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La Malbaie is a municipality in the
Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality Charlevoix-Est is a regional county municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. The seat is Clermont. Subdivisions There are 9 subdivisions within the RCM: ;Cities & Towns (2) * Clermont * La Malbaie ;Municipalities (5 ...
in the
Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
, Canada, situated on the north shore of the
St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting t ...
at the mouth of the Malbaie River. It was formerly known as Murray Bay. La Malbaie is the seat of the
judicial district A judicial district or legal district denotes the territorial area for which a legal court (usually a district court) has jurisdiction. By region Europe Austria In texts concerning Austria, "judicial district" (german: Gerichtsbezirk) refers ...
of Charlevoix. Although the main business district is located at the mouth of the Malbaie River, the town itself covers a vast area that extends inland along both sides of the Malbaie River and north and south along the St. Lawrence River. The village of Pointe-au-Pic amalgamated with La Malbaie in 1995, and the villages of Rivière-Malbaie, Saint-Agnès, Cap-à-l'Aigle, and Saint-Fidèle were added in 1999. The neighbouring town of Clermont is located a short 7 km along the Malbaie River.


History

1605: French explorer
Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fr ...
fails to find suitable anchorage on his arrival in the area in May and names the bay ''Malle Baye'' (old French for “bad bay”). 1688: Rudimentary settlement begins at La Malbaie to export lumber to France, but the focus quickly turns to the fur trade and beluga fishing. 1724: A farm established at La Malbaie begins providing meat and grain to the French king's trading posts along the St. Lawrence River. 1763: Two Scottish officers of the British Army— John Nairne (1731–1802) and Malcolm Fraser (1733–1815)—receive concessions in the area from the British Crown. Nairne's encompasses the tiny settlement of La Malbaie and the western side of the Malbaie River. Fraser's stretches to the east. They also rename the bay, settlement, and river “Murray Bay” after James Murray (1721–1794), a British general and the successor to Wolfe. Murray Bay never becomes the official name, but is the internationally accepted toponym in the 18th and 19th centuries even though La Malbaie remains in local use. 1774: The parish of Saint-Étienne-de-la-Malbaie is founded. 1825: The parish is canonically established. 1830: The steamship ''Waterloo'' pays a visit to La Malbaie “on a pleasure trip,” the first such recorded commercial visit. Circa 1840: For the first time, well-to-do visitors begin to summer in La Malbaie. 1853: Construction of a quay on piles at Pointe-au-Pic makes it possible for steamers to begin providing regular service to leisure travellers. 1855: The Parish Municipality of Saint-Étienne-de-Murray-Bay is founded. 1876: The Murray Bay Golf Club opens, the third oldest course in North America and the oldest still operating at the same location. 1892: Future president of the United States
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
and his family begin summering in La Malbaie, where he will visit every year for nearly forty years except for his term of office as president. 1896: The village itself is separated from the parish municipality and incorporated as the Village Municipality of La Malbaie. 1899: The luxurious 250-room Manoir Richelieu opens its doors to serve the flood of summertime visitors. 1914: Newly retired U.S. president
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
becomes president of the Murray Bay Golf Club, a position he will hold for seven years. 1925: A second golf course opens, the competition-class Manoir Richelieu course. 1928: At the end of the tourist season, the Manoir Richelieu is completely destroyed by fire. It will be rebuilt before the next season begins in 1929. 1957: Saint-Étienne-de-Murray-Bay is renamed Saint-Étienne-de la-Malbaie. 1958: The Village Municipality of La Malbaie officially becomes a town. 1965: The Town of La Malbaie annexes the parish municipality. 1995: The Town of La Malbaie and the Village Municipality of Pointe-au-Pic merge to form the Town of La Malbaie–Pointe-au-Pic. 1999: The Municipalities of Rivière-Malbaie and Saint-Fidèle, the Village Municipality of Cap-à-l’Aigle, the Parish Municipality of Saint-Agnès, and the Town of La Malbaie–Pointe-au-Pic amalgamate to form the new Town of La Malbaie. 2018: La Malbaie's Manoir Richelieu plays host to the 44th G7 summit, hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. La Malbaie has a long history as a holiday destination. Tourism in the area began to develop as far back as 1760 when the
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
feudal lords Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...
John Nairne and Malcolm Fraser began receiving visitors to the region at their estates. The family of Charlotte Holt Gethings is thought to be among the very first to come to La Malbaie for summer holidays, beginning around 1840. Every summer, particularly from the late 1800s on, “Murray Bay” welcomed America's most fashionable families. They picnicked and played, went fishing and swimming, and entertained lavishly in their sprawling but modestly named “cottages” on The Boulevard (today's “Chemin des Falaises”). Many of their descendants still visit every summer to this day. People called Murray Bay the “Newport of Canada.” Tycoons mingled with mayors and governors and justices of the Supreme Court, there to escape the sweltering cities to the south. And conversation was “easy, intimate, and usually about golf” reported ''New Yorker'' magazine in 1924. One regular visitor of note for nearly forty years was
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
, who served as president of the United States from 1909 to 1913. He once famously remarked that “The invigorating air of Murray Bay exhilarates like champagne without the effects of the morning after.” The residents of Murray Bay were very demonstrative in their affection for Taft, referring to him as “le petit juge,” lifting their caps to him as he drove by, and performing
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
sketches during the winter months in which he was played by the most rotund villager. They burned a candle at the time of his death, and spat upon hearing of his betrayal by
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
. Members of the
Taft family The Taft family of the United States has historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions such as U.S. Representative (two), Governor of Ohio, ...
are still a part of the local summer scene. The American heritage of La Malbaie is still present in the inns and country homes, in bed & breakfasts frozen in time, and in the imposing Fairmont Manoir Richelieu, which hosted the world's political elite at the 44th G7 Summit in June 2018.


Geography

La Malbaie is located in the
Charlevoix Seismic Zone The Charlevoix Seismic Zone is a seismically active area in the Charlevoix region of northeastern Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the Charlevoix-Kamouraska Seismic Zone because earthquakes occur in Kamouraska County where the land expression ...
, which is the most active
seismic zone In seismology, a seismic zone or seismic belt is an area of seismicity potentially sharing a common cause. It may also be a region on a map for which a common areal rate of seismicity is assumed for the purpose of calculating probabilistic ground ...
in
Eastern Canada Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrador, ...
. La Malbaie is notable for having an extremely high seismic risk, although a significant earthquake has not occurred in the region recently.


Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, La Malbaie had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. *Mother tongue: ** English as first language: 0.4% ** French as first language: 98.0% ** English and French as first language: 0% ** Other as first language: 1.6%


Local government

The following is a list of Mayors of La Malbaie. * Joseph Couturier, 1905–1906 * Alphonse Guay, 1907–1914 * Joseph-Arthur Lapointe, 1915–1916; 1921–1924 * Joseph-Edouard Cauchon, 1917–1920 * Rolland Warren, 1920 * Joseph T. Tremblay, 1925–1930 * Ernest Carré, 1930–1939 * Ludovic Couturier, 1939–1941 * Jean-Charles Rochette, 1941–1948 * Alcide Harvey, 1948–1951 * Henri-Paul Couturier, 1951 * Boris Maltais, 1951–1958 * Martial Asselin, 1958–1963 * Louis-Philippe Dufour, 1964–1965 * Paul X. Laberge, 1966–1970 * Lucien Harvey, 1970–1986 * Claudette B. Bergeron, 1986–1989 * Jules Maltais, 1989–1995 * Jean Lajoie, 1995 * Louis Bergeron, 1995–2002 * Jean-Luc Simard, 2002–2009 * Lise Lapointe, 2009-2013 * Michel Couturier, 2013–present


Attractions

La Malbaie's scenic beauty and closeness to nature have always been popular draws. A steamer menu from the earliest days of tourism included a note that “Many families from Quebec visit Malbaie in the summer for the benefit of salt water bathing, the water here being perfectly sea-salt. There is also excellent salmon fishing . . . Sea trout are likewise taken here of a considerable size and several small lakes at a few miles distance afford abundance of trout.” Modern visitors still come for the scenery, but are more likely to swim in the pools of the Manoir Richelieu than in the salt-water river. And they not only fish, but also go hiking, cycling, and golfing in summer, and skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling in winter. However, “the romance of the French Canadian culture is surely the greatest draw” remarked one regular summer resident from the U.S. when queried.Email from Sara Muspratt, January 10, 2021 La Malbaie's most noted landmark is the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, a hotel operated under the
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a global chain of luxury hotels that operates more than 70 properties worldwide, with a strong presence in Canada. The company originated from two hotel businesses established in the late 19th century, the Canadian P ...
banner. It was first built in 1899, then rebuilt in 1929 after it was destroyed by fire. The building was acquired by Fairmont in 1998 and reopened under the current banner in 1999. It is particularly noted for its panoramic location on a cliff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The hotel hosted the 44th G7 summit, June 8–9, 2018. The Casino de Charlevoix is located next to the Manoir. La Malbaie has two golf courses. The Manoir's is perched panoramically on the hilltop above the hotel, while the Murray Bay Golf Club is tucked into the bay near the centre of town. Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park, about northwest of town, is popular with outdoor enthusiasts. It features hiking and cycling trails and a scenic boat tour on the Malbaie River. Mont Grand-Fonds is a ski hill located about north of town. It features a vertical drop of and average annual snowfall of . It also has of cross-country ski trails and of snowshoe trails. Musée de Charlevoix is a museum of history and popular art located within walking distance of many local hotels and inns. The Cap-à-l’Aigle sector of La Malbaie (across the bay from the main part of town) is a member of Quebec's association of most beautiful villages. With its many heritage residences and inns, it is a popular place to go for a stroll, particularly in June when its lilac trees are in full bloom. Cap-à-l’Aigle also has a marina. Agrotourism is a big draw in La Malbaie and throughout Charlevoix, with many local producers welcoming visitors. Observatoire de l’Astroblème de Charlevoix is an interpretation centre on the meteorite origins of Charlevoix's geography. Although the whales don't often venture as far upriver as La Malbaie, the town is within easy driving distance of
Tadoussac Tadoussac () is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers. The indigenous Innu call the place ''Totouskak'' (plural for ''totouswk'' or ''totochak'') meaning " bosom", probably in reference to the t ...
, where visitors can take a whale-watching tour and visit the Saguenay Fjord.


Notable people

* Laure Conan (1845–1924), pen name of Marie-Louise-Félicité Angers, French-Canadian novelist *
Francis Cabot Francis Higginson Cabot, (August 6, 1925 – November 19, 2011) was an American financier, gardener and horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivat ...
(1925-2011), American gardener and horticulturalist *
Ann-Renée Desbiens Ann-Renée Desbiens (born April 10, 1994) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender for the Montreal chapter of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and member of the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She participated at ...
(1993–), Olympic ice hockey player


See also

*
1925 Charlevoix–Kamouraska earthquake The 1925 Charlevoix–Kamouraska earthquake struck northeastern North America on February 28, reaching 6.2 on the moment magnitude scale. It was one of the most powerful measured in Canada in the 20th century, with a maximum perceived intensity o ...
* Cap-à-l'Aigle, a sector of La Malbaie *
Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality Charlevoix-Est is a regional county municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. The seat is Clermont. Subdivisions There are 9 subdivisions within the RCM: ;Cities & Towns (2) * Clermont * La Malbaie ;Municipalities (5 ...
*
Charlevoix tourist train The Train de Charlevoix is a tourist rail service between Beauport ( Chutes Montmorency) and La Malbaie, Quebec, with an additional stop in Baie-Saint-Paul and in the winter at the Le Massif ski area, a distance of about . It is owned and opera ...
* Comporté River * Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park * Jacob River (Quebec) *
List of cities in Quebec This is the list of municipalities that have the Quebec municipality type of city (''ville'', code=V), an administrative division defined by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy. Note that although the terms "city" and ...
* Mailloux River * Malbaie River * Port au Saumon River * Rivière de Chicago * Rivière Jean-Noël Nord-Est


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:La Malbaie Cities and towns in Quebec Incorporated places in Capitale-Nationale