Notre-Dame-du-Portage (French pronunciation: [nɔtʁ dam dy pɔʁtaʒ]) is a municipality[2] in the Canadian province of Quebec located at the edge of the Saint Lawrence River in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. It is part of the Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality and home to the Riviere-du-Loup Golf Club.

Notre-Dame-du-Portage
Location within Rivière-du-Loup RCM
Location within Rivière-du-Loup RCM
Notre-Dame-du-Portage is located in Eastern Quebec
Notre-Dame-du-Portage
Notre-Dame-du-Portage
Location in eastern Quebec
Coordinates: 47°46′N 69°37′W / 47.767°N 69.617°W / 47.767; -69.617[1]
Country Canada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionBas-Saint-Laurent
RCMRivière-du-Loup
ConstitutedJuly 19, 1856
Government
 • MayorVincent More
 • Federal ridingMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup
 • Prov. ridingRivière-du-Loup-Témiscouata
Area
 • Total
115.90 km2 (44.75 sq mi)
 • Land40.06 km2 (15.47 sq mi)
Population
 • Total
1,296
 • Density32.4/km2 (84/sq mi)
 • Pop 2016-2021
Increase 12.6%
 • Dwellings
748
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area codes418 and 581
Highways
A-20 (TCH)

R-132
Websitewww.municipalite.notre-dame-du-portage.qc.ca

History

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The municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Portage was officially created on July 19, 1856, by merging two sections of Rivière-du-Loup and Saint-André.

Construction of the first chapel began on May 30, 1855, under the supervision of Rivière-du-Loup priest Narcisse Beaubien. The first mass was celebrated there on November 1, 1855, by priest Beaubien, while the chapel received his blessing. The parish was canonically erected on March 1, 1856, while the parish municipality was officially created on July 19 of the same year from territories of the parishes of Saint-Patrice de Rivière-du-Loup and Saint-André-de-Kamouraska. A small Stations of the Cross given free of charge at the chapel was blessed by Father Michaud on March 10, 1857. Father Beaubien is often considered to be the founder of the parish of Notre-Dame-du-Portage, but the first resident priest was Father Esdras Rousseau, from 1858 to 1860. Construction of the current church, in Romanesque art, began in 1859 with two contractors, Charles Bernier of Cap-Saint-Ignace and Philippe Fortin of Montmagny; the cornerstone was blessed on July 21, 1859. Construction of the church was completed in 1863, but the first mass was celebrated there in 1862. The chapel was transformed into a clergy house. In 1889, a carillon of three bells was added to the church by Father de la Chevrotière; The bells were made in Villedieu, France, by Maison Havard and imported by J.-A. Langlais, of Quebec City. The carillon was blessed by Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau on June 16, 1889. The first Stations of the Cross in the church were purchased in September 1892 by Father Girard; it was painted on canvas. In September of the same year, Father Girard also purchased a white Madonna placed in the façade of the church. In 1906, a second Stations of the Cross was purchased; it was composed of a series of oil-painted canvases. It was blessed and installed by Father Taschereau on October 27, 1907. In 1983, a Casavant pipe organ dating from 1906 was purchased from the Franciscan monastery of Quebec for $2,000. It was inaugurated in February of the following year. On November 19, 2005, Notre-Dame-du-Portage changed its status from parish municipality to municipality. In the summer of 2006, the municipality celebrated its 150th anniversary of founding.

In 2005, Notre-Dame-du-Portage changed status from a Parish municipality to become a regular municipality.

Demographics

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Canada census – Notre-Dame-du-Portage community profile
202120162011
Population1,296 ( 12.6% from 2016)1,151 (-3.5% from 2011)1,193 (-5.5% from 2006)
Land area40.06 km2 (15.47 sq mi)40.29 km2 (15.56 sq mi)39.91 km2 (15.41 sq mi)
Population density32.4/km2 (84/sq mi)28.6/km2 (74/sq mi)29.9/km2 (77/sq mi)
Median age53.2 (M: 51.6, F: 53.6)53.0 (M: 52.4, F: 54.3)49.9 (M: 47.9, F: 51.2)
Private dwellings748 (total)  597 (occupied)693 (total)  531 (occupied)686 (total)  522 (occupied)
Median household income$81,000$70,571$67,247
References: 2021[3] 2016[4] 2011[5] earlier[6][7]

Attractions

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Notre-Dame-du-Portage is a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec. Its Roman Catholic Church was constructed in 1859.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 390724". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ a b c "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 12080". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  3. ^ a b c "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2024-10-31. Cite error: The named reference "cp2021" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  5. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  6. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  7. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
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