Buckingham is a former town located in the
Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts and the Papineau region. Geographically, it is located on the north side of the Ottawa ...
region in the western portion of the province 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 thirtee ...
, Canada. Since 1 January 2002, it has been part of the
amalgamated
Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form.
Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal
**Pan ama ...
city of
Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...
, which merged five former municipalities, including
Masson-Angers
Masson-Angers is a former municipality and now a sector within the city of Gatineau. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, in Quebec, Canada, approximately northeast of downtown Ottawa, Ontario. According to the Canada 2011 Ce ...
, Buckingham,
Hull,
Aylmer
Aylmer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Edward Aylmer, Welsh MP
* Edward Aylmer (cricketer), first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer
* Felix Aylmer, English stage actor
* Sir Fenton Aylmer, 13th Baronet, British Arm ...
and Gatineau, into a single entity. According to the 2016 Census, the population of the town was 16,685.
History
First years
It was in 1799, that land in this area was granted to John Robertson, a former member of a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
regiment. The first people settled in Buckingham in 1823 and the first mill was built. More people moved to Buckingham in the years that followed.
[Historique/ History Buckingham (Québec) Canada, Maclaren Etc](_blank)
Launch of the lumber industry
In 1812,
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
initiated a
continental blockade
The Continental Blockade (), or Continental System, was a large-scale embargo against British trade by Napoleon Bonaparte against the British Empire from 21 November 1806 until 11 April 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon issued the Berlin ...
which forced
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
to look to other sources for importing lumber. Soon, large wooded areas were discovered in
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...
, including the area that became the
Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts and the Papineau region. Geographically, it is located on the north side of the Ottawa ...
region. The
lumber industry
The wood industry or timber industry (sometimes lumber industry -- when referring mainly to sawed boards) is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products (e.g. furnitu ...
was central to the region's economic development for over a century with
wood pulp
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemical or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw mate ...
continuing to be important for several decades afterwards. In 1837, the first sawmill was built by Levi Bigelow.
Maclaren family
Throughout its history, the city of Buckingham's economy has been dominated by the Albright and Wilson Co (ERCO), which employs most of the people in that area. The Maclaren family may have lived in Buckingham but their industry is part of Masson.
The Maclaren family, who have resided in the region since 1840, have dominated the lumber industry in the Outaouais for over a century. In 1864,
James Maclaren
James Maclaren (March 19, 1818 – February 10, 1892) was an early settler and entrepreneur in western Quebec.
Maclaren was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1818. He came to Richmond in Upper Canada with his family in 1822. The family then settl ...
launched the family's activities in Buckingham by building a sawmill. The company became J. MacLaren & Co. and later The James Maclaren Company Limited. James' two brothers acquired the company after his death in 1892 and then launched a
match
A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
company in Buckingham in 1894 which was incorporated a year later. The Maclarens later gained control of the
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...
market in the community and also
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
development and sports facilities. The company built a hydroelectric dam along the
Du Lièvre River, just north of Buckingham, at the start of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. They later built another one near Masson during the 1950s.
In 1902, the Maclaren group added the wood pulp industry to its activities by building a mill. They later expanded their activities across the region, adding mills in
Masson,
Mont-Laurier
Mont-Laurier () is a town and incorporated municipality in northwest Quebec, Canada, located on the banks of the Lièvre River (''Rivière du Lièvre''), a tributary of the Ottawa River. Known as the "Capital of the Haute-Laurentides", the motto ...
and
Thurso
Thurso (pronounced ; sco, Thursa, gd, Inbhir Theòrsa ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great ...
located not too far from the Du Lièvre River. The Buckingham mill closed shortly before 1960.
Former amalgamation
From 1975 to 1980, the townships of Buckingham,
Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette,
L'Ange-Gardien, Buckingham-Sud-Est, Buckingham-Ouest,
Angers and Masson were amalgamated.
Development
Population growth has been relatively slow because of its location about from downtown
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. However, due to
suburban
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
growth and amalgamation of the town in 2002, several residential developments were created and the population increased. Buckingham is becoming more of a suburban town while still keeping its traditional characteristics in the centre-town area.
Amalgamation with the city of Gatineau
On January 1, 2002, the city of Buckingham with its 12,000 residents became part of the new city of Gatineau. This was part of a massive merger movement created by the
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...
' Bill 180, which was introduced in 2000 by the Municipal Affairs
Minister Louise Harel
Louise Harel (born April 22, 1946) is a Quebec politician. In 2005 she served as interim leader of the Parti Québécois following the resignation of Bernard Landry. She was also interim leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Que ...
after studies conducted by public agents.
In 2003, the
Quebec Liberal Party
The Quebec Liberal Party (QLP; french: Parti libéral du Québec, PLQ) is a provincial political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955. The QLP has always been associated with the colour red; e ...
, with
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest (; born June 24, 1958) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 29th premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012 and the fifth deputy prime minister of Canada in 1993. Charest was elected to the House of ...
as the leader, won the
2003 provincial election and promised a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
would be held on the possibility of demerging municipalities. The referendum was held on June 20, 2004, but the majority of the population voted against the demerger and Buckingham thus remained part of the city of Gatineau.
Château dairy
The
dairy industry
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a ...
was also a major economic asset in the community with Le Château having some of its operations in Buckingham. However, in 2006, Agrodor, a
Saguenay-based company that owns the Chateau brand, announced the shutdown of its operations in the Outaouais. The local business sector had launched measures to save the company which has operated in the region since 1943.
After the shutdown of the Château dairy operations in Buckingham, a committee was established to bring dairy production back to the region. Construction started on November 12, 2008, on the future site of what would be called Laiterie de l’Outaouais. The plant officially opened on June 16, 2010.
Buckingham en Fête
Each year since 1991, during the month of July, the Buckingham sector hosted Buckingham en Fête, its biggest annual event, which was held in the town's Maclaren Park. Several well-known artists in Quebec and in Canada, including
Éric Lapointe,
Marjo Marjo may refer to:
* Marjo (singer), Canadian singer-songwriter, given name Marjolène
* Marjo (name), Finnish and Dutch given name
See also
* Marijo
Marijo is a South Slavic masculine given name, cognate to Mario
is a character (arts), ...
,
Jean Leloup
Jean Leclerc (born May 14, 1961) is a French-speaking Quebecer, Québécois singer-songwriter and author from Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada. He is popularly known as Jean Leloup (which he likes to translate to John the Wolf), a s ...
La Chicane
La Chicane is a Canadian francophone rock band based in Val-d'Or, Quebec. Their sound is described as "jazz-rock" or "lounge rock".
History
La Chicane was formed in 1993 in Val-d'Or, Quebec by Boom Desjardins, Alain Villeneuve, Suzanne Dufour, C ...
,
Amanda Marshall
Amanda Meta Marshall (born August 29, 1972) is a Canadian pop-rock singer. She has released three studio albums; the first was certified Diamond in Canada, with the latter two certified 3× Platinum and Platinum respectively. She is best known f ...
and
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwin since its inception, April Wine's first success came with its second album, '' On Record'' (1972), which reac ...
, have performed over the years at the festival. However, due to financial difficulties, the festival nearly disappeared. According to the festival's website, the 17th edition in 2007 was still expected to go underway as planned.
In 2016, the festival decided to end the celebration of the festivals with its 25th festival due to financial difficulties caused by the raining during the festival.
Over its history, the festival has received numerous distinctions and awards both regionally and provincially.
Mayors of Buckingham (1868-2001)
Source:
*James Wilson (1867-1871)
*McPherson LeMoine (1872-1873)
*John Cosgrove (1874-1876)
*H.H. Sauvé (1877-1878)
*
James Maclaren
James Maclaren (March 19, 1818 – February 10, 1892) was an early settler and entrepreneur in western Quebec.
Maclaren was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1818. He came to Richmond in Upper Canada with his family in 1822. The family then settl ...
(1879-1882)
*H.H. Sauvé (1883-1885)
*James Maclaren (1885-1886)
*George L. Parker (1887-1892)
*William J. MacKenzier (1893)
*James Martin (1894-1895)
*Alexander Maclaren (1896-1897)
*John Cosgrove (1898-1899)
*J. Palma Lahaie (1900-1901)
*John Edward Vallilee (1902-1906)
*William H. Kelly (1907-1908)
*Aristide M. LaPierre (1909-1910)
*John F. Higginson (1911-1918)
*Désiré Lahaie (1918-1926)
*F.C. Dunscombe (1926-1928)
*Aristide M. LaPierre (1928-1930)
*Wolfe J. Costello (1930-1932)
*Philoxime A. Fournier (1932-1944)
*Philias Matte (1944-1948)
*Elzéar Malette (1948-1950)
*Philias Matte (1950-1956)
*Arthur Latour (1956-1958)
*Reginald Cameron (1958-1962)
*Ulysse Tremblay (1962-1967)
*Roger D'Aoust (1967-1974)
*Reginald W. Scullion (1975-1995)
*Jacques Lareau (1995-1999)
*Jocelyne Houle (1999-2001)
Education
The
Western Québec School Board Western Québec School Board (WQSB, french: Commission scolaire Western Québec) is an English-language school district based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. (WQSB) operates the only English public school in the sector which is Buckingham Elementary School. WQSB also operates the closest public English secondary schools which are Hadley Junior High School and
Philemon Wright High School
Philemon Wright High School is an anglophone high school located in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is administered by the Western Quebec School Board and named after Philemon Wright, founder of Hull. Philemon Wright High scho ...
just over 30 minutes away in Gatineau, QC and accessible via school bus.
The Francophone school district
Commission scolaire au Cœur-des-Vallées
Commission or commissioning may refer to:
Business and contracting
* Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered
** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of another ...
, headquartered in Buckingham, operates public schools in that district.
The closest Francophone
CEGEP
A CEGEP ( or ; ), also written cégep, CÉGEP and cegep, is a publicly funded college providing technical, academic, vocational or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, i ...
,
Cégep de l'Outaouais
Cégep de l'Outaouais (formerly known as ''Collège de l'Outaouais'') is the biggest public college (CEGEP) in the Outaouais region. It is located in the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. In 2002, about 75% of the region's high school graduates ...
, is located half an hour away, with two campuses in
Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...
and one in
Hull. Located next to the
CEGEP
A CEGEP ( or ; ), also written cégep, CÉGEP and cegep, is a publicly funded college providing technical, academic, vocational or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, i ...
in Hull, the closest public English language College is
Heritage College.
The
Université du Québec en Outaouais
The Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) is a constituent university of the Université du Québec system located in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. As of September 2010, combined enrolment at UQO's Gatineau and Saint-Jérôme campuses was 6,017, ...
has two pavilions in the Outaouais region, both located in Hull. Students wishing to pursue undergraduate studies also benefit from close proximity to
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottawa ...
, although tuition fees tend to be much higher when compared to those in the province of Quebec for Quebec residents.
Health and social services
The Hôpital de Papineau is located on MacLaren East Street at the intersection of Bélanger Street. Services include
outpatient clinics
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
for
mental health care
A mental health professional is a health care practitioner or social and human services provider who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental disorders. This broad category was developed as a ...
, as well as many medical and surgical specialties such as
internal medicine,
orthopedics
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
,
general surgery
General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid ...
and
endoscopy
An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body. The endoscopy procedure uses an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike many other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are insert ...
. An
emergency department
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pati ...
with
medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...
and
laboratory
A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...
services is also available
24/7
In commerce and industry, 24/7 or 24-7 service (usually pronounced "twenty-four seven") is service that is available at any time and usually, every day. An alternate orthography for the numerical part includes 24×7 (usually pronounced "twenty ...
.
Transportation
Société de transport de l'Outaouais
Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) is the transit service of the Outaouais region of Quebec. It operates conventional services and the Rapibus, a bus rapid transit service, in Gatineau, Quebec, including the districts of Hull, Aylmer, G ...
(STO) is the transit service of the
Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts and the Papineau region. Geographically, it is located on the north side of the Ottawa ...
region 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 thirtee ...
. It operates conventional services and the
Rapibus
The Rapibus is a bus rapid transit system for the Société de Transport de l'Outaouais ( STO) in the city of Gatineau, Quebec. Construction was completed in the summer of 2013 with service beginning in the fall. The Rapibus aims to speed up ...
, a
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
service, in
Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...
, Quebec, including the districts of
Hull,
Aylmer
Aylmer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Edward Aylmer, Welsh MP
* Edward Aylmer (cricketer), first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer
* Felix Aylmer, English stage actor
* Sir Fenton Aylmer, 13th Baronet, British Arm ...
,
Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...
, Buckingham and
Masson-Angers
Masson-Angers is a former municipality and now a sector within the city of Gatineau. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, in Quebec, Canada, approximately northeast of downtown Ottawa, Ontario. According to the Canada 2011 Ce ...
. STO is located on the Quebec-side of Canada's
National Capital Region
A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
, and operates several bus routes through
Downtown Ottawa
Downtown Ottawa is the central area of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the Central Business District and contains Ottawa's financial district. It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the ea ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
See also
*
Municipal reorganization in Quebec
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
*
Buckingham District - municipal electoral district coinciding with Buckingham
References
External links
History of Buckingham, QuebecSite of Buckingham en Fete
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1799
Populated places disestablished in 2002
History of Gatineau
Neighbourhoods in Gatineau
Former municipalities in Quebec
Former cities in Quebec
Hudson's Bay Company trading posts