Messines is a municipality in the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

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, ...

. It includes the population centres of Messines and Farley. Maniwaki Airport is located in Messines.Maniwaki airport
- La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality

History

Settlement began in 1840, and the village came to be known as Burbidge or Burbridge by 1906, named after Deputy Minister of Justice George Wheelock Burbidge. Further development resulted from agriculture and forestry, and consolidation of the community, at the start of the 1900s, was thanks to the arrival of the railway, which for more than a century connected Hull (

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

) to Maniwaki. The Saint-Raphaël parish was legally constituted in 1906. On August 19, 1921, the municipality was established when it separated from the Township Municipality of

Bouchette Bouchette () is a municipality in the geographic centre of the La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, north of Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the norther ...

. Although the new municipality was named after Messines, Belgium (in honour of the Canadians who fought there during World War I), it was misspelled as Messine (no "s") when incorporated. It was not until 1986 when this was officially corrected. The first municipal council was elected in 1921 with Louis Lécuyer as its first mayor. In the middle of the 20th century, Messines was very active in growing potatoes thanks to its sandy soil, ideal for extensive exploitation of this staple. For many years, an important agricultural co-operative was formed between the local and regional farmers of the day. The original main building of the co-op today houses a sawmill. During the second half of the century, the municipality’s economy gradually changed to tourism and cottagers, thanks to the presence of its magnificent lakes. Some of the more popular ones are: Blue Sea Lake, Big Cedar and Little Cedar Lakes. There are also many forested areas which allow for outdoor activities throughout the year. Today, the municipality is also known for its hunting and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

territories, and for a wide variety of recreational activities available all year long.

Demographics

Local government

List of former mayors: * Ronald Cross 2001–present * Normand St-Jacques 1997-2001 * Ronald Cross 1993-1997 * Marc Beaulieu 1987-1993 * Joseph Mayer 1985-1987 * Marcel Lévesque 1983-1985 * Léo Lafontaine 1978-1983 * Viateur Saumure 1977-1978 * Jean-Louis Latourelle 1972-1977 * Rolland Jolivette 1971-1972 * Jean-Paul Dault 1968-1971 * Rolland Jolivette 1965-1968 * Oscar St-Jacques 1961-1965 * Ludger Beaudoin 1953-1961 * Alexandre Lafrenière 1951-1953 * Oscar St-Jacques 1947-1951 * Alexandre Lafrenière 1945-1947 * Anastase Saumure 1943-1945 * Frank Nault 1942-1943 * Alexandre Lafrenière 1937-1941 * Louis Lécuyer 1935-1937 * Alexandre Lafrenière 1933-1935 * Ernest Noël 1931-1933 * Harmidas Latourelle 1929-1931 * Louis Corbeil 1928-1929 * Louis Lécuyer 1926-1927 * Louis Corbeil 1923-1926 * Louis Lécuyer 1921-1923

References

External links

{{authority control Municipalities in Quebec Incorporated places in Outaouais