Val-Saint-Gilles () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in northwestern

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, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, in the

Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality (, ''Abitibi West'') is a regional county municipality located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. Its seat is La Sarre. Subdivisions There are 23 subdivisions within the RCM: ;Cities & T ...

about north of

La Sarre La Sarre () is a town in northwestern Quebec, Canada, and is the most populous town and seat of the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality. It is located at the intersection of Routes 111 and 393, on the La Sarre River, a tributary of Lake ...

. It covers 109.39 km² and with a population of 169 in the

2021 Canadian census The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...

, it is the least populous incorporated municipality in the regional county. It lies at the northern edge of the Abitibi

Clay Belt The Clay Belt is a vast tract of fertile soil in Canada, stretching across Cochrane District in Ontario and Abitibi County, Quebec, Abitibi County in Quebec, covering in total with of that in Ontario. It is generally subdivided into the Great ...

. The undulating land is dotted with swamps, a few small lakes, and sand and gravel deposits. Its high point is marked by two hills near the village with an altitude of . The Turgeon River, the only notable river and tributary of the

Harricana River The Harricana River (, ) (also known as Harricanaw River) is a river in western Quebec and northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is long, has a drainage area of , and has a mean discharge of . While 80% of its drainage area is in Quebec, the river f ...

, flows through the north-western part of the municipality.

History

The first settlers, arriving circa 1935 as part of the

Vautrin Vautrin () is a character from the novels of French writer Honoré de Balzac in the ''La Comédie humaine'' series. His real name is Jacques Collin (). He appears in the novels ''Le Père Goriot'' (Father Goriot, 1834/35) under the name Vautrin, ...

Settlement Plan, came from Clermont,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, and

Mont-Laurier Mont-Laurier () is a town and incorporated municipality in western 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 o ...

. In 1937, they founded the Saint-Gilles-de-Clermont Parish, and two years later, the place separated from Clermont Township and was incorporated as the Municipality of Val-Saint-Gilles, named after

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, , , , ; 650 - 710), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 7th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly legendary. A ...

. But because of the harsh land, the settlers could barely make a living and many soon left, reducing the population from over 600 persons to less than 200 today. Its residents mostly commute to La Sarre and the surrounding area, working particularly in the mining and forestry sectors.

Demographics

Population

Language

Government

Municipal council (as of 2023): * Mayor: Alain Guillemette * Councillors: Nancy Filiatrault, Réjean Dicaire, Chloé Roux, Roger Paul, Jean-Marie Lavoie, Marianne Bergeron List of former mayors: * Marc Quirion (...–2005) * Benoît Sarrazin (2005–2009) * Réjean Lambert (2009–2021) * Alain Guillemette (2021–present)

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Municipalities in Quebec Incorporated places in Abitibi-Témiscamingue Populated places established in 1939 1939 establishments in Quebec