Preissac (French pronunciation: [pʁɛsak]) is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Abitibi Regional County Municipality. The village of Preissac itself is located at the north end of Lake Preissac.

Preissac
Location within Abitibi RCM
Location within Abitibi RCM
Preissac is located in Western Quebec
Preissac
Preissac
Location in western Quebec
Coordinates: 48°24′N 78°22′W / 48.400°N 78.367°W / 48.400; -78.367[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionAbitibi-Témiscamingue
RCMAbitibi
Settled1934
ConstitutedJanuary 1, 1979
Government
 • MayorDonald Rheault
 • Federal ridingAbitibi—Témiscamingue
 • Prov. ridingAbitibi-Ouest
Area
 • Total
506.29 km2 (195.48 sq mi)
 • Land422.13 km2 (162.99 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Total
914
 • Density2.2/km2 (6/sq mi)
 • Pop (2016-21)
Increase 9.5%
 • Dwellings
527
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code819
Highways R-395
Websitewww.preissac.com Edit this at Wikidata

It is named after Lambert Preissac de Cadeihan, a lieutenant in the Régiment de Berry that was part of General Montcalm's army.[1]

History

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  • 1906 : Opening of the first molybdenite mine
  • 1916 : Establishment of the geographic township (canton) of Preissac.[1]
  • 1934 : Arrival of the first settlers under the Vautrin Plan
  • 1936: Start of construction of the St-Raphael de Preissac church.
  • January 1, 1979 : The Municipality of Preissac is established from previously unincorporated territory.[1]
  • 1979 : Opening of the Bousquet mine[4][5]
  • 1980 : Opening of the Doyon mine
  • 1988 : Opening of Dumagami mine (later renamed La Ronde) operated by Agnico-Eagle which was the source in the 1990s of more than half of Quebec's gold production

Demographics

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Historical census populations – Preissac
YearPop.±%
1981 453—    
1986 455+0.4%
1991 529+16.3%
1996 619+17.0%
2001 684+10.5%
YearPop.±%
2006 726+6.1%
2011 786+8.3%
2016 835+6.2%
2021 914+9.5%
Source: Statistics Canada

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents (2021): 430 (total dwellings: 527)[3]

Mother tongue (2021):[3]

  • English as first language: 1.6%
  • French as first language: 97.8%
  • English and French as first language: 0.5%
  • Other as first language: 0%

Government

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Municipal office

Municipal council (as of 2023):[2]

  • Mayor: Donald Rheault
  • Councillors: Casandra Couture, Jean-Paul Gosselin, David Gervais, Amélie Massé, Isabelle Beaulieu, Sébastien Petitclerc

List of former mayors:

  • Jean-Yves Gingras (...–2009)
  • Huguette Saucier (2009–2013)
  • Stephan Lavoie (2013–2020)
  • Nicole Poulin (2020)
  • Donald Rheault (2020–present)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Preissac (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  2. ^ a b c "Preissac". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  3. ^ a b c d "Preissac community profile". 2021 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  4. ^ "Long Lac officially opens Bousquet". The Val d'Or Star. July 4, 1979. p. 17. ISSN 1184-4981. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  5. ^ "Long Lac Mineral Exploration Ltd Mines De Bousquet". The Val d'Or Star. July 4, 1979. p. 13. ISSN 1184-4981. Retrieved July 1, 2010. [dead link]
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