacona Archived 2015-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Statistics Canada (10 March 2009). "2011 Community profiles - Donnacona". Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  4. ^ Statistics Canada (10 March 2009). "2011 Community profiles - Donnacona". Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  5. ^ lapresse.ca: "Donnacona: le démantèlement de l'usine d'AbitibiBowater est déjà commencé", 25 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  7. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2021 census
  8. ^ "Montreal News | Local Breaking | CTV News Montreal". montreal.ctvnews.ca.
  9. ^ "Institutional profiles: Quebec region: Donnacona Institution". csc-scc.gc.ca. 11 February 2013.

External links[edit]