Paspébiac

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox settlement  |name = Paspébiac |official_name = |native_name = |other_name = |settlement_type = City  |image_skyline = Paspébiac, Quebec, Canada.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Skyline of Paspébiac |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |nickname = |motto = |image_map = Paspébiac Quebec location diagram.png |map_caption = Location within Bonaventure RCM |pushpin_map = Canada Eastern Quebec |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_label = |pushpin_map_caption = Location in eastern Quebec |coordinates = {{coord|48|02|N|65|15|W|region:CA-QC|display=inline,title}} |coor_pinpoint = |coordinates_footnotes = <ref name="toponymie"/>  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Canada |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Quebec |subdivision_type2 = Region |subdivision_name2 = Gaspésie– Îles-de-la-Madeleine |subdivision_type3 = RCM |subdivision_name3 = Bonaventure |established_title = Settled |established_date = 1755 |established_title1 = Constituted |established_date1 = August 20, 1997 |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = |established_date3 =  |government_footnotes = <ref name=mamrot>{{mamrot |{{#property:P3856}} |access-date=2024-09-18}}</ref> |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Jérémy Laplante | leader_title1 = Federal riding | leader_name1 = Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj | leader_title2 = Prov. riding | leader_name2 = Bonaventure  |area_footnotes = <ref name="mamrot"/><ref name="SC2021">{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=paspebiac&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&DGUIDlist=2021A00052405032 |title=Paspébiac census profile |publisher=Statistics Canada |work=2021 Census data |accessdate=2022-10-14}}</ref> |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 96.05 |area_land_km2 = 94.98 |area_water_km2 = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_blank1_title = |area_blank1_km2 = |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m =  |population_footnotes = <ref name="SC2021"/> |population_total = 3033 |population_as_of = 2021 |population_density_km2 = 31.9 |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_blank1_title = Pop (2016-21) |population_blank1 = {{decrease}} 4.1% |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_blank2_title= Dwellings |population_blank2 = 1501 |population_note =  |timezone = EST |utc_offset = −5 |timezone_DST = EDT |utc_offset_DST = −4  |postal_code_type = Postal code(s) |postal_code = G0C 2K0 |area_codes = 418 and 581 |blank_name = Highways |blank_info = {{jct|state=QC|QC|132}} |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = {{Official URL}} |footnotes = }}

'''Paspébiac''' ({{IPA|fr|paspebjak}}) is a city on Baie des Chaleurs in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. The population was 3,033 as of the 2021 Canadian census. The town is noted for the ''Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac'', a large sandbar jutting out into the bay which has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.<ref>{{CRHP|12623|Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac|4 March 2012}}</ref>

Paspébiac was Quebec's first cod fishing port. The town also has Basque roots and an accent which is different from the rest of the region.<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9cnMjKwY6aAC|title = Québec 2012-2013|last1 = Collectif|last2 = Auzias|first2 = Dominique|last3 = Labourdette|first3 = Jean-Paul|date = 2012-02-10|publisher = Petit Futé|isbn = 978-2746957152|language = fr}}</ref> Its name may come from the Mi'kmaq expression ''papgeg ipsigiag'', meaning "split flats" or "lagoon".<ref name="toponymie">{{cite web |url=http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=353831 |title=Paspébiac (Ville) |publisher=Commission de toponymie du Québec |accessdate=2011-12-29 |language=French}}</ref> Other sources indicate that the Mi'kmaq named it for ''Wospegiak'', which means "shining in the distance."<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://archive.org/details/afirstreadingbo00rangoog|title = A First Reading Book in the Micmac Language: Comprising the Micmac Numerals, and the Names of the Different Kinds of Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Trees, &c. of the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Also, Some of the Indian Names of Places, and Many Familiar Words and Phrases, Translated Literally Into English|last = Rand|first = Silas Tertius|date = 1875-01-01|publisher = Nova Scotia Printing Company|language = en}}</ref>

In addition to Paspébiac itself, the town's territory also includes the communities of Duret, Paspébiac-Ouest, and Rivière-Paspébiac.

==History== thumb|left|Lagoon bridge in Paspébiac, {{circa}} 1910 In 1707, the area was granted as a seignory to Pierre Haimard (1674–1724) and this marked the beginning of the colonization of Gaspésie's southern shores. But it only saw periodic visits during the fishing season until 1755 when settlers arrived from Acadia, Normandy, the Pays Basque, and, after the British conquest of Quebec, Jersey.

In 1767, the Jersey merchants Charles Robin and Company established there a permanent fishing operation and headquarters.<ref name=qh>{{Cite web |url=http://gaspesie.quebecheritageweb.com/article/jersey-gaspe-charles-robin-1743-1824-forgotten-father-canada-part-2 |title=quebecheritageweb.com: "From Jersey to the Gaspé: Charles Robin, 1743-1824, a Forgotten Father of Canada (Part 2)" |access-date=2015-06-20 |archive-date=2018-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191625/http://gaspesie.quebecheritageweb.com/article/jersey-gaspe-charles-robin-1743-1824-forgotten-father-canada-part-2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This, together with its natural harbour, made Paspébiac the region's main commercial centre.<ref name=toponymie/> The Robin and Le Boutillier installations on the barachois resembled a small town. Each company had a warehouse four or five storeys high, a general store, a wharf, a carpenter shop, a sail loft, a blacksmith shop and forge, a cooper shop for making barrels, offices, a cook-house, a boarding house for the apprentices, and numerous other buildings – besides the large area given over to the flakes and the drying fish. Set on the hill away from the fishery there were the Robin farm buildings and a large house, known as The Park, where the General Manager lived.<ref name=qh/>

In 1796, the local parish was founded, and in 1832, its post office opened. In 1855, the place was incorporated as the Township Municipality of Cox, named after the geographic township that in turn was named in honour of Nicholas Cox (c. 1724–1794), lieutenant governor of the Gaspé District. As late as 1860, the ocean was the only available means of transportation,<ref name=ommer/> and there is record of an observer in 1858 writing about "le manque absolu de chemins" (lit. "the absolute lack of paths") in the region. In 1877, this township municipality ceased to exist when it was divided into the Municipalities of Paspébiac and New Carlisle.<ref name=toponymie/>

In 1886, riots broke out in Paspebiac because of the bankruptcy of the firm of Charles Robin and Company,<ref name=ommer>[http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/Acadiensis/article/view/12294/13138 "ROSEMARY E. OMMER: The Truck System in Gaspé, 1822-77"], Acadiensis Vol. XIX, No. 1 Autumn/Automne 1989, p.111</ref> which had resulted from the failure of the banks of Jersey. In 1922, the western part of the municipality split off to form the Municipality of Paspébiac-Ouest. But on 6 August 1997, Paspébiac-Ouest was merged back into Paspébiac. In 1999, it changed its status to ''ville'' (town).<ref name=toponymie/>

A triangular voyage evolved over time with the Robin company. Ships would leave Paspébiac laden with dry cod bound for ports in the West Indies and South America. There they would take on cargoes of rum, molasses and sugar for Europe. From Europe they returned to Paspébiac with manufactured goods. The market for dry fish disappeared almost completely during the 20th century; the Company processed frozen fish for a number of years, but eventually that was given up as well.<ref name=qh/>

There was a disastrous fire in 1964 that destroyed most of the original Robin buildings on Paspébiac Beach. The remaining ones on the site, which include the large Le Boutillier Bros warehouse, form the Site Historique du Banc de Paspébiac.<ref name=qh/>

== Demographics == thumb|right|Our Lady of Purification Church in Paspebiac In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Paspébiac had a population of {{val|3033|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|1409|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|1501|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:3033-3164}}|3164|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|3164|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|94.98|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|3033|94.98|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=SC2021/> {{Canada census |location = Paspébiac |2021_population=3,033 | 2021_pop_delta=-4.1 | 2021_land_area=94.98 | 2021_pop_density=31.9 |2021_median_age=56.4 | 2021_median_age_m=54.4 | 2021_median_age_f=57.6 |2021_total_pvt_dwell=1,501 |2021_occ_pvt_dwell=1,409 |2021_mean_hh_income=61,200 |2021_geocode=2021A00052405032 | 2021_access_date=2022-04-27 |2016_population=3,164 | 2016_pop_delta=-1.1 | 2016_land_area=94.47 | 2016_pop_density=33.5 |2016_median_age=54.2 | 2016_median_age_m=52.9 | 2016_median_age_f=55.4 |2016_total_pvt_dwell=1,515 |2016_mean_hh_income=54,741 | 2016_access_date=2022-10-14 |2011_population=3,198 |2011_pop_delta=-3.4% |2011_land_area=94.54 |2011_pop_density=33.8 |2011_median_age=51.7 |2011_median_age_m=50.9 |2011_median_age_f=52.6 |2011_total_pvt_dwell=1,470 |2011_mean_hh_income=.N/A |2011_access_date=2014-01-29 |2006_population=3,309 | 2006_pop_delta=-0.5 | 2006_land_area=94.54 | 2006_pop_density=33.4 |2006_median_age=47.5 | 2006_median_age_m=46.6 | 2006_median_age_f=48.4 |2006_total_pvt_dwell=1,446 | 2006_mean_hh_income=40,355 | 2006_access_date=2011-12-29 |2001_population=3,326 | 2001_pop_delta=-9.0 | 2001_land_area=94.54 | 2001_pop_density=35.2 |2001_median_age=43.4 | 2001_median_age_m=42.3 | 2001_median_age_f=44.3 |2001_total_pvt_dwell=1,398 | 2001_mean_hh_income=29,991 | 2001_access_date=2011-12-29 |notes=2011 income data for this area has been suppressed for data quality or confidentiality reasons. Includes [http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census06/corrections/updatepages/Cgen001.cfm?Lvl=H corrections and updates for 2006.]}}

{{Historical populations | title= Historical Census Data - Paspébiac, Quebec | percentages = | shading = off | align = none | cols = 3 | 1881 |1568 | 1891 |1749 | 1901 |1759 | 1911 |1994 | 1921 |2110 | 1931 |1790 | 1941 |2093 | 1951 |2326 | 1956 |2468 | 1961 |2732 | 1966 |2885 | 1971 |2953 | 1976 |3167 | 1981 |3292 | 1986 |3070 | 1991 |3016 | 1996 |2945 | 2001 |3326 | 2006 |3309 | 2011 |3198 | 2016 |3164 | 2021 |3033 | footnote = | source = Statistics Canada<ref name="scpast">1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census</ref> }}

Mother tongue (2021):<ref name=SC2021/> * French only: 93.9% * English only: 5.1% * English and French: 0.8% * Other language: 0.2%

==See also== * List of cities in Quebec

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Paspébiac}} * {{Official website}} * [http://www.infogaspesie.com/villages/baie_des_chaleurs/paspebiac/paspebiac.php Paspébiac on infogaspesie.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928192457/http://www.gaspesia.com/ville.php Municipalities and cities of Gaspe region]

{{Geographic location | title = Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions | Centre = Paspébiac | North = Saint-Elzéar | Northeast = | East = Hope Twp. | Southeast = | South = ''Chaleur Bay'' | Southwest = | West = Saint-Elzéar New Carlisle | Northwest = }} {{Bonaventure RCM|state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paspebiac}} Category:Cities and towns in Quebec Category:Incorporated places in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine Category:Populated coastal places in Canada