Matapédia, Quebec
Matapédia | |
|---|---|
Saint Lawrence Church in Matapédia | |
Location within Avignon RCM | |
| Coordinates: 47°58′N 66°57′W / 47.967°N 66.950°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Gaspésie– Îles-de-la-Madeleine |
| RCM | Avignon |
| Settled | 1808 |
| Constituted | November 4, 1905 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nicole Lagacé |
| • Federal riding | Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia |
| • Prov. riding | Bonaventure |
| Area | |
• Total | 72.83 km2 (28.12 sq mi) |
| • Land | 71.59 km2 (27.64 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 566 |
| • Density | 7.9/km2 (20/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2016-2021 | 12.2% |
| • Dwellings | 357 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 |
| Highways | R-132 |
| Website | www |
Matapédia (French pronunciation: [matapedja]; former name: Saint-Laurent-de-Matapédia) is a municipality at the southern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, in eastern Quebec, Canada. Matapédia is located along Quebec Route 132 on the border of New Brunswick.
In addition to Matapédia itself, the municipality also includes the hamlets of Mann Settlement, Runnymede, and Matapédia West.
Its name may derive from the Mi'kmaq word matapegiag, meaning "river junction", from the parts mata (junction) and pegiag (river), referring to the Matapédia River that crosses the town just before its confluence with the Restigouche River. Another source from the late nineteenth century indicates that the Mi'kmaq named the area Magabegeak which means "roughly flowing". It has also been spelled many different ways over time such as Matapediach, Madapeguia, Matapeguia, Matapediac, Matakpediack, Madapeguia, Metapedia, or Matapediac.
Residents and village expatriates are known as Matapedians.