Shannon is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, along the Jacques-Cartier River

Jacques-Cartier River

The Jacques-Cartier River is a river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is 161 km long and its source is Jacques-Cartier Lake in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, and flows in a predominantly southern direction before ending in the Saint Lawrence River at Donnacona, about 30 km upstream...

 north-east of 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...

.

It was formed in December 1846 when it separated from the territory of Saint-Catherine-de-Portneuf

Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Quebec

Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier is a town in Quebec, Canada, located in the regional county municipality of La Jacques-Cartier, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale. The Jacques-Cartier River passes through the city....

, following protests of this part of the population against the municipal taxes. Its population results historically from the emigration Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. The principal
resources for a long time was the exploitation of wood bound for the shipyards 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....

. The town is located near CFB Valcartier

CFB Valcartier

Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, approximately north of Quebec City...

, an important Canadian military base

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

.

History

The area was first settled in the 19th century, by mostly Irish immigrants. The place may have been named after a prominent settler family, as religious records indicated the death of a certain Richard Shannon in 1831 and Simon Shannon the next year. Further impetus to its development came around 1850 when the timber industry began and in 1860 when a sawmill was built. Around 1861, about two thirds of the population was Irish, and by 1900, half the population.

In 1905, the Shannon Post Office opened. In 1914, part of Shannon's territory was expropriated to enlarge the Valcartier military base

CFB Valcartier

Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is a Canadian Forces Base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, approximately north of Quebec City...

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In 1947, the Municipality of Shannon was officially established when it separated from the Parish Municipality of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fossambault.

Cancer cluster

Current and past citizens of Shannon, near Quebec City, are alleging in a class-action suit against the federal government that the chemical trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene

The chemical compound trichloroethylene is a chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent. It is a clear non-flammable liquid with a sweet smell. It should not be confused with the similar 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is commonly known as chlorothene.The IUPAC name is...

seeped into the town's water supply. The lawsuit has ballooned to almost 3000 people, including many with other illnesses allegedly linked to TCE and relatives of deceased persons who once resided in Shannon. According to lawyers, the number could eventually reach as many as 6,000.
TCE is a manufactured chemical that is mainly used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts in the automotive and metals industries. It is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers. TCE is further used as a chemical building block to make other chemicals. It was formerly used as a general anesthetic, an alternative to ether or chloroform; as a solvent in dry-cleaning; and to extract oils, caffeine and flavours from plants.

“I have no doubt that the toxicology reports have determined the direct link between the cancer incidents and the trichloroethylene in the water,” said toxicology expert Michel Charbonneau, who worked with the Pittsburgh group.
The suit is scheduled to be heard in Quebec Superior Court in January of 2011.

Demographics

Population trend:

• Population in 2006: 3825 (2001 to 2006 population change: 4.3 %)
• Population in 2001: 3668
• Population in 1996: 3751
• Population in 1991: 3535

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 1396 (total dwellings: 1545)

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 7.2 %
• French as first language: 86.4 %
• English and French as first language: 1.0 %
• Other as first language: 5.4 %