Municipal reorganization in Quebec
Encyclopedia
The most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, 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...

, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...

 Government of 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....

, headed by Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....

 Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...

 and his successor Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...

.

The government of Quebec sought to speed up the amalgamation
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...

 of the province's municipalities, intensifying a campaign it had been waging during the 1990s. The latest round of restructuring was marked by the consolidation of suburban areas and their respective cities into super administrative units called villes (amalgamated cities). Following the examples they claimed has been set by authorities in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 (in particular, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

), the government argued that mergers would improve the distribution of revenue and responsibilities between richer suburban communities and their poorer, inner city counterparts.

Many suburban residents resented the apparent attempt by large urban centres to grab more power and loudly protested the annexations of their communities. Nevertheless, the government abolished more than two hundred suburban municipal areas on January 1, 2002.

Cities over 40,000 or mergers of more than five cities

  • City of Montreal
    Montreal
    Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

    : former city of Montreal; cities of Anjou, Beaconsfield
    Beaconsfield, Quebec
    Beaconsfield , 2006 Population 19,194) is a municipality on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Saint-Louis and is bordered on the west by Baie-D'Urfé, on the north by Kirkland and on the east by Pointe-Claire...

    , Côte-Saint-Luc, Dorval, Lachine
    Lachine, Quebec
    Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...

    , LaSalle, Montreal East, Montreal North, Montreal West
    Montreal West, Quebec
    Montreal West is a town in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Island of Montreal. On January 1, 2002 it, along with its neighboring suburbs of Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead, was merged into a borough of the City of Montreal to be known as Côte-Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montréal-Ouest, though 97% of the...

    , Outremont, Pierrefonds
    Pierrefonds, Quebec
    Pierrefonds was a city on the Island of Montreal. It ceased to exist on January 1, 2002. The city was located along the Rivière des Prairies at the western end of the island...

    , Pointe-Claire, Saint-Laurent
    Saint-Laurent, Quebec
    Saint-Laurent is a former city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now the largest in area of the boroughs of the city of Montreal....

    , Saint Leonard, Verdun and Westmount
    Westmount, Quebec
    Westmount is a city on the Island of Montreal, an enclave of the city of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada; pop. 20,494; area 4.02 km²; population density of 5,092.56 inhabitants/km²....

    ; towns of Baie-D'Urfé
    Baie-d'Urfé, Quebec
    Baie-D'Urfé is a suburb located near to the western tip of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. After the amalgamation of the Island's 27 distinct municipalities, it was merged on January 1, 2002 with neighbouring Beaconsfield to create the borough of Beaconsfield–Baie-D'Urfé, in the new...

    , Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Hampstead
    Hampstead, Quebec
    -History:The Town of Hampstead was founded in 1914. It was designed to be an exclusive garden city. There are no retail shops within municipal boundaries. Houses were assigned relatively large lots to allow space for trees and shrubbery. The town's roads were designed with curves in order to slow...

    , Kirkland
    Kirkland, Quebec
    Kirkland is a town on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 20,491. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician....

    , L'Île-Bizard
    L'Île-Bizard, Quebec
    Ville de L'Île-Bizard is a former municipality located on Île Bizard, an island northwest of the Island of Montreal. It was originally incorporated as a municipality on July 1, 1855 as Paroisse de Saint-Raphael-de l'Ile-Bizard....

    , L'Île-Dorval
    L'Île-Dorval, Quebec
    L'Île-Dorval is a municipality and an island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in Lac Saint-Louis off the Island of Montreal.A cottaging spot, it had only two permanent residents as of the 1996 census, making it the smallest municipality in Canada both in area and population. By the 2001 census the...

    , Mount Royal
    Mount Royal, Quebec
    Mount Royal is a town located on the northwest side of Mount Royal, north of downtown Montreal, on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The town is completely surrounded by Montreal. The population was 18,933 at the 2006 census...

    , Roxboro
    Roxboro, Quebec
    Roxboro was a city on the Island of Montreal. It ceased to exist on January 1, 2002. The city was located along the Rivière des Prairies near the western end of the island. Its population, at that time, was 6,000.- History :...

    , Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
    Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
    Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is a town located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703...

     and Sainte-Geneviève
    Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec
    thumb|upright|left|Église Sainte-GenevièveSainte-Geneviève is a former municipality located on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada...

    ; village of Senneville
    Senneville, Quebec
    Senneville is a village on the western tip of the Island of Montreal. It is the wealthiest town on the West Island, closely followed by Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Baie D'Urfé...

    . See Montreal Merger
    Montreal Merger
    As with other large cities like New York City and Toronto, the legal geographic boundaries of Montreal have been reorganized to incorporate adjacent communities which are integral to its social and economic life.-Merger and demerger:...

    .

  • City of Quebec
    Quebec City
    Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

    : former city of Quebec; cities of Beauport, Cap-Rouge, Charlesbourg, L'Ancienne-Lorette
    L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec
    L'Ancienne-Lorette is a city in central Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of and an enclave within Quebec City. It was merged with Quebec City from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2005, but was re-established as a separate city on January 1, 2006....

    , Lac-Saint-Charles
    Lac-Saint-Charles, Quebec City
    Lac-Saint-Charles is a former city in Quebec and is now a district of the Quebec City borough of La Haute-Saint-CharlesIt has been created in 1946 until his designation as a district of Quebec City in 2002....

    , Loretteville, Saint-Émile, Sainte-Foy, Sillery, Val-Bélair
    Val-Bélair, Quebec
    Val-Bélair is a former city in central Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. It is located within the Borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles.Population: 21,332-See also:* Municipal reorganization in Quebec----...

    , Vanier; municipality of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
    Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec
    Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures is a city in central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint Lawrence River, adjacent to Quebec City.The town was founded in 1691 by three families...

    .

  • City of Longueuil
    Longueuil
    Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...

    : former city of Longueuil; cities of Boucherville, Brossard
    Brossard
    Brossard is a suburban area, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the island and city of Montreal.Brossard is subdivided into many smaller sections. These sections are characterized by having street names that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet...

     and Saint-Lambert
    Saint-Lambert, Quebec
    Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...

    ; towns of Greenfield Park
    Greenfield Park, Quebec
    Greenfield Park is a borough of the city of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. It covers an area of , with a population of 17,491 as of December 2004. Greenfield Park is the only borough of Longueuil that has an officially bilingual status. It is primarily a post-war suburban area. Like the other two...

    , LeMoyne
    LeMoyne, Quebec
    LeMoyne is a neighbourhood in Longueuil, Quebec within the Vieux-Longueuil borough. LeMoyne makes up 2% of the total area of the Vieux-Longueuil borough and is the only neighbourhood of the borough that wasn't part of the pre-2002 city of Longueuil...

    , Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and Saint-Hubert
    Saint-Hubert, Quebec
    Saint-Hubert is a borough in the city of Longueuil, located in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It had been a separate city prior to January 1, 2002, when it along with several other neighbouring south shore municipalities were merged into Longueuil. According to the Quebec Statistics...

    .

  • City of Gatineau
    Gatineau
    Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...

    : former city of Gatineau; cities of Aylmer
    Aylmer, Quebec
    Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...

     and Hull
    Hull, Quebec
    Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...

    ; town of Buckingham
    Buckingham, Quebec
    Buckingham was a city located in the Outaouais region of the province of Quebec. Since January 1, 2002, it has been part of the amalgamated city of Gatineau which merged five former municipalities, including Masson-Angers, Buckingham, Hull, Aylmer and Gatineau, into a single entity...

    ; township of Masson-Angers
    Masson-Angers, Quebec
    Masson-Angers is a former municipality and now a sector within the City of Gatineau, located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, in Quebec, Canada, approximately northeast of downtown Ottawa.-History:...

    .

  • City of Lévis
    Lévis, Quebec
    Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...

    : former city of Lévis; cities of Charny
    Charny, Quebec
    Charny is a community in central Quebec, Canada, south of Quebec City. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Formerly an independent city, Charny was merged with Lévis on January 1, 2002.-History:...

    , Saint-Jean-Chrysostome
    Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec
    Saint-Jean-Chrysostome is a district within the city of Lévis in central Quebec, Canada south of Quebec City on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River. It was a separate town, incorporated in 1828, but in 2002 was amalgamated into Lévis. It is a mostly suburban community, connected to Quebec...

    , Saint-Nicolas
    Saint-Nicolas, Quebec
    Saint-Nicolas is a district of the city of Lévis, Quebec, Canada on the St. Lawrence River.-History:The history of Saint-Nicolas goes back to 1694. It is one of the oldest parishes in Canada...

    , Saint-Rédempteur
    Saint-rédempteur, Québec
    -Demographics:According to the Canada 2006 Census:*Population: 6,969*% Change : +9.8*Dwellings: 2,609*Area : 3.71 km²*Density : 1,878.9...

     and Saint-Romuald
    Saint-Romuald, Quebec
    Saint-Romuald is a district of Lévis, Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from Quebec City. The district was formerly a town , but was amalgamated with Lévis on January 1, 2002....

    ; municipalities of Pintendre
    Pintendre, Quebec
    Pintendre is a settlement in Quebec, Canada, within the City of Lévis; It is located south of central Lévis along both side of Route 173. The Municipality of Pintendre was merged with Lévis on January 1, 2002....

     and Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon
    Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon, Quebec
    Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon is a settlement in central Quebec, Canada. It was incorporated in 1860 and remained a separate municipality until January 1, 2002, whereafter it became part of the city of Lévis....

    ; parishes of Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville
    Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville, Quebec
    Saint-Hélène-de-Breakeyville is a settlement in central Quebec, Canada, on the Chaudière River, south of Quebec City. It is located within the city of Lévis.-History:...

     and Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy.

  • City of Saguenay
    Saguenay, Quebec
    Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....

    : Former cities of Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie
    La Baie, Quebec
    La Baie is a borough of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, located where the Rivière à Mars flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha!, a bay of the Saguenay River. Formerly an independent city, its population in 2006 was 19,639....

    , Laterrière
    Laterrière, Quebec
    Laterrière is a community in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec and a former municipality. It is part of the merged city of Saguenay, Quebec. Laterrière was founded by Jean-Baptiste Honoratin 1846....

    ; municipalities of Shipshaw and Lac-Kénogami; part of the township of Tremblay and 2 unincorporated areas.

  • City of Shawinigan: former city of Shawinigan; cities of Grand-Mère
    Grand-Mère, Quebec
    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...

     and Shawinigan-Sud
    Shawinigan-Sud, Quebec
    Shawinigan-Sud is a predominantly French-speaking settlement in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada on the Saint-Maurice River. In 1996, its population was 11,804. -History:...

    ; municipality of Lac-à-la-Tortue
    Lac-à-la-Tortue, Quebec
    Lac-à-la-Tortue is a small community of 2,500 inhabitants in Quebec. Formerly a separate municipality, it has been one of the seven sectors of the city of Shawinigan since the municipal amalgamation of January 1, 2002. The name Lac-a-la-Tortue is French for Turtle Lake.-Mayors:From 1895 to 2001,...

    ; village of Saint-Georges-de-Champlain
    Saint-Georges-de-Champlain, Quebec
    Saint-Georges-de-Champlain is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec. Formerly a separate municipality in the Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie Regional County Municipality, it has been one of the seven sectors of the city of Shawinigan since the municipal amalgamation of January 1, 2002...

    ; parishes of Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides
    Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides, Quebec
    Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec. Formerly a separate parish municipality in the Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie Regional County Municipality, it has been one of the seven sectors of the city of Shawinigan since the municipal amalgamation of January 1, 2002....

     and Saint-Jean-des-Piles
    Saint-Jean-des-Piles, Quebec
    Saint-Jean-des-Piles is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec. Formerly a separate parish municipality in the Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie Regional County Municipality, it has been one of the seven sectors of the city of Shawinigan since the municipal amalgamation of January 1,...

    ; and the unincorporated areas of Lac-des-Cinq and Lac-Wapizagonke.

  • City of Saint-Hyacinthe
    Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
    Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...

    : Former city of Saint-Hyacinthe; village of Sainte-Rosalie
    Sainte-Rosalie, Quebec
    Sainte-Rosalie is a former town in Quebec, Canada which was annexed to the town of Saint-Hyacinthe in 2002.-External links:*...

    ; parishes of Sainte-Rosalie, Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur, Notre-Dame-de-Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Thomas-D'Aquin.

  • City of Repentigny
    Repentigny, Quebec
    Repentigny is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, located north of Montreal, on the lower end of the L'Assomption River and on the Saint Lawrence River. Repentigny and Charlemagne are the first towns off the island of Montreal.-History:...

    : Former city of Repentigny and the former town of Le Gardeur
    Le Gardeur, Quebec
    Le Gardeur was a town in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River in the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption, and connected to Montreal by Route 138, Autoroute 40, and Via Rail on the Canadian National rail line....

    .

  • City of Rimouski: former city of Rimouski; city of Pointe-au-Père
    Pointe-au-Père, Quebec
    Pointe-au-Père is a settlement on the center part of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region in eastern Quebec at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Its population was 4,240 in 2002, in which year the City of Pointe-au-Père was merged with Rimouski....

    ; municipality of Mont-Lebel; village of Rimouski-Est; parishes of Sainte-Blandine and Sainte-Odile-sur-Rimouski.

  • City of Rouyn-Noranda: former city of Rouyn-Noranda; city of Cadillac; municipalities of Arntfield, Bellecombe, Cléricy, Cloutier, D'Alembert, Destor, Évain, McWatters, Mont-Brun, Montbeillard and Rollet; unincorporated areas of Lac-Montanier, Lac-Surimau and Rapides-des-Cèdres.

  • City of La Tuque
    La Tuque, Quebec
    La Tuque is a city in south central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint-Maurice River, between Trois-Rivières and Chambord. In 2006, it had a population of 11,821 Latuquois....

    : Former city of La Tuque; municipalities of La Bostonnais
    La Bostonnais, Quebec
    La Bostonnais is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The community is about north of La Tuque's town centre along Quebec Route 155....

    , La Corche, Lac-Édouard
    Lac-Édouard, Quebec
    Lac-Édouard is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. Its village centre is located along the Canadian National Railway at the north end of the eponymous Lake Édouard.-Demographics:Population trend:...

    ; Village of Parent
    Parent, Quebec
    Parent is a community in northern Quebec, Canada, located within the City of La Tuque and about north-west of La Tuque's town centre. In 2006, it had a population of 251, and in 2001, it had 295....

    ; unincorporated areas of Kiskissink, Lac-Berlinguet, Lac-des-Moires, Lac-Pellerin, Lac-Tourlay, Obedjiwan
    Obedjiwan, Quebec
    Obedjiwan is a First Nation reserve and village on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Atikamekw d'Opitciwan band of the Atikamekw Nation....

    , Petit-Lac-Wayagamac and Rivière-Windigo

  • Municipality of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
    Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec
    Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine is one of two municipalities forming the urban agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the population is 12,628 as of 2009....

    : municipalities of Fatima, Grande-Entrée, Grosse-Île
    Grosse-Île, Quebec
    Grosse-Île is one of two municipalities forming the urban agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the population is 539 as of 2009....

    , Havre-aux-Maisons, L'Étang-du-Nord and Havre-Aubert; village of Cap-aux-Meules
    Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec
    Cap-aux-Meules is an unincorporated Canadian community located on Île du Cap aux Meules in Quebec's Magdalen Islands...

    .

  • City of Sherbrooke: former city of Sherbrooke; cities of Bromptonville and Fleurimont; towns of Lennoxville and Rock Forest; municipalities of Ascot, Deauville and Saint-Élie-d'Orford.

  • City of Trois-Rivières
    Trois-Rivières
    Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...

    : former city of Trois-Rivières; cities of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap
    Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap, Quebec
    Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap is a former town in Quebec, Canada on the St. Lawrence River. It was amalgamated into the City of Trois-Rivières in 2002. Population 6,192....

    , Saint-Louis-de-France
    Saint-Louis-de-France, Quebec
    Saint-Louis-de-France is a former town in Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into the city of Trois-Rivières in 2002. Population 7,246....

     and Trois-Rivières-Ouest; municipality of Pointe-du-Lac
    Pointe-du-Lac, Quebec
    Pointe-du-Lac is a former municipality in Quebec, Canada on the St. Lawrence River. It was founded in 1738 and its actual church dates from 1882. Another old building in the village is the Moulin Seigneurial, founded in 1721 and rescued in the 70s by resident Mariette Chenay.The municipality was...

    .

  • City of Saint-Jérôme
    Saint-Jérôme, Quebec
    Saint-Jérôme is a town in Quebec, Canada, near Mirabel, about northwest of Montreal along Autoroute des Laurentides. The town is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts....

    : former city of Saint-Jérôme; cities of Bellefeuille, Lafontaine and Saint-Antoine.

  • City of Val-d'Or: former city of Val-d'Or; municipalities of Dubuisson, Sullivan, Val-Senneville and Vassan.

Other mergers

  • City of Beauharnois: former city of Beauharnois; city of Maple Grove; village of Melocheville.

  • City of Thetford Mines: Former cities of Thetford Mines and Black Lake; municipality of Pontbriand, village of Robertsonville and township of Thetford-Partie-Sud.

  • City of Saint-Georges: Former city of Saint-george; municipality of Aubert-Gallion and parishes of Saint-Georges-Est and Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande.

  • City of Mont-Tremblant: Former municipalities of Mont-Tremblant, Lac-Tremblant-Nord; village and parish of Saint-Jovite.

  • City of Rivière-Rouge: Former municipalities of La Macaza and Marchand; former villages of L'Annonciation and Sainte-Véronique.

  • City of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield: Former cities of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Saint-Timothée; municipality of Grand-île.

  • City of Matane: Former city of Matane; municipalities of Petit-Matane and Saint-Luc-de-Matane; parish of Saint-Jérôme-de-Matane.

  • City of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts: Former city of Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts; municipalities of Sainte-Agathe-Nord and Ivry-sur-le-Lac.

  • City of Mont-Laurier: Former city of Mont-Laurier; municipalities of Des Ruisseaux and Saint-Aimé-du-Lac-des-Îles.

  • City of Sept-Îles: Former cities of Sept-Îles and Moisie, municipality of Gallix.

  • City of Cookshire-Eaton: Former city of Cookshire, townships of Eaton and Newport.

  • City of Magog: Former city and township of Magog; village of Omerville

  • City of Saint-Sauveur: Former village of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts and parish of Saint-Sauveur.

  • City of Sainte-Marguerite-Estérel: Former city of Estérel and parish of Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson.

  • City of Saint-Pie: Former city and parish of Saint-Pie.

  • Municipality of Lacolle: Former village of Lacolle and parish of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel.

  • Municipality of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge: Former township of Grenville and village of Calumet.

  • City of Sutton: Former city and township of Sutton.

  • City of Port-Cartier: Former city of Port-Cartier a municipality of Rivière-Pentecôte.

  • City of Métis-sur-Mer: Former village of Métis-sur-Mer and municipality of Les Boules.

  • City of Lac-Etchemin: Former city of Lac-Etchemin and parish of Sainte-Germaine-du-Lac-Etchemin.

  • City of Mont-Joli: Former city of Mont-Joli and municipality of Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

  • City of Alma: Former city of Alma and municipality of Delisle.

  • Municipality of Adstock: former municipality of Adstock and village of Sainte-Anne-du-Lac.

  • City of Terrebonne: former cities of Terrebonne, Lachenaie, and La Plaine.

  • City of Baie-Comeau: former cities of Baie-Comeau and Hauterive.

Calls for de-amalgamation

After the mergers took place, local communities which had opposed amalgamation clamoured for the right to reconstitute the abolished municipalities if they wished. Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....

, the leader of the opposition at the time, promised to introduce laws to ensure the public would be democratically consulted on questions of municipal governance in future.

In the general election
Quebec general election, 2003
The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...

 of April 14, 2003, Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....

's Liberal Party soundly defeated the ruling Parti Québécois led by Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry
Bernard Landry, is a Quebec lawyer, teacher, politician, who served as the 28th Premier of Quebec , leader of the Opposition and leader of the Parti Québécois .-Personal:...

. The Liberals benefited considerably from the anti-PQ discontent in constituencies that had experienced municipal amalgamations.

Honouring its promise, the new government adopted Bill 9, which created a formal process by which old municipalities could be reconstituted (in legal terms). Contrary to what was promised by Charest (full de-amalgamation), Bill 9 only restored specific powers to the demerged cities (e.g., animal control, garbage pickup, local streets maintenance, some cultural facilities). The "bigger" expenses (e.g., police, fire, main streets, expansion programs) and the majority of the taxes will remain in the hands of local urban "administrations", which are controlled by the central merged city. So in fact, the demerged city only recovered some powers of secondary importance, and were required to leave their other powers to the control of an agglomeration
Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an urban agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous...

 council which will be centred in the city from which they had de-amalgamated. In Montreal's case, the de-amalgamated cities will hold only 13% of the votes on the new council.

This consulting process about Bill 9 requires 10% of voters residing within an amalgamated municipality to sign a petition to demand the holding of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...

 on de-amalgamation. To succeed, a referendum has to fulfill two conditions:
  • A majority must vote yes to de-amalgamation.
  • 'Yes' voters must represent at least 35% of all registered electors.


On June 20, 2004, referendums were held in 89 of the former municipalities of Quebec. The 'Yes' vote recorded majorities in several municipalities, but did not reach the required threshold of 35% of registered voters. A total of 32 former municipalities met the conditions required to de-amalgamate and were re-established on January 1, 2006.

The demerging municipalities were:
  • From Montreal
    Montreal
    Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

    : Baie-d'Urfé
    Baie-d'Urfé, Quebec
    Baie-D'Urfé is a suburb located near to the western tip of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. After the amalgamation of the Island's 27 distinct municipalities, it was merged on January 1, 2002 with neighbouring Beaconsfield to create the borough of Beaconsfield–Baie-D'Urfé, in the new...

    , Beaconsfield
    Beaconsfield, Quebec
    Beaconsfield , 2006 Population 19,194) is a municipality on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Saint-Louis and is bordered on the west by Baie-D'Urfé, on the north by Kirkland and on the east by Pointe-Claire...

    , Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Dorval, Kirkland
    Kirkland, Quebec
    Kirkland is a town on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 20,491. It is named after Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec provincial politician....

    , L'Île-Dorval
    L'Île-Dorval, Quebec
    L'Île-Dorval is a municipality and an island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in Lac Saint-Louis off the Island of Montreal.A cottaging spot, it had only two permanent residents as of the 1996 census, making it the smallest municipality in Canada both in area and population. By the 2001 census the...

    , Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
    Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
    Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is a town located at the western tip of the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is the second oldest community in Montreal's West Island, having been founded as a parish in 1703...

     and Senneville
    Senneville, Quebec
    Senneville is a village on the western tip of the Island of Montreal. It is the wealthiest town on the West Island, closely followed by Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Baie D'Urfé...

     in the West Island
    West Island
    The West Island is the unofficial name given to the western cities and boroughs of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada...

    ; Côte Saint-Luc
    Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec
    Côte Saint-Luc is a mostly residential city in Quebec, Canada, located on the Island of Montreal. The English version of this toponym is "Saint Luke's Slope".-History:...

    , Hampstead
    Hampstead, Quebec
    -History:The Town of Hampstead was founded in 1914. It was designed to be an exclusive garden city. There are no retail shops within municipal boundaries. Houses were assigned relatively large lots to allow space for trees and shrubbery. The town's roads were designed with curves in order to slow...

    , Mount Royal
    Mount Royal, Quebec
    Mount Royal is a town located on the northwest side of Mount Royal, north of downtown Montreal, on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The town is completely surrounded by Montreal. The population was 18,933 at the 2006 census...

    , Montreal West
    Montreal West, Quebec
    Montreal West is a town in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Island of Montreal. On January 1, 2002 it, along with its neighboring suburbs of Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead, was merged into a borough of the City of Montreal to be known as Côte-Saint-Luc—Hampstead—Montréal-Ouest, though 97% of the...

     and Westmount
    Westmount, Quebec
    Westmount is a city on the Island of Montreal, an enclave of the city of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada; pop. 20,494; area 4.02 km²; population density of 5,092.56 inhabitants/km²....

     in the West End; Montreal East in the East End
  • From Quebec City
    Quebec City
    Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...

    : L'Ancienne-Lorette
    L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec
    L'Ancienne-Lorette is a city in central Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of and an enclave within Quebec City. It was merged with Quebec City from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2005, but was re-established as a separate city on January 1, 2006....

     and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
    Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec
    Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures is a city in central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint Lawrence River, adjacent to Quebec City.The town was founded in 1691 by three families...

  • From Longueuil
    Longueuil
    Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city in...

    : Boucherville, Brossard
    Brossard
    Brossard is a suburban area, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the island and city of Montreal.Brossard is subdivided into many smaller sections. These sections are characterized by having street names that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet...

    , Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and Saint-Lambert
    Saint-Lambert, Quebec
    Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...

  • From La Tuque
    La Tuque, Quebec
    La Tuque is a city in south central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint-Maurice River, between Trois-Rivières and Chambord. In 2006, it had a population of 11,821 Latuquois....

    : La Bostonnais
    La Bostonnais, Quebec
    La Bostonnais is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The community is about north of La Tuque's town centre along Quebec Route 155....

     and Lac-Édouard
    Lac-Édouard, Quebec
    Lac-Édouard is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. Its village centre is located along the Canadian National Railway at the north end of the eponymous Lake Édouard.-Demographics:Population trend:...

  • From Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
    Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec
    Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine is one of two municipalities forming the urban agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the population is 12,628 as of 2009....

    : Cap-aux-Meules
    Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec
    Cap-aux-Meules is an unincorporated Canadian community located on Île du Cap aux Meules in Quebec's Magdalen Islands...

     and Grosse-Île
    Grosse-Île, Quebec
    Grosse-Île is one of two municipalities forming the urban agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the population is 539 as of 2009....

  • From Mont-Tremblant: Lac-Tremblant-Nord
    Lac-Tremblant-Nord, Quebec
    Lac-Tremblant-Nord is a small village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality. Its territory surrounds the northern portion of Lake Tremblant, includes Bibite Lake, and extends to Gervais Lake...

  • From Rivière-Rouge
    Rivière-Rouge, Quebec
    Small eastern section...

    : La Macaza
    La Macaza, Quebec
    La Macaza is a municipality and village in the province of Quebec, Canada. The village is located in the Laurentian Mountains, in the Laurentian region, in Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality. In 2008 it had a population of 975....

  • From Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
    Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec
    Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts is a town in the province of Quebec in the regional county municipality of Les Laurentides, in the administrative region of Laurentides, also known as the "Laurentians" or the Laurentian Mountains...

    : Ivry-sur-le-Lac
    Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec
    Ivry-sur-le-Lac is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality...

  • From Mont-Laurier
    Mont-Laurier, Quebec
    Mont-Laurier is a town and incorporated municipality in northwest Quebec, Canada, located on the banks of the Rivière du Lièvre, a tributary of the Ottawa River. Known as the “Capital of the Haute-Laurentides”, the motto of the town is Laurus elationis praemium, which translates to “Lift the...

    : Saint-Aimé-du-Lac-des-Îles
    Saint-Aimé-du-Lac-des-Îles, Quebec
    Saint-Aimé-du-Lac-des-Îles is a municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality....

  • From Cookshire-Eaton
    Cookshire-Eaton, Quebec
    Cookshire-Eaton is a ville in the Estrie region in Quebec. It was formed in 2002 by the amalgamation of the villages of Cookshire and Sawyerville, and the township of Eaton. It is the seat of Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality....

    : Newport
    Newport, Quebec
    Newport is a township of 700 people in Le Haut-Saint-François Regional County Municipality, in Quebec, Canada. Newport is also called "Island Brook"....



Additionally, Estérel
Estérel, Quebec
Estérel is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality. The municipal territory almost entirely extends around Lake Masson, whereas the village itself is situated on the eastern shore of this lake.-History:The...

 voted to demerge from Sainte-Marguerite-Estérel, effectively reversing the merger between Estérel and Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson
Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson, Quebec
Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality...

. After the demerger came into effect, the city changed its name back to Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson.

See also

  • Amalgamation (politics)
    Amalgamation (politics)
    A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...

  • Montreal Merger
    Montreal Merger
    As with other large cities like New York City and Toronto, the legal geographic boundaries of Montreal have been reorganized to incorporate adjacent communities which are integral to its social and economic life.-Merger and demerger:...

  • Local government in Quebec
    Local government in Quebec
    The lowest unit of local government in Quebec is the municipality, also called local municipality to distinguish it from the higher-level regional county municipality or RCM, which is also a municipal government at the supralocal level....

  • Urban agglomerations of Quebec
    Urban agglomerations of Quebec
    An agglomeration, or urban agglomeration, is an administrative subdivision of Quebec at the local level that may group together a number of municipalities which were abolished as independent entities on 1 January 2002 but reconstituted on 1 January 2006.Urban agglomerations have certain powers that...

  • Administrative divisions of Quebec
    Administrative divisions of Quebec
    The province of Quebec is divided into units at the regional, supralocal and local levels. The primary types of subdivision are administrative regions, regional county municipalities , metropolitan communities , the Kativik Regional Government , unorganized territories , agglomerations, northern...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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