Eeyou Istchee James Bay (, ) is a local municipality in the (TE) in

administrative region Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

of . Located to the east of

James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...

, Eeyou Istchee James Bay covers of land, making it the largest incorporated municipality in Canada — only eight unorganized territories are larger. Its territory covers almost entirely the Equivalent territory of

Jamésie Jamésie () is a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) of Nord-du-Québec, Canada. Its geographical code is 991 and together with Kativik TE and Eeyou Istchee TE it forms the administrative région and census division ( ...

. The hydroelectric power plants of the La Grande Complex are all located within the municipal boundaries of Eeyou Istchee James Bay, making the municipality strategically important to Quebec's

energy policy Energy policies are the government's strategies and decisions regarding the Energy production, production, Energy distribution, distribution, and World energy supply and consumption, consumption of energy within a specific jurisdiction. Energy ...

. Other important economic sectors are mining, softwood logging, forestry, and tourism.

History

The municipality of

Baie-James The Baie-James () was a List of former municipalities in Quebec, former municipality in northern Quebec, Canada, which existed from 1971 to 2012. Located to the east of James Bay, Baie-James covered of land, making it the largest incorporated ...

was created in 1971 and was run by the board of directors of the ''Société de développement de la Baie James''. It managed the territory of the '' James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement'' between the 49th and 55th parallel, with the exception of the

Cree The Cree, or nehinaw (, ), are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people, numbering more than 350,000 in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada, First Nations. They live prim ...

Category 1 lands and the

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

s of Chapais,

Chibougamau Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...

, Lebel-sur-Quévillon and Matagami. In December 2001, the municipal council was reformed. It became a municipality of a special type directed by the mayors of the four enclave towns, as well as the chairpersons of the local community councils of Radisson, Valcanton and Villebois. An eighth seat was reserved for a representative coming from the non-urban territory. The municipality gained additional authority and could exert certain powers as a regional county. On July 24, 2012, the

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

government signed an accord with the

(''Agreement on Governance in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Territory between the Crees of Eeyou Istchee and the Gouvernement du Québec'') which resulted in the replacement of the municipality of Baie-James by the municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay. The agreement came into force on January 1, 2014, and is designed to give the Cree expanded powers over lands and resources outside of the Cree municipalities and associated reserved land. The new government consist of Cree and Baie-James residents each having an equal number of votes within the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government.

Geography

Eeyou Istchee James Bay, extends from the eastern shore of James Bay to the Otish Mountains of the Laurentian Plateau, its mainly composed of the boreal forest. The municipality comprises all lands of Jamésie (TE) minus the four municipalities of

, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Chapais, and Matagami. However, the territory includes four unconstituted localities (''localités''): * Radisson *Valcanton * Val-Paradis * Villebois

Demographics

The language statistics are as follows (as of the 2021 Census): 48% of Eeyou Istchee James Bay speak French as their first language, 9% speak English as their first language, 0.2% speak both French and English as a first language and 34% have a different first language

Government

Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government (, ) is the administrative body in charge of Eeyou Istchee James Bay. It is the largest country third-level subdivision by land area worldwide. The Regional government covers a territory comprising all lands of Jamésie (TE) minus the four local municipalities (''municipalité locale'') — also known as the ''enclosed municipalities — of

, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Chapais, and Matagami, and eight of the nine Cree communities (''communautés crie'') of Eeyou Istchee TE. However, the territory includes four unconstituted localities (''localités''): * Radisson *Valcanton * Val-Paradis * Villebois

Composition & local governance

Local governance is carried out by way of the council of regional government, which for its first ten years is to be composed of 11 Cree representatives, 11 Jamésien representatives, and one non-voting representative of the government of Québec. The Cree representatives consist of the Grand Chief of the

Cree Nation Government The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) or the GCC(EI) (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ in East Cree, Cree), is the Deliberative assembly, political body that represents the approximately 20,000 Cree people (who call themselves "Eeyou" or "Eenou ...

and then ten members appointed by the Board of the Cree Nation Government from within its own ranks. The Jamésien representatives consist of members of the local municipal councils of Chapais, Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, and Matagami as well as non-Crees in the Eeyout Istchee James Bay Territory and are appointed by the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy. Finally, the non-voting representative of the government of Quebec is appointed by the Deputy Minister of the Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire (MAMROT) from amongst its staff.

Current composition

Chairperson: Mandy Gull-Masty Cree representatives are: * Norman A. Wapachee (Vice-Chairperson of Grand Council of the Crees) * Christina Gilpin (Chief of the Cree Nation of Wemindji) * Gaston Cooper (Chief of the Cree Nation of Oujé-Bougoumou) * Clarke Shecapio (Chief of the Cree Nation of Waskaganish) * Raymond Shanoush (Chief of the Cree Nation of Eastmain) * Daisy House (Chief of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi) * Robbie Kawapit (Chief of the Cree Nation of Whapmagoostui) * Irene Neeposh (Chief of the Cree Nation of Waswanipi) * Michael Petawabano (Chief of the Cree Nation of Mistissini) * Clarence Jolly (Chief of the Cree Nation of Nemaska) Jamésien representatives are: * Manon Cyr (Mayor of Chibougamau) * René Dubé (Mayor of Matagami) * Guy Lafrenière (Mayor of Lebel-sur-Quévillon) * Denis Lemoyne (Councilor of Lebel-sur-Quévillon) * André Elliot (President of the locality of Valcanton) * Alain Poirier (Councilor of Chibougamau) * Jacques Fortin (Mayor of Chapais) * Luc Michaud (Councilor of Chibougamau) * Claudine Desgagnés (President of the locality of Valcanton) * Sébastien Lebrun (President of the locality of Radisson) * Jonathan Mattson (Councilor of Chibougamau) Government of Québec representative: Philippe Boivin

Regional governance

The enclaved settlements are not under the jurisdiction of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government unless an enclaved settlement, by a unanimous vote of its local council, requests partnership with the regional government. In that instance, the territorial regional government may carry out the powers of a

regional county municipality The term regional county municipality or RCM (, , MRC) is used in Quebec, Canada to refer to one of 87 county-like political entities. In some older English translations they were called county regional municipality. Regional county municipalit ...

(RCM).

Provincial & federal representation

Eeyou Istchee James Bay forms part of the federal electoral district of

Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou (formerly known as Abitibi, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik and Nunavik—Eeyou) is a federal riding in the province of Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 19 ...

and has been represented by Mandy Gull-Masty of the Liberal since 2025. Provincially, Eeyou Istchee James Bay is part of the Ungava electoral district and is represented by Denis Lamothe of the

Coalition Avenir Québec The Coalition Avenir Québec (, , CAQ) is a Quebec nationalism, Quebec nationalist, Autonomism in Quebec, autonomist and conservatism, conservative

since 2018.

Infrastructure

The primary roads to and within Baie-James are: * Route 109 - provincial highway to Matagami * Route 113 - provincial highway from Val-d'Or to Chibougamau * Route 393 - regional highway to Val-Paradis *

James Bay Road The James Bay Road (), officially the Billy-Diamond Highway (), is a remote wilderness highway winding its way through the Canadian Shield in northwestern Quebec and reaches into the James Bay region. It starts in Matagami, Quebec, Matagami as an ...

- road from Matagami to Radisson * North Road * Trans-Taiga Road - access road to hydro-electric stations of the

James Bay Project The James Bay Project () involves the construction of a series of hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power stations on the La Grande River in northwestern Quebec, Canada by government-owned corporation, state-owned public utility, utility Hydro-Qué ...

Air transportation is through the La Grande Rivière Airport near Radisson, which provides scheduled air service to Montreal and Puvirnituq.

References

External links

Website of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government
{{Authority control Municipalities in Quebec Territories equivalent to a regional county municipality Cree reserves and territories * 2012 establishments in Quebec States and territories established in 2012 First Nations geography of Canada Power sharing