Béarn, Quebec

Municipality in Quebec, Canada

47°17′N 79°20′W / 47.283°N 79.333°W / 47.283; -79.333^[1]CountryCanadaProvinceQuebecRegionAbitibi-TémiscamingueRCMTémiscamingueSettled1885ConstitutedOctober 3, 1912Government

^[2]

• MayorLuc Lalonde • Federal ridingAbitibi—Témiscamingue • Prov. ridingRouyn-Noranda–TémiscamingueArea

^[2]^[3]

• Total552.44 km² (213.30 sq mi) • Land496.28 km² (191.61 sq mi)Population

(2021)^[3]

• Total708 • Density1.4/km² (4/sq mi) • Pop (2016–21)

1.7% • Dwellings

386Time zoneUTC−5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)Postal code(s)

J0Z 1G0

Area code819Highways

R-391Websitewww.bearn.ca

Béarn is a municipality in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality.

History

Settlement of the area began at the end of the 19th century. It was first incorporated as the Parish Municipality of Saint-Placide in 1913, taking its name from the parish that was founded two years earlier.^[1]

In 1923, the railroad was built and the place began to be known as Béarn (in honor of the Béarn Regiment). Its post office opened in 1941. Because it was known as Béarn in common use, the name was changed in 1956 to Saint-Placide-de-Béarn, and in 1983, it changed status to municipality and the name was shortened to the current name.^[1]^[4]

Demographics

Canada census – Béarn, Quebec community profile

	2021
Population	708 (-1.7% from 2016)
Land area	496.28 km² (191.61 sq mi)
Population density	1.4/km² (3.6/sq mi)
Median age	46.4 (M: 44.4, F: 51.2)
Private dwellings	386 (total) 350 (occupied)
Median household income	$58,800

References: 2021^[5] earlier^[6]^[7]

Historical census populations – Béarn, Quebec

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	471	—
1931	895	+90.0%
1941	918	+2.6%
1951	1,028	+12.0%
1956	1,063	+3.4%
1961	1,073	+0.9%

Year	Pop.	±%
1966	1,051	−2.1%
1971	885	−15.8%
1976	895	+1.1%
1981	1,050	+17.3%
1986	1,050	+0.0%
1991	1,014	−3.4%

Year	Pop.	±%
1996	973	−4.0%
2001	942	−3.2%
2006	883	−6.3%
2011	775	−12.2%
2016	720	−7.1%
2021	708	−1.7%

Population figures based on revised counts. Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.
Source: Statistics Canada^[8]

Mother tongue (2021):^[3]

English as first language: 2.1%
French as first language: 94.4%
English and French as first language: 0.7%
Other as first language: 2.1%

Local government

List of former mayors:^[9]

Anthime Gaudet (1912–1914, 1919–1923, 1933–1937)
Joseph Laliberté (1914–1915)
Albert Laperrière (1915–1919, 1923–1924)
Maurice Hurtibise (1924–1929)
Alphonse Gaudet (1929–1931, 1937–1939)
Joseph Bernard (1931–1933)
Philippe Carpentier (1939–1943)
Napoléon Chaumont (1943–1948)
Gérard Beauregard (1948–1951)
Donat Gaudet (1951–1953)
Viateur Mathieu (1953–1955)
Léonel Perreault (1956–1961)
Sylvio Gaudet (1961–1963)
Théodore Audet (1963–1964)
Clément Beauregard (1964–1967)
Eddy Bellehumeur (1967–1973)
Gaston Carpentier (1973–1989)
Claude Chaumont (1989–1997)
Raynald Gaudet (1997–2005)
Luc Lalonde (2005–present)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Béarn (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
^ ^a ^b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 85020". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Béarn, Quebec (Code 2485020) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada.
^ "Municipalité de Béarn Info" (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
^ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
^ "Liste des maires depuis la fondation" (PDF). www.bearn.ca. Municipalité de Béarn. August 7, 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2023.