Lac-au-Saumon () is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in La Matapédia Regional Council Municipality in the Matapédia Valley.
The municipality had a population of 1,488 as of the Canada 2021 Census.
The village is located on the shores of the eponymous Lac au Saumon (French for "Salmon Lake") that is an enlargement of the Matapédia River. It was known as a spawning ground for salmon, but major pollution from mills made this a thing of the past.
History The area opened up to colonization in 1863, and the Mission of Saint-Edmond-du-Lac-au-Saumon was founded in 1876. But it was not until 1896 that real settlement began with the arrival of a group of Acadians from the Magdalen Islands. The following year the Lac-au-Saumon post office opened.
In 1904, the Municipality of Saint-Edmond was incorporated when it separated from the Parish Municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre (now Amqui). The following year, the Village Municipality of Lac-au-Saumon was established.
On December 17, 1997, the Village Municipality of Lac-au-Saumon and the Municipality of Saint-Edmond were amalgamated to form the new Municipality of Lac-au-Saumon.
Geography Lac-au-Saumon is located approximately 10 kilometers between the two main towns of La Matapédia, Amqui and Causapscal, on Route 132 which is the main communication axis of Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie. The latter passes on the north side of the lake although the bulk of the village is located to the south. North of the lake, we find the Notre Dame Mountains which are part of the Chic-Chocs mountains.
Demographics
Canada Census data before 2001 (pre-merger):
Combined population in 1996: 1,553 (+0.06% from 1991) Lac-au-Saumon (village): 1,314 (+0.3% from 1991) Saint-Edmond (municipality): 239 (-1.2% from 1991)
Combined population in 1991: 1,552 Lac-au-Saumon (village): 1,310 Saint-Edmond (municipality): 242
Economy Lac-au-Saumon's economic development is linked to agriculture and forestry, particularly wood processing.
Sports Lac-au-Saumon currently host two softball teams from the local league.
Government Municipal council Mayor: Gérard Grenier Councillors: Gérald Ruel, Patrick Bacon, Jocelyne Bérubé, Chantal Gagné, Alain Fradette, Valérie Simard
Mayors of the Municipality of Lac-au-Saumon (following the merger with Saint-Edmond) Gérard Grenier 2017- Michel Chevarie 2009–2017 Jean-Claude Dumoulin 2005–2009 Aurélien Beaulieu 1998–2005 Jean-Claude Dumoulin 1997–1998
Mayors of the former Village Municipality of Lac-au-Saumon
Joseph Gaudreau 1905–1909 Hector Fournier 1909–1910 Zénon Routhier 1910–1912 J.-A. Burton 1912–1913 Alphonse Landry 1913–1915 M.-E. Castonguay 1915–1917 P.-A. St-Laurent 1917–1921 Ernest Deschênes 1921–1928 Ferdinand Paradis 1928–1933 Léo Marmen 1933–1937 Ludger Leblanc 1937–1945 Charles Lavoie 1945–1947 Florian Drouin 1947–1949
Ferdinand Dupont 1949–1960 Adrien Ferlatte 1960–1963 Joseph-Marie St-Amand 1963–1965 Alphonse Richard 1965–1967 Ghislain Roy 1967–1973 Guy Garon 1973–1976 Joseph O. Bérubé 1976–1978 Alphonse Richard 1978–1982 Jean-Guy Gagnon 1982–1983 Roland Poitras 1983–1987 Daniel Lamarre 1987–1993 Jean-Claude Dumoulin 1993–1997
See also List of municipalities in Quebec
References