Valcourt (French pronunciation: [valkuʁ]) is a town in Quebec in Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec.

Valcourt
Location within Le Val-Saint-François RCM.
Location within Le Val-Saint-François RCM.
Valcourt is located in Southern Quebec
Valcourt
Valcourt
Location in southern Quebec.
Coordinates: 45°30′N 72°19′W / 45.500°N 72.317°W / 45.500; -72.317[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionEstrie
RCMLe Val-Saint-François
ConstitutedOctober 19, 1929
Government
 • MayorLaurian Gagné
 • Federal ridingShefford
 • Prov. ridingRichmond
Area
 • Total
5.50 km2 (2.12 sq mi)
 • Land5.03 km2 (1.94 sq mi)
Elevation
365 m (1,198 ft)
Population
 • Total
2,349
 • Density467.3/km2 (1,210/sq mi)
 • Pop 2006-2011
Steady 0.0%
 • Dwellings
1,106
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code(s)450 and 579
Highways R-222
Websitewww.valcourt.ca

The town is accessible via Quebec Route 222.

Toponymy

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The town of Valcourt is enclaved by Valcourt (township).[1] The name of Valcourt makes reference to the origin of this township.[5]

The origins of Valcourt go back to 1802, the year where the first inhabitants came to establish themselves in the township of Ely, named after the city in Great Britain. The first inhabitants were Loyalists, but by 1840 Canadiens began to arrive in the area. The first parish was created in 1856, and a civil entity in 1865 under the name of Township of Ely. The official name of Valcourt was not given until 1965, and took the name of the post office and the railroad station belonging to the Canadian Pacific Railway.[5]

Many hypotheses exist as to the naming of Valcourt. The first is situated in the fact that a small valley in French would be a val court. The second is the deformation of a certain family name between 1849 and 1850 of Dalcourt. The last hypothesis is the existence of a village in the United States by the name of Valcour, situated just south of the border with Canada and the state of New York.[5]

Demographics

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Historical Census Data - Valcourt, Quebec[6]
YearPop.±%
1991 2,284—    
1996 2,442+6.9%
2001 2,411−1.3%
2006 2,349−2.6%
2011 2,349+0.0%

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Valcourt had a population of 2,139 living in 1,052 of its 1,123 total private dwellings, a change of -1.2% from its 2016 population of 2,165. With a land area of 5.41 km2 (2.09 sq mi), it had a population density of 395.4/km2 (1,024.0/sq mi) in 2021.[7]

Mother tongue (2011)[4]

Language Population Pct (%)
French only 2,215 96.5%
English only 45 2.00%
English and French 20 0.9%
Non-official languages 15 0.6%

Famous people

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The inventor of the snowmobile, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, was born in Valcourt.[5]

Tourist attractions

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BRP Factory
 
Véhicule de 1931

The J. Armand Bombardier museum is situated on the territory of the municipality. The main theme of the museum is the interpretation of the history of the snowmobile industry and of its inventor, Joseph-Armand Bombardier.[8] The museum also houses three exhibition halls and a temporary exhibition hall.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gouvernement du Québec. "Commission de la Topnymie du Québec - Valcourt". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Valcourt". Archived from the original on 2011-12-27. Retrieved 2011-06-16.
  3. ^ Parliament of Canada Federal Riding History: Valcourt (Quebec)
  4. ^ a b c 2011 Statistics Canada Census Profile: Valcourt, Quebec
  5. ^ a b c d Gouvernement du Québec. "Commission de la Topnymie du Québec - Canton de Valcourt". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  6. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  7. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  8. ^ a b [Lien web |url=http://www.museebombardier.com/fr/content/musee/histoire.htm Archived 2010-04-01 at the Wayback Machine |titre=Histoire du Musée J. Armand Bombardier |auteur=Musée J. Armand Bombardier |site= |consulté le=15 octobre 2010.]
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