Maria is a

municipality 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 ...

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.

History

Maria had been the location of a

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...

summer coastal community prior to European settlement. In 1774, the area began to be settled by American Loyalists, and Scottish and Irish settlers. In 1842, the geographic township was formed, named in honour of Lady Maria Howard, wife of Guy Carleton and third daughter of

Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham Lieutenant-General Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham (1714 – 19 November 1763), styled Lord Howard from 1731 to 1743, was a British nobleman and Army officer, the son of Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham. Lord Howard was appointed a dep ...

. In 1845, the Township Municipality of Maria was established, dissolved, and re-established in 1855. In 1860, the place experienced rapid development when a group of

Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the des ...

arrived and founded the Parish of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Maria. In 1977, Maria changed status from township municipality to just municipality.

Economics

The main economy of the municipality is the hospital which serves the entire region. The hospital of Maria was built between New Richmond and

Carleton-sur-Mer Carleton-sur-Mer is the fifth largest town of the Gaspésie's south shore, in southeastern Quebec, Canada, located on Route 132, along Chaleur Bay. It is the seat of the Avignon Regional County Municipality. The town's territory includes the co ...

Demographics

Notable people

Marie-Christine Lévesque Marie-Christine Lévesque (1958 – 16 July 2020) was a Canadian art director, author and editor. As an art director she won the 2005 Applied Arts Award for the cover design of ''9 Vues''. Her partner was Serge Bouchard and she co-authored books ...

, author

References

External links