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Alma, Quebec

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alma
Town
Alma⁩ in 2026
Alma⁩ in 2026
Official seal of Alma
Seal
Coat of arms of Alma
Coat of arms
Motto: 
Crescit eundo
Alma is located in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec
Alma
Alma
Location in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Quebec
Coordinates: 48°33′N 71°39′W / 48.550°N 71.650°W / 48.550; -71.650[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
RCMLac-Saint-Jean-Est
Amalgamation1962 (of Isle-Maligne, Naudville, Riverbend and St-Joseph d'Alma.)
ConstitutedFebruary 21, 2001 (amalgamation with Delisle)
Government
[2]
 • MayorSylvie Beaumont
 • Federal ridingLac-Saint-Jean
 • Prov. ridingLac-Saint-Jean
Area
[2][3]
 • Town
230.30 km2 (88.92 sq mi)
 • Land194.92 km2 (75.26 sq mi)
 • Urban
[4]
15.94 km2 (6.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
 • Town
30,331
 • Density155.6/km2 (403/sq mi)
 • Urban
[4]
20,274
 • Urban density1,272.2/km2 (3,295/sq mi)
 • Pop 2016-2021
Decrease 1.4%
 • Dwellings
14,493
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G8B, G8C & G8E
Area codes418 and 581
Highways R-169
R-170
R-172
Telephone Exchanges212, 321, 480-2, 487, 662, 668-9, 719, 720, 769
NTS Map22D12 Alma
GNBC CodeEFHQD[5]
Websitewww.ville.alma.qc.ca Edit this at Wikidata

Alma (French pronunciation: [alma] ⓘ; 2021 Town population: 30,331; UA Population 20,274) is a town in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, in the Canadian province of Quebec.

History

[edit]
Mosaic of buildings in Alma

The present town of Alma was formed in 1962 from the merging of four villages: Isle-Maligne, Naudville, Riverbend and St-Joseph d'Alma. In 2002, Alma merged with the Municipality of Delisle. The oldest of the villages, St-Joseph-d'Alma, was founded in 1867 by Damase Boulanger. Both modern day Alma and St-Joseph d'Alma are named after the Battle of the Alma.

The area became an important industrial centre during the 1920s and 1930s with the construction of a hydro-electrical power station on the Grande-Décharge River, a paper mill (Price) and an aluminum smelting plant (Alcan), all of which are still in activity today.


Geography

[edit]

Alma is located on the southeast coast of Lac Saint-Jean where it flows into the Saguenay River, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, approximately 175 km north of Quebec City. Alma is the seat of Lac-Saint-Jean-Est Regional County Municipality. Alma is the second largest city in population in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region after the city of Saguenay.

Alma is the seat of the judicial district of Alma.[6]

Demographics

[edit]
Alma Population
YearPop.±%
1921850—    
19313,970+367.1%
19416,449+62.4%
19517,975+23.7%
195610,822+35.7%
196113,309+23.0%
196622,195+66.8%
197124,956+12.4%
197625,638+2.7%
198126,322+2.7%
198625,923−1.5%
199125,910−0.1%
199626,127+0.8%
200125,918−0.8%
200629,998+15.7%
201130,904+3.0%
201630,771−0.4%
202130,331−1.4%
Statistics Canada[7]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alma had a population of 30,331 living in 13,815 of its 14,493 total private dwellings, a change of −1.4% from its 2016 population of 30,771. With a land area of 194.92 km2 (75.26 sq mi), it had a population density of 155.6/km2 (403.0/sq mi) in 2021.[8]

Language

[edit]

As of the 2021 Census, 81% of residents in Alma reported their knowledge of official languages being French only. 18.8% had knowledge of both English and French, while a small number reported only knowing English (0.1%). English was the mother tongue for 0.4% of residents, while French was the mother tongue for 98.9%.[a]

Knowledge of Official Languages[9]
LanguageCount%
English Only200.1%
French Only24,31581.0%
Both English and French5,65518.8%
Neither English nor French200.1%
Mother Tongue[9][b]
LanguageCount%
English1250.4%
French29,55098.9%
Non-official language2150.7%
English and French850.3%
First Official Language Spoken[9]
LanguageCount%
English1150.4%
French29,85599.5%
English and French250.1%
Neither English nor French200.1%

Ethnicity

[edit]
Visible minority and Aboriginal population (Canada 2021 Census)
Population groupPopulation% of total population
White28,01595.5%
Visible minority group
Source:[10]		South Asian00%
Chinese550.2%
Black1850.6%
Filipino150.1%
Arab350.1%
Latin American300.1%
Southeast Asian350.1%
West Asian00%
Korean00%
Japanese00%
Visible minority, n.i.e.00%
Multiple visible minority100%
Total visible minority population3751.3%
Aboriginal group
Source:[11]		First Nations3501.2%
Métis5001.7%
Inuk100%
Aboriginal, n.i.e.650.2%
Multiple Aboriginal identity100%
Total Aboriginal population9353.2%
Total population29,325100%

Infrastructure

[edit]
Petite-Décharge

Transportation

[edit]

Alma is serviced by the Alma Airport, located 4.1 km to the south of the town.

Sister cities

[edit]

Alma has been twinned with Falaise, Calvados, France, since 1969.[12]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ The 2021 Census of Population defines mother tongue as being the first language learn at home that is still understood by the person at the time the census was conducted.
  2. ↑ Mother tongue responses are separated by single responses and multiple responses. The data for English, French and non-official language as mother tongue reflect the population that gave single responses only.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 1013". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.
  2. 1 2 Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire - Répertoire des municipalités: Alma Archived 2012-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 "Alma census profile". 2021 Census data. Statistics Canada. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  4. 1 2 "Alma (Population centre) community profile". 2021 Census data. Statistics Canada. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  5. ↑ "Alma". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  6. ↑ Territorial Division Act. Revised Statutes of Quebec D-11.
  7. ↑ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 census
  8. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "Alma community profile". 2021 Census data. Statistics Canada. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  10. ↑ , Community Profiles from the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
  11. ↑ , Aboriginal Population Profile from the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
  12. ↑ FLURY, Jérôme (September 5, 2019). "Falaise. Les anecdotes étonnantes des villes jumelles européennes". Ouest-France.fr.
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