Lac-des-Seize-Îles (French pronunciation: [lak de sɛz il]; French for Sixteen Islands Lake) is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Pays-d'en-Haut Regional County Municipality. The municipality surrounds and is named after Sixteen Island Lake (Lac des Seize Îles) with the village situated at the northern end of this lake.

Lac-des-Seize-Îles
Location within Les Pays-d'en-Haut RCM
Location within Les Pays-d'en-Haut RCM
Lac-des-Seize-Îles is located in Central Quebec
Lac-des-Seize-Îles
Lac-des-Seize-Îles
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 45°54′N 74°28′W / 45.900°N 74.467°W / 45.900; -74.467[1]
Country Canada
Province Quebec
RegionLaurentides
RCMLes Pays-d'en-Haut
Settled1897
ConstitutedFebruary 19, 1914
Government
 • MayorCorina Lupu[2]
 • Federal ridingArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel
 • Prov. ridingArgenteuil
Area
 • Total13.30 km2 (5.14 sq mi)
 • Land8.96 km2 (3.46 sq mi)
Elevation290 m (950 ft)
Population
 (2016)[4]
 • Total172
 • Density19.2/km2 (50/sq mi)
 • Pop (2011–16)
Decrease 22.9%
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
Area code(s)450 and 579
Highways R-364
Websitewww.lac-des-seize-iles.ca

Geography

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Lac-des-Seize-Îles is located about 27 kilometers (17 mi) west of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts in the Laurentian Mountains. The municipality is rectangular in shape, completely encompassing Sixteen Island Lake. This lake is 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) long and has an elevation of 290 meters (950 ft). Its descriptive name, which was in use as early as 1899 refers to its islands, however is a misnomer. There are in fact eighteen small islands on the lake, although the two smallest have no official name and have been judged too small for habitation:[5]

  • Amsden
  • Armitage
  • Campbell
  • Christie
  • Cook
  • Kuzik
  • Cossette
  • Gardner
  • Hawthorne
  • Lebel
  • Myers
  • Nettles
  • Rochon-Charbonneau
  • Rodger
  • Shetler
  • Verte

One of the two unnamed islands is commonly referred to as 'Ile aux Bleuets', although Île Armitage was previously named as such.[6]

The shores of Sixteen Island Lake and most of the islands are developed with cottages, making it a popular summer location when the population swells significantly.[5] Most cottages are inaccessible by land and must be reached by boat.

History

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Laurentian House, Sixteen Island Lake, about 1910

Prior to European contact, this territory was occupied by the Weskarini Algonquin First Nation, and recent archaeological searches have uncovered 500-year old Huron and 700-year old Iriquoan pottery vases, suggesting the lake was possibly a meeting place.[7]

The first pioneers arrived in this place in 1897, coming mainly from Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford and Roxton Falls. The post office opened a year later in 1898, identified under the English name of Sixteen Island Lake. In 1901, the mission of Notre-Dame-de-la-Sagesse was established and became a parish in 1937. In 1914, the Municipality of Lac-des-Seize-Îles was formed by separating from the Township Municipalities of Montcalm and Wentworth.[8]

Pine Lake, located 1.5 km from Lac-des-Seize-Îles, received its first share of summer vacationers in 1907. A post office, identified as Lac-des-Pins, was serving vacationers between 1922 and 1954.[8]

Demographics

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Population trend:[9]

  • Population in 2016: 172 (2011 to 2016 population change: -22.9%)
  • Population in 2011: 223 (2006 to 2011 population change: 39.4%)
  • Population in 2006: 160 (2001 to 2006 population change: -33.9%)
  • Population in 2001: 242
  • Population in 1996: 184
  • Population in 1991: 205

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 89 (total dwellings: 190)

Mother tongue:

  • English as first language: 8.6%
  • French as first language: 82.9%
  • English and French as first language: 0%
  • Other as first language: 5.7%

Education

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The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board operates English-language public schools:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 33059". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. ^ "Corina Lupu élue mairesse". 9 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Répertoire des municipalités: Geographic code 77055". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
  4. ^ a b "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Lac-des-Seize-Îles, Municipalité [Census subdivision], Quebec and Brome-Missisquoi, Municipalité régionale de comté [Census division], Quebec". 8 February 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Lac des Seize Îles" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
  6. ^ "Fiche descriptive".
  7. ^ "Les trésors engloutis du lac des Seize Îles". 9 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Lac-des-Seize-Îles (Municipalité)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  9. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 census
  10. ^ "MORIN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY ZONE Archived 2017-09-16 at the Wayback Machine." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "LAURENTIAN ELEMENTARY ZONE Archived 2017-09-16 at the Wayback Machine." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "LAURENTIAN REGIONAL HS ZONE Archived 2010-12-14 at the Wayback Machine." Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board. Retrieved on September 4, 2017.