Grand-Mère, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Grand Mère is a settlement and former municipality in central Quebec
, Canada
on the Saint-Maurice River
. As a result of the municipal reorganization in Quebec
which took effect at the beginning of 2002, Grand-Mère now forms part of the City of Shawinigan. Population in 2001 was 13,179.
generating stations. The dam was replaced by a larger dam in 2004. The abundance of relatively inexpensive electricity led to the development of industry, primarily based on the production of paper. Logs which were used for the paper pulp were floated downstream on the St-Maurice to the paper mill from more northerly areas. The mill, which has changed ownership over the decades, has had a lasting impact on the town, from the creation of its award-winning golf course to the construction of several of the town's historic buildings.
The surrounding area consists of forested hills, lakes, and flat plains and farms, with much glacial activity still evident. The Mauricie
region in which Grand-Mère is located has been struggling economically for decades, and boasts some of the most inexpensive real estate in Canada.
The name of the town comes from a rock formation that was pulled from the bottom of the river. It resembles an old woman with a bun at the base of her head ("grand-mère" is French
for grandmother). The formation is now in a small park overlooking the St-Maurice River.
The area's biggest attraction is La Mauricie National Park
.
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...
on the Saint-Maurice River
Saint-Maurice River
The Saint-Maurice River is a river in central Quebec which flows south from Gouin Reservoir to empty into the Saint Lawrence River at Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The river is 563 km in length and has a drainage basin of 43,300 km² ....
. As a result of the municipal reorganization in Quebec
Municipal reorganization in Quebec
The most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, Canada, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois Government of Quebec, headed by Premier Lucien Bouchard and his successor Bernard Landry....
which took effect at the beginning of 2002, Grand-Mère now forms part of the City of Shawinigan. Population in 2001 was 13,179.
History
Grand-Mère was founded in 1898. Like some of its neighbouring towns, it owes its economic origins to the St-Maurice river on which it is located. A major hydroelectric dam that was built on the river in 1916 was one of the oldest and largest Hydro-QuébecHydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
generating stations. The dam was replaced by a larger dam in 2004. The abundance of relatively inexpensive electricity led to the development of industry, primarily based on the production of paper. Logs which were used for the paper pulp were floated downstream on the St-Maurice to the paper mill from more northerly areas. The mill, which has changed ownership over the decades, has had a lasting impact on the town, from the creation of its award-winning golf course to the construction of several of the town's historic buildings.
The surrounding area consists of forested hills, lakes, and flat plains and farms, with much glacial activity still evident. The Mauricie
Mauricie
Mauricie is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,855.22 km² and a 2006 census population of 258,928 residents...
region in which Grand-Mère is located has been struggling economically for decades, and boasts some of the most inexpensive real estate in Canada.
The name of the town comes from a rock formation that was pulled from the bottom of the river. It resembles an old woman with a bun at the base of her head ("grand-mère" is French
Canadian French
Canadian French is an umbrella term referring to the varieties of French spoken in Canada. French is the mother tongue of nearly seven million Canadians, a figure constituting roughly 22% of the national population. At the federal level it has co-official status alongside English...
for grandmother). The formation is now in a small park overlooking the St-Maurice River.
The area's biggest attraction is La Mauricie National Park
La Mauricie National Park
La Mauricie National Park is located in the Laurentian mountains in the Mauricie region of Québec, Canada. It covers 536 km² in the southern Canadian Shield region bordering the Saint Lawrence lowlands. The park contains 150 lakes and many ponds....
.
Education
There are five public schools. All of them are affiliated to the Commission scolaire de l'Énergie school board.| School | Level | Location | Number of Students |
| Antoine-Hallé | Elementary | 1001, 8e Rue | 217 |
| École de Sainte-Flore (Saint Flora's) | Elementary | 3351, 33e Rue | 148 |
| École secondaire du Rocher | Secondary | 300, 7e Rue | 923 |
| Laflèche | Elementary | 153, 1321, 5e Avenue | 261 |
| Saint-Paul (Saint Paul) | Elementary | 461, 16e Avenue | 133 |
Mayors
From 1898 to 2001, Grand-Mère had its own mayor and its own city council. The mayors were:| # | Mayor | Taking Office | Leaving |
| 1 | François Normandin | 1898 | 1898 |
| 2 | T. Desaulniers | 1898 | 1900 |
| 3 | A. Turcotte | 1900 | 1901 |
| 4 | F.-X. Gingras | 1901 | 1902 |
| 5 | A. Roy | 1902 | 1903 |
| 6 | A. Tremblay | 1903 | 1905 |
| 7 | J. Desaulniers | 1905 | 1908 |
| 8 | J.-A. Robert | 1908 | 1910 |
| 9 | Pierre-Calixte Neault Pierre-Calixte Neault Pierre-Calixte Neault was a politician Quebec, Canada and a two-term Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on January 26, 1860 in Saint-Maurice, Mauricie.-City Politics:... |
1910 | 1916 |
| 10 | Dr. G.-A. Ferron | 1916 | 1919 |
| 9 | Pierre-Calixte Neault Pierre-Calixte Neault Pierre-Calixte Neault was a politician Quebec, Canada and a two-term Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec .-Early life:He was born on January 26, 1860 in Saint-Maurice, Mauricie.-City Politics:... |
1919 | 1920 |
| 11 | J.-P. Lalonde | 1920 | 1923 |
| 12 | Dr. J.-Edmond Guibord Edmond Guibord Edmond Guibord was a politician in the Quebec, Canada. He served as Member of the Legislative Assembly.-City Politics:... |
1923 | 1930 |
| 13 | L. Trépanier | 1931 | 1931 |
| 14 | J.-Alfred Gagnon | 1931 | 1935 |
| 15 | Dr. Joseph Onésime Honorius Ricard | 1935 | 1939 |
| 14 | J.-Alfred Gagnon | 1939 | 1943 |
| 16 | Elzéar Dallaire | 1943 | 1951 |
| 17 | A. Thibeault | 1951 | 1953 |
| 18 | J.-E.-A. Matteau | 1953 | 1957 |
| 19 | Joseph-Alfred Therrien | 1957 | 1965 |
| 20 | H. Prud’Homme | 1965 | 1970 |
| 21 | Jean-Marie Lafontaine | 1970 | 1982 |
| 22 | Jacques Marchand | 1982 | 1994 |
| 23 | Gérald Bastarache | 1994 | 1998 |
| 24 | Linda Lafrenière | 1998 | 2001 |