Thetford Mines
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| Thetford Mines | |||
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 Thetford Mines town center |
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| Location in Quebec | |||
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| State : |
 Canada
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| Province : | Quebec | ||
| Administrative region : | Chaudière Appalaches | ||
| MRC or equivalent : | Les Appalaches | ||
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 6 ′ N , 71 ° 19 ′ W | ||
| Height : | 332 m | ||
| Area : | 226.82 km² | ||
| Residents : | 25,709 (as of 2011) | ||
| Population density : | 113.3 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern Time ( UTC − 5 ) | ||
| Municipality number: | 31084 | ||
| Postal code : | G6G | ||
| Area code : | +1 418 | ||
| Mayor : | Marc-Alexandre Brousseau | ||
| Website : | www.ville.thetfordmines.qc.ca | ||
 Location in the MRC Les Appalaches |
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Thetford Mines is a city in the south of the Canadian province of Quebec . It is located in the administrative region of Chaudière-Appalaches , around 100 km south-west of the provincial capital Québec and north-east of Sherbrooke . Thetford Mines is the administrative seat of the regional county municipality (municipalité régionale du comté) Les Appalaches , has an area of 226.82 km² and has 25,709 inhabitants (2011).
geography
Thetford Mines is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains , on the upper reaches of the Rivière Bécancour . The landscape is characterized by numerous wooded hills, between which there are several small lakes. Neighboring municipalities are Saint-Pierre-de-Broughton in the northeast, Adstock in the east, Saint-Joseph-de-Coleraine in the south, Irlande in the southwest, Saint-Adrien-d'Irlande and Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf in the west and Kinnear's Mills in the north-west.
history
In 1876 Joseph Fecteau discovered large deposits of asbestos (more precisely chrysotile ) in the previously largely unpopulated area . A year later, the first mine went into operation and a rapidly growing settlement emerged that was initially called Kingsville. In 1881 a major fire destroyed almost the entire village. The community was founded in 1892. In 1905 it was renamed Thetford Mines, after the then canton Thetford and the English city of Thetford . In 1912 city status was granted. For decades, Thetford Mines was a world leader in asbestos extraction, until the discovery of its harmful effects caused demand to collapse and an economic reorientation was necessary. The city grew several times through mergers: Amiante was incorporated in 1924, and Rivière Blanche in 1994; finally in 2001 the parishes of Black Lake, Robertsonville, Pontbriand and Thetford-Sud followed.
population
According to the 2011 census, Thetford Mines had 25,709 inhabitants, which corresponds to a population density of 113.3 inh / km². 97.3% of the population stated French as their main language, while English accounted for 1.2%. 0.4% said they were bilingual (French and English), other languages and multiple answers made up 1.1%. Only French was spoken by 79.3%. In 2001, 97.0% of the population were Roman Catholic , 0.8% Protestant and 1.5% non-denominational.
Transport and economy
The main road Route 112 , which connects Sherbrooke with the Autouroute 73 at Vallée-Jonction , leads through Thetford Mines in a south-west-north-east direction . Route 165 leads northwest to Autoroute 20 . The Quebec Central Railway between Sherbrooke and Vallée-Jonction is only used sporadically for freight traffic. There is an airfield about six kilometers southeast of the city . It has a 1370 meter long asphalt runway and is used for general aviation .
Mining , which used to dominate , now only plays a minor role. Thetford Mines is now a center for the plastics and metal processing industries, with oleochemicals and nanotechnology being of growing importance . Thetford is the center of a tourist region focused on sporting activities. The city is the starting point for excursions to the Parc national de Frontenac and is close to the winter sports area on Mont Adstock .
Culture and sport
The Musée minéralogique et minier (Minerals and Mining Museum) was founded in 1976. It has an extensive geological collection of minerals and fossils; it also deals with the mining history of the region.
The city's best- known sports team is the Isothermic de Thetford Mines ice hockey team in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . The home games are played in the Center Mario-Gosselin (2500 seats).
Personalities
- Jean-Marie Beaudet (1908–1971), conductor
- Simon Gamache (* 1981), ice hockey player
- Michel Louvain (born 1937), singer
- Pierre Morissette (* 1944), bishop
Web links
- Official website of Thetford Mines (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chronology. City of Thetford Mines, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ^ Thetford Mines. Commission de toponymie du Québec, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ↑ Population Profile of the Parish of Thetford Mines. In: 2011 Census. Statistics Canada , 2011, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ↑ Population Profile of the Parish of Thetford Mines. In: 2001 Census. Statistics Canada , 2001, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ^ Aéroport de Thetford Mines. City of Thetford Mines, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ↑ Développement économique. City of Thetford Mines, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).
- ^ Musée minéralogique et minier. City of Thetford Mines, accessed January 2, 2014 (French).