Paspébiac

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title: "Paspébiac" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-and-towns-in-quebec", "incorporated-places-in-gaspésie–îles-de-la-madeleine", "populated-coastal-places-in-canada"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paspébiac" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
namePaspébiac
settlement_typeCity
image_skylinePaspébiac, Quebec, Canada.jpg
image_captionSkyline of Paspébiac
image_mapPaspébiac Quebec location diagram.png
map_captionLocation within Bonaventure RCM
pushpin_mapCanada Eastern Quebec
pushpin_map_captionLocation in eastern Quebec
coordinates
coordinates_footnotes
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameCanada
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Quebec
subdivision_type2Region
subdivision_name2[Gaspésie–
Îles-de-la-Madeleine](gaspesie-iles-de-la-madeleine)
subdivision_type3RCM
subdivision_name3Bonaventure
established_titleSettled
established_date1755
established_title1Constituted
established_date1August 20, 1997
government_footnotes
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameJérémy Laplante
leader_title1Federal riding
leader_name1Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj
leader_title2Prov. riding
leader_name2Bonaventure
area_footnotes
area_total_km296.05
area_land_km294.98
elevation_footnotes
population_footnotes
population_total3033
population_as_of2021
population_density_km231.9
population_blank1_titlePop (2016-21)
population_blank14.1%
population_blank2_titleDwellings
population_blank21501
timezoneEST
utc_offset−5
timezone_DSTEDT
utc_offset_DST−4
postal_code_typePostal code(s)
postal_codeG0C 2K0
area_codes418 and 581
blank_nameHighways
blank_info
website
::

|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 = |coor_pinpoint = |coordinates_footnotes = |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 = |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 = |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 = |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 = 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 = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes =

Paspébiac () 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.

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. Its name may come from the Mi'kmaq expression papgeg ipsigiag, meaning "split flats" or "lagoon". Other sources indicate that the Mi'kmaq named it for Wospegiak, which means "shining in the distance."

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

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Paspebiac_Gaspesie_1910.jpg" caption="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. This, together with its natural harbour, made Paspébiac the region's main commercial centre. 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.

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, 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.

In 1886, riots broke out in Paspebiac because of the bankruptcy of the firm of Charles Robin and Company, 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).

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.

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.

Demographics

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Eglise_de_Notre-Dame-de-la-Purification_01.jpg" caption="Our Lady of Purification Church in Paspebiac"] ::

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Paspébiac had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 94.98 km2, it had a population density of in 2021. |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 corrections and updates for 2006.}}

| 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

Mother tongue (2021):

  • French only: 93.9%
  • English only: 5.1%
  • English and French: 0.8%
  • Other language: 0.2%

References

References

  1. {{mamrot. {{#property:P3856
  2. "Paspébiac census profile". Statistics Canada.
  4. {{CRHP. 12623. Banc de Pêche de Paspébiac. 4 March 2012
  5. (2012-02-10). "Québec 2012-2013". Petit Futé.
  6. "Paspébiac (Ville)". Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  7. Rand, Silas Tertius. (1875-01-01). "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". Nova Scotia Printing Company.
  8. "quebecheritageweb.com: "From Jersey to the Gaspé: Charles Robin, 1743-1824, a Forgotten Father of Canada (Part 2)"".
  9. [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
  10. [[Canada 1996 Census. 1996]], [[Canada 2001 Census. 2001]], [[Canada 2006 Census. 2006]], [[Canada 2011 Census. 2011]], [[Canada 2016 Census. 2016]], [[Canada 2021 Census. 2021]] census

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

cities-and-towns-in-quebecincorporated-places-in-gaspésie–îles-de-la-madeleinepopulated-coastal-places-in-canada