Grande-Vallée


Grande-Vallée is a municipality in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Quebec in Canada.
Its name describes its location in a large fertile valley through which the Grand Vallée River flows.
WWW grande-vallee.ca

History

In 1691, Governor General Frontenac granted the area to François Hazeur, a prosperous merchant from Quebec City. The seignory, called La Grande-Vallée-des-Monts, stretched from Rivière-Magdeleine Seignory in the west to the Saint-Hélier portage in the east. It was inherited by Hazeur's son-in-law, Michel Sarrazin, a surgeon, biologist, and doctor of the King.
No colonization took place until the 1830s, when fishermen of Saint-Thomas-de-Montmagny occupied the place during the summer. In 1842, Alexis Caron and his family, also from Saint-Thomas-de-Montmagny, became the first permanent settlers. In 1846, the mission of Saint-François-Xavier-de-Grande-Vallée was founded. In 1872, the post office opened.
On September 15, 1927, the village was incorporated as a parish municipality, with Arthur S. Fournier as first mayor, although its status as parish municipality was not officially recognized until 1995. In 2005, Grande-Vallée changed its status from parish municipality to just municipality.

Geography

Communities

The following locations reside within the municipality's boundaries:

Lakes & Rivers

The following waterways pass through or are situated within the municipality's boundaries:
  • Rivière de la Grande Vallée - a river that empties into Anse de la Rivière de la Grande Vallée
  • Lac de la Confrérie - a small lake located southeast of Grande-Vallée village
  • Lac du Rocher - a lake that lies just south of Route 132

Government

List of former mayors: