Duparquet is a ville

Ville

Ville is the modern French word of Latin origin now meaning city or town, but the first meaning in the middle-ages was farm and then village...

in northwestern Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in the MRC d'Abitibi-Ouest

Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality, Quebec

Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality is located in Northwestern Quebec. The Regional County Municipality seat is La Sarre.-Communities:*Cities and Towns**Duparquet**La Sarre**Macamic*Municipalities**Authier...

. It covers 157.4 km² and had a population of 650 in the Canada 2006 Census

Canada 2006 Census

The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...

.

History

In 1912, a rich gold vein was discovered near Lake Duparquet by a prospector named Beattie. He set up the Beattie Gold Mine company that began operation in 1933. That same year, the new community forming at the mine was incorporated as Ville de Duparquet, named after the geographic township in which it is located. The township was named in 1916 in honour of Jean-Annet Chabreuil Du Parquet, a grenadier captain of the La Sarre Regiment, that was part of General Montcalm

Louis-Joseph de Montcalm

Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...

's army.

After producing 1 million ounces of gold and killing at least 27 miners, including 4 in a landslide on 9 July 1946, the mine closed in 1956. But the owners of the mining rights are currently considering reopening it as an open-pit mine.

Demographics

Population trend:

• Population in 2006: 639 (2001 to 2006 population change: -5.3 %)
• Population in 2001: 675
• Population in 1996: 738
• Population in 1991: 680

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 286 (total dwellings: 360)

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 4.7 %
• French as first language: 93.0 %
• English and French as first language: 0 %
• Other as first language: 2.3 %

Residents of note

• birthplace of Chicago Black Hawks player Moose Vasko of the 1960s.
• Johanne Morasse
  Johanne Morasse
  Johanne Morasse is a Quebec politician and teacher. She was a Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Rouyn-Noranda—Témiscamingue in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region from 2007 to 2008. She represents the Parti Québécois.Morasse holds a bachelor's degree in political science from...
  
  (born March 12, 1957), a Quebec politician and teacher

Municipal council

• Mayor: Gilbert Rivard
• Councillors: Lise Julien, Monique Lévesque Baril, Jean Samuel, Patrick Taylor, Jasmine Therrien, Wandalina Therrien