Les Méchins

Les Méchins
Municipality
Location within La Matanie RCM.
Les Méchins Location in eastern Quebec.
Coordinates: 49°00′N 66°59′W
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Bas-Saint-Laurent
RCM	La Matanie
Settled	1850s
Constituted	November 27, 1982
Government
• Mayor	Jean-Sébastien Barriault
• Federal riding	Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia
• Prov. riding	Matane-Matapédia
Area
• Total	469.80 km2 (181.39 sq mi)
• Land	441.39 km2 (170.42 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Total	995
• Density	2.3/km2 (6/sq mi)
• Pop 2016-2021	0.8%
• Dwellings	671
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	G0J 1T0
Area code(s)	418 and 581
Highways	R-132
Website	www.lesmechins.com

Les Méchins is a municipality in Quebec, Canada, about 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Matane along Quebec Route 132.

In addition to Les Méchins (formerly known as Grands-Méchins) itself, the municipality also includes the communities of Anse-des-Méchins, Cherbourg, Cherbourg-Centre, Les Îlets Méchins, and Petits-Méchins.

The name Méchins is of uncertain origin although according to one theory, it may come from the French word méchants, meaning "wicked", and referring to rocks in the sea that would make navigation there dangerous. Another, less likely suggestion is that it may be a transformation of "Matsi", a 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall one-eyed monster of Mi'kmaq folklore who would come down from the mountains with a stick as big as a tree to terrorize the local people.

History

Grands-Mechins in 1930

Colonization began in 1859 when three families arrived. By 1865, it had grown to 119 inhabitants. The Mission of Saint-Édouard was established in 1876 and the following year, the area was incorporated as the United Township Municipality of Dalibaire-et-Romieu. In 1880, the chapel was completed and its registers were opened. From that year onward, the place experienced a development boom due to the founding of a herring smokehouse and maritime industry, including ship building in the late 19th century.

While Méchins became a separate municipality in 1952, it was not until 1982 that the current Municipality of Méchins was formed through the merger of Méchins with Saint-Paulin-Dalibaire (formed in 1954) and Saint-Thomas-de-Cherbourg (formed in 1954).

Demographics

Canada census – Les Méchins community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	995 (+0.8% from 2016)	987 (-10.8% from 2011)	1,107 (-3.6% from 2006)
Land area	441.39 km2 (170.42 sq mi)	443.40 km2 (171.20 sq mi)	441.77 km2 (170.57 sq mi)
Population density	2.3/km2 (6.0/sq mi)	2.2/km2 (5.7/sq mi)	2.5/km2 (6.5/sq mi)
Median age	59.2 (M: 58.8, F: 59.6)	56.8 (M: 56.9, F: 56.8)	53.1 (M: 53.3, F: 53.0)
Private dwellings	671 (total)  519 (occupied)	753 (total)	699 (total)
Median household income	$44,800	$40,576	$36,887

References: 2021 2016 2011 earlier

Historical Census Data - Les Méchins, Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1891 661 —     1901 802 +21.3% 1911 1,006 +25.4% 1921 800 −20.5% 1931 1,201 +50.1%

Year Pop. ±% 1941 1,598 +33.1% 1951 2,804 +75.5% 1956 1,495 −46.7% 1961 1,525 +2.0% 1966 1,438 −5.7%

Year Pop. ±% 1971 1,504 +4.6% 1976 1,459 −3.0% 1981 1,490 +2.1% 1986 1,491 +0.1% 1991 1,339 −10.2%

Year Pop. ±% 1996 1,280 −4.4% 2001 1,220 −4.7% 2006 1,148 −5.9% 2011 1,107 −3.6% 2016 987 −10.8%

Year Pop. ±% 2021 995 +0.8%

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 0.5%
• French as first language: 98.5%
• English and French as first language: 0.5%
• Other as first language: 0.5%

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec