Portneuf, Quebec

46°42′N 71°53′W / 46.700°N 71.883°W / 46.700; -71.883^[1]Country CanadaProvince QuebecRegionCapitale-NationaleRCMPortneufSettled1640ConstitutedJuly 4, 2002Government • MayorMario Alain • Federal ridingPortneuf—Jacques-Cartier • Prov. ridingPortneufArea • Total117.10 km² (45.21 sq mi) • Land109.39 km² (42.24 sq mi)Population • Total3,187 • Density29.1/km² (75/sq mi) • Pop 2011-2016 2.6% • Dwellings1,545Time zoneUTC−5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)Postal code(s)Area code(s)418 and 581Highways
A-40
R-138Websitewww.villedeportneuf.com

Portneuf is a municipality in the Portneuf Regional County Municipality, in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the Saint Lawrence River, between Quebec City and Trois-Rivières. The Portneuf River runs on the east side of the town centre.

The town of Portneuf is named after a seignory that was founded in 1636, and first settled in 1640.

The municipal territory consists of 2 non-contiguous areas, separated by the municipality of Sainte-Christine-d'Auvergne. The smaller northern portion is undeveloped, whereas the southern piece is the main inhabited part with the population centres of Portneuf (south of Autoroute 40), and the adjacent Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf, north of A-40. The present-day municipality was created in 2002, when the old city of Portneuf merged with the town of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf.^[4]

The town is located on the Chemin du Roy, a historic segment of Quebec Route 138 that stretches from near Montreal to Quebec City. The town is also close by to A-40, where Provencher Street connects to the town at Exit 261.

One of Portneuf's major employers is a local paper mill owned by Metro Paper Industries, a Toronto-based paper company.^[5] Paper had been a major part of Portneuf's development since the first paper mill opened in 1839.^[6]

History

In 1636, the area was granted by the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France as a seignory to Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie (1606-after 1685), who arrived in Quebec only some months later and became substitute governor of Trois-Rivières from 1645 to 1662. The first colonizers came around 1640 and settled at the mouth of the "Port Neuf" River (meaning new harbour).^[1][7]

In 1817, the Portneuf post office opened. In 1861, the Parish of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf was formed, and two years later in 1863, it was incorporated as a parish municipality. In 1896, it lost a large portion of its territory when the Parish Municipality of Sainte-Christine was formed.^[1]

In 1914, the village centre itself separated from the Parish Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf. In 1961, this latter one changed status and abbreviated its name, becoming the City of Portneuf. On July 4, 2002, the parish municipality was amalgamated into the new City of Portneuf.^[1][7]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Portneuf had a population of 3,329 living in 1,609 of its 1,696 total private dwellings, a change of 4.5% from its 2016 population of 3,187. With a land area of 109.1 km² (42.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 30.5/km² (79.0/sq mi) in 2021.^[8]

Population trend:^[9]

• Population in 2011: 3107 (2006 to 2011 population change: 0.7%)
• Population in 2006: 3086
• Population total in 2001: 3095
  • Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf (parish): 1659
  • Portneuf (ville): 1436
• Population in 1996:
  • Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf (parish): 1727
  • Portneuf (ville): 1470
• Population in 1991:
  • Notre-Dame-de-Portneuf (parish): 1675
  • Portneuf (ville): 1394

Mother tongue:

• English as first language: 0.8%
• French as first language: 97.2%
• English and French as first language: 0.3%
• Other as first language: 1.6%

Image gallery

• 
  Old inn in Portneuf
• 
  Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs Church

See also

• Portneuf Regional Natural Park

References

External links

Cities & townsMunicipalitiesParishesUnorganized territories