In addition to La Sarre itself, the town's territory also includes the community of Bienvenu, located along Route 111 west of the La Sarre River.
History
Tribute panel to the pioneer families of La Sarre, installed in the municipal park.
Before colonization, the area was home to the indigenous Algonquin who called the place Wabakin, from wàba and akin meaning "there is a mountain of hardwood", and called the La Sarre River Adikameg Sibi, which was also identified as Amikitik.[1]
The first white settlers, six in number, settled as squatters on the land in the late 19th century and were discovered during the survey of the township in 1908. Real colonization began at the time when the National Transcontinental Railway running through the Abitibi region was completed. The first permanent pioneer family arrived in 1912, followed by more settlers and development drawn to the area for its mining, forestry, and agricultural potential, and resulted in the formation of the settlement. In 1915, the post office opened, and a year later, the La Sarre Township was proclaimed, named after the La Sarre Regiment that was recognized for its part in the Battle of Carillon and the capture of Fort Oswego. In 1917, the Township Municipality of La Sarre was established, the same year as the Parish of Saint-André-de-la-Sarre. The Hudson's Bay Company opened a post in 1932, and only operated until 1941.[1][5]
In 1937, the village separated from the township and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of La Sarre. It gained town (ville) status on 17 August 1949. In April 1980, the town and township municipality merged to form the current municipality.[1]
Geography
Climate
La Sarre has a borderline humid continental climate (KöppenDfb), close to a subarctic climate (Dfc). Winters are very cold and snowy, with an annual snowfall of 2.47 metres or 97.24 inches, although thaws due to inflows of warm air from the southeast can raise temperatures above freezing and on 6 February 1988 temperatures rose to a remarkable 20.5 °C or 68.9 °F. The hotter half of the year is pleasantly warm, though it can rain frequently.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, La Sarre had a population of 7,358 living in 3,493 of its 3,698 total private dwellings, a change of 1% from its 2016 population of 7,282. With a land area of 148.36 km2 (57.28 sq mi), it had a population density of 49.6/km2 (128.5/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Sarre, Quebec[12]
Census
Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year
Responses
Count
Trend
Pop %
Count
Trend
Pop %
Count
Trend
Pop %
Count
Trend
Pop %
2021
7,310
7,175
0.6%
98.2%
35
22.2%
0.5%
40
100.0%
0.5%
40
0.0%
0.5%
2016
7,235
7,130
5.1%
98.5%
45
30.8%
0.6%
20
33.3%
0.3%
40
33.3%
0.6%
2011
7,665
7,510
5.8%
98.0%
65
30.0%
0.9%
30
20.0%
0.4%
60
33.3%
0.8%
2006
7,220
7,100
5.6%
98.3%
50
66.7%
0.7%
25
16.7%
0.4%
45
18.2%
0.6%
2001
7,635
7,520
8.0%
98.5%
30
20.0%
0.4%
30
0.0%
0.4%
55
450.0%
0.7%
1996
8,240
8,175
n/a
99.2%
25
n/a
0.3%
30
n/a
0.4%
10
n/a
0.1%
Economy
The main local resource is the forest, which covers over 4,700 square kilometres (1,800 sq mi) and provides lumber to the town's main employers Norbord and Tembec, as well as agriculture, with over 60% of its land under cultivation. The mining industry, together with small service sector businesses, complements the economy.[1][5] The area's flying needs are served by La Sarre Airport.
Government
Municipal council
Mayor: Yves Dubé
Councillors: Pierre Bourget, Steve Fontaine, Réjean Fournier, Victor Fournier, Karine Goulet, Renée Thiboutot
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