Murdochville, Quebec

Murdochville is a town in Quebec, Canada, one of only a few inland communities on the Gaspé Peninsula. Its population (as of 2011) is 764.

Murdochville
City
Location within La Côte-de-Gaspé RCM.
Murdochville
Location in eastern Quebec.
Coordinates: 48°58′N 65°30′W[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionGaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
RCMLa Côte-de-Gaspé
Settled1950
ConstitutedJuly 15, 1953
Government
 • MayorDélisca Ritchie Roussy
 • Federal ridingGaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine
 • Prov. ridingGaspé
Area
 • Total63.80 km2 (24.63 sq mi)
 • Land61.18 km2 (23.62 sq mi)
Elevation
535 m (1,755 ft)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total764
 • Density12.5/km2 (32/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011
 5.9%
 • Dwellings
508
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G0E 1W0
Area code(s)418 and 581
Highways Route 198
Websitewww.murdochville.com

Murdochville is located along Quebec Route 198 in the geographic township of Holland, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of L'Anse-Pleureuse and 93 kilometres (58 mi) west of Gaspé. It is 535 metres (1,755 ft) above sea level and surrounded by high mountains.

History
Ski hill, looking north from Murdochville

In 1921, copper ore was discovered in the area by the Miller brothers: Alfred, Sydney, Frederick, Angus and Theophilus. However, it was not until 1950 that Noranda Mines actually began mining. The mining town was set up and named after James Y. Murdoch, owner of the mine and first president of Noranda. In 1953, the town was incorporated.[1]

The mining operation in the town was comparatively large, starting with mining the raw ore and finishing with an end product of pure copper anode. In the 1970s, the mining operation in Murdochville was large enough to support a population of 5,000 inhabitants. A number of large union battles in Murdochville also helped lay the groundwork for ideas that still exist today. The 1957 Murdochville strike led to the adoption of several new laws protecting the rights of unionized workers in Quebec.

In 1987, the mine was partially destroyed by an underground fire, and mining only resumed two years later.[1]

The mine closed in 1999, leaving the town to fight for survival. After several close calls, the small town has decided to fight back, in an effort to reverse the economic uncertainty that has befallen the town. This has included the creation of several large wind turbine projects, along with the diversification of the local economy, with emphasis on tourism (such as skiing in the winter months).

Demographics

Population
Canada census – Murdochville, Quebec community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 651 (-14.8% from 2011) 764 (-5.9% from 2006) 812 (-30.7% from 2001)
Land area: 61.37 km2 (23.70 sq mi) 61.18 km2 (23.62 sq mi) 61.18 km2 (23.62 sq mi)
Population density: 10.6/km2 (27/sq mi) 12.5/km2 (32/sq mi) 13.3/km2 (34/sq mi)
Median age: 51.8 (M: 50.3, F: 53.5) 48.8 (M: 49.1, F: 48.6) 47.7 (M: 47.3, F: 48.0)
Total private dwellings: 512 508 552
Median household income: $63,127 $33,013 $37,272
References: 2016[4] 2011[3] 2006[5] earlier[6]
Historical Census Data - Murdochville, Quebec[7]
YearPop.±%
1991 1,689—    
1996 1,595−5.6%
YearPop.±%
2001 1,171−26.6%
2006 812−30.7%
YearPop.±%
2011 764−5.9%
2016 651−14.8%

Language
Canada Census Mother Tongue - Murdochville, Quebec[7]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2011
760
 725 0.0% 95.39% 30 0.0% 3.95% 5 n/a% 0.66% 0 100.0% 0.00%
2006
805
 725 34.4% 90.06% 30 14.3% 3.73% 0 100.0% 0.00% 50 400.0% 6.21%
2001
1,175
 1,105 25.6% 94.04% 35 65.0% 2.98% 25 150.0% 2.13% 10 n/a% 0.85%
1996
1,595
 1,485 n/a 93.10% 100 n/a 6.27% 10 n/a 0.63% 0 n/a 0.00%

Climate

Murdochville has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb). Summers are relatively cool and short, whereas winters are long and at times very cold with massive amounts of snowfall. The brief summers are, however, mild enough to keep September (the fourth-warmest month) right above the 10 °C (50 °F) isotherm for a humid continental climate.

Climate data for Murdochville, Quebec
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3)		 15.6
(60.1)		 16.7
(62.1)		 23.5
(74.3)		 29.4
(84.9)		 33.0
(91.4)		 33.5
(92.3)		 32.8
(91.0)		 28.9
(84.0)		 24.0
(75.2)		 20.0
(68.0)		 10.6
(51.1)		 33.5
(92.3)
Average high °C (°F) −9.1
(15.6)		 −7.9
(17.8)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 5.2
(41.4)		 12.5
(54.5)		 18.2
(64.8)		 21.0
(69.8)		 20.2
(68.4)		 14.3
(57.7)		 7.3
(45.1)		 0.5
(32.9)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 6.2
(43.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −13.8
(7.2)		 −12.7
(9.1)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 0.8
(33.4)		 7.5
(45.5)		 13.1
(55.6)		 16.2
(61.2)		 15.6
(60.1)		 10.2
(50.4)		 3.9
(39.0)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −9.7
(14.5)		 1.8
(35.3)
Average low °C (°F) −18.4
(−1.1)		 −17.3
(0.9)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 2.4
(36.3)		 7.9
(46.2)		 11.4
(52.5)		 10.9
(51.6)		 6.0
(42.8)		 0.5
(32.9)		 −6.0
(21.2)		 −13.5
(7.7)		 −2.6
(27.4)
Record low °C (°F) −36.1
(−33.0)		 −36.7
(−34.1)		 −29.0
(−20.2)		 −22.2
(−8.0)		 −12.8
(9.0)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 1.5
(34.7)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −6.1
(21.0)		 −15.0
(5.0)		 −21.0
(−5.8)		 −30.5
(−22.9)		 −36.7
(−34.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 101
(4.0)		 73
(2.9)		 102
(4.0)		 80
(3.1)		 64
(2.5)		 87
(3.4)		 111
(4.4)		 96
(3.8)		 79
(3.1)		 87
(3.4)		 111
(4.4)		 127
(5.0)		 1,118
(44)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 91.1
(35.9)		 68.5
(27.0)		 91.4
(36.0)		 56.7
(22.3)		 10.6
(4.2)		 0.3
(0.1)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.0)		 0.5
(0.2)		 23.4
(9.2)		 77.3
(30.4)		 111.5
(43.9)		 531.4
(209.2)
Average precipitation days 14.8 12.8 13.9 12.4 12.3 13.7 15.0 13.0 13.5 13.6 17.4 17.2 169.6
Average rainy days 1.3 0.6 1.9 4.7 10.7 13.7 15.0 13.0 13.3 10.0 5.2 2.0 91.4
Average snowy days 14.2 12.5 12.6 8.3 2.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 4.8 13.2 16.2 84.4
Source: [8]

See also
  • List of cities in Quebec

References
  1. "Murdochville (ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  2. "Murdochville". Répertoire des municipalités (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  3. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  4. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  5. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  6. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
  7. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
  8. "Historical Weather for Murdochville, Quebec". Weatherbase. Retrieved July 5, 2012.



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