Shigawake
title: "Shigawake" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["incorporated-places-in-gaspésie–îles-de-la-madeleine", "municipalities-in-quebec", "mi'kmaq-place-names"] topic_path: "general/incorporated-places-in-gaspesie-iles-de-la-madeleine" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigawake" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Shigawake |
| settlement_type | Municipality |
| image_skyline | Shigawake, Quebec.jpg |
| image_caption | Saint Paul Church in Shigawake |
| image_map | Shigawake Quebec location diagram.png |
| map_caption | Location within Bonaventure RCM |
| pushpin_map | Canada Eastern Quebec |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in eastern Quebec |
| coordinates | |
| coordinates_footnotes | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Canada |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Quebec |
| subdivision_type2 | Region |
| subdivision_name2 | [Gaspésie– |
| Îles-de-la-Madeleine](gaspesie-iles-de-la-madeleine) | |
| subdivision_type3 | RCM |
| subdivision_name3 | Bonaventure |
| established_title | Settled |
| established_date | Late 18th century |
| established_title1 | Constituted |
| established_date1 | December 15, 1924 |
| government_footnotes | |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_name | Rolande Beebe |
| leader_title1 | Federal riding |
| leader_name1 | Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj |
| leader_title2 | Prov. riding |
| leader_name2 | Bonaventure |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 75.85 |
| area_land_km2 | 76.82 |
| area_note | There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources. |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 333 |
| population_as_of | 2021 |
| population_density_km2 | 4.3 |
| population_blank1_title | Pop (2016-21) |
| population_blank1 | 14.0% |
| population_blank2_title | Dwellings |
| population_blank2 | 167 |
| timezone | EST |
| utc_offset | −5 |
| timezone_DST | EDT |
| utc_offset_DST | −4 |
| postal_code_type | Postal code(s) |
| postal_code | G0C 3E0 |
| area_codes | 418 and 581 |
| blank_name | Highways |
| blank_info | |
| website | |
| :: |
|name = Shigawake
|official_name =
|native_name =
|other_name =
|settlement_type = Municipality
|image_skyline = Shigawake, Quebec.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Saint Paul Church in Shigawake
|image_flag =
|flag_size =
|image_seal =
|seal_size =
|image_shield =
|shield_size =
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_map = Shigawake 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 = Late 18th century
|established_title1 = Constituted
|established_date1 = December 15, 1924
|established_title2 =
|established_date2 =
|established_title3 =
|established_date3 =
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Rolande Beebe
| 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 = 75.85
|area_land_km2 = 76.82
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_percent =
|area_blank1_title =
|area_blank1_km2 =
|area_note = There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources.
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 333
|population_as_of = 2021
|population_density_km2 = 4.3
|population_blank1_title = Pop (2016-21)
|population_blank1 = 14.0%
|population_density_blank1_km2 =
|population_blank2_title= Dwellings
|population_blank2 = 167
|population_note =
|timezone = EST
|utc_offset = −5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = −4
|postal_code_type = Postal code(s)
|postal_code = G0C 3E0
|area_codes = 418 and 581
|blank_name = Highways
|blank_info =
|blank1_name =
|blank1_info =
|website =
|footnotes =
Shigawake is a municipality in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Quebec in Canada. Shigawake is bordered to the west by Saint-Godefroi and to the east by Port-Daniel–Gascons.
The place name is taken from the river that flows through the village and is of Mi'kmaq origin, meaning either "land of the rising sun" or "white water".
The Municipality of Shigawake has an eight kilometre stretch of coastline behind high red cliffs on the Gaspe Coast. It has been officially designated as an Anglophone community among the largely Francophone population of Quebec. The community is only home to, among many small houses, a municipal building, the Anglican church of St Paul's (built in the 1860s), and a former Rectory converted to the Community Centre. The United Church was decommissioned in 2012, formerly the site of a temperance hall.
Shigawake has held the Shigawake Fair annually since 1909, also now paired with the Shigawake Music Festival which has showcased local talent.
Shigawake is also the site of Seagro, an organic fertiliser and composting firm.
The oldest farmhouse on the entire coast continuously inhabited by one family, the Old Homestead, was built early in the first decade of the 1800s. The founding of Shigawake is described in The Alford Saga, an eight book series of a romantic adventures by Paul Almond, an officer of the Order of Canada.
The area's fields, once so productive, are now used mainly for hay and its forests for harvest of sawlogs and firewood.
History
It is believed that the first settlers were probably sailors on a ship transporting slaves at the end of the 18th century.
In 1864, its post office opened, and the parish was formed in 1873. But it was only on December 15, 1924, more than 50 years afer, that Shigawake was officially created by splitting away from the Township of Saint-Godefroy.
Demographics
|location= |2021_population=333 | 2021_pop_delta=+14.0 | 2021_land_area=76.82 | 2021_pop_density=4.3 |2021_median_age=49.6 | 2021_median_age_m=52.4 | 2021_median_age_f=48.0 |2021_total_pvt_dwell=167 |2021_occ_pvt_dwell=144 | 2021_mean_hh_income=55,600 | 2021_access_date=2022-08-23 |2016_population=292 | 2016_pop_delta=-13.6 | 2016_land_area=76.82 | 2016_pop_density=3.8 |2016_median_age=55.1 | 2016_median_age_m=55.6 | 2016_median_age_f=54.3 |2016_total_pvt_dwell=171 | 2016_mean_hh_income=42,560 | 2016_access_date=2022-07-13 |2011_population=338 | 2011_pop_delta=-5.3 | 2011_land_area=75.68 | 2011_pop_density=4.5 |2011_median_age=52.3 | 2011_median_age_m=53.5 | 2011_median_age_f=51.2 |2011_total_pvt_dwell=163 | 2011_mean_hh_income=.N/A | 2011_access_date=2014-01-30 |2006_population=357 | 2006_pop_delta=-4.0 | 2006_land_area=75.68 | 2006_pop_density=4.7 |2006_median_age=48.6 | 2006_median_age_m=49.5 | 2006_median_age_f=48.5 |2006_total_pvt_dwell=171 | 2006_mean_hh_income=30,004 | 2006_access_date=2011-12-22 |2001_population=372 | 2001_pop_delta=-5.1 | 2001_land_area=75.68 | 2001_pop_density=4.9 |2001_median_age=45.7 | 2001_median_age_m=47.8 | 2001_median_age_f=44.3 |2001_total_pvt_dwell=172 | 2001_mean_hh_income=18,852 | 2001_access_date=2011-12-22 |notes= 2011 income data for this area has been suppressed for data quality or confidentiality reasons.
| title= Historical Census Data - Shigawake, Quebec | percentages = | shading = off | align = none | cols = 3 | 1931 |578 | 1941 |642 | 1951 |604 | 1956 |609 | 1961 |550 | 1966 |493 | 1971 |462 | 1976 |516 | 1981 |549 | 1986 |492 | 1991 |430 | 1996 |302 | 2001 |372 | 2006 |357 | 2011 |338 | 2016 |292 | 2021 |333 | footnote = | source = Statistics Canada
Mother tongue (2021):
- English as first language: 58.2%
- French as first language: 37.3%
- English and French as first language: 4.5%
- Other as first language: 0%
Government
List of former mayors:
- John A. Le Callais (1925–1929)
- Claude A. Skene (1929–1933)
- James P. Robinson (1933–1935, 1937–1941)
- Garvin Almond (1935–1937)
- Earle Almond (1941–1949)
- Edmund Vautier (1949–1953)
- Gillis Hayes (1953–1957)
- George Sullivan (1957–1973)
- Garry Hayes (1973–1987)
- Kenneth Duguay (1987–2013)
- Denzil Ross (2013–2017)
- Colette Dow (2017–2021)
- Rolande Couture-Beebe (2021–present)
Notable people
Major Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers has lived in Shigawake, who in World War II was credited with putting out of action 18 enemy tanks and assault guns.
References
References
- {{mamrot. {{#property:P3856
- "Shigawake census profile". Statistics Canada.
- "Shigawake (Municipalité)". Commission de toponymie du Québec.
- Paul Almond - Author of 8 books based on a decade of research on the founding of Shigawake - http://www.paulalmond.com
- [[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
- "Répertoire des entités géopolitiques: Shigawake (municipalité) 15.12.1924 - ...". Institut généalogique Drouin.
- "Rad". Maple Leaf Up.
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