La Macaza
It is home to the La Macaza – Mont Tremblant International Airport that serves the region. A medium security federal penitentiary is located next to the airport.
There is a covered bridge that runs over the Macaza River, built in 1904, and is an international tourist attraction. There are many lakes and beaches in the municipality.
According to the Geographic Names of the Province of Quebec (1921), "Macaza is the name of a native chief from the region", possibly the name of an old Amerindian who camped on the shores of Lake Macaza.
History
Although indigenous peoples had lived in the area, the first European settlers arrived circa 1866. In 1904, La Macaza was established when the parish of Notre-Dame-du-Divin-Pasteur (Our Lady of Divine Shepherd) was founded. In 1930, the municipality was formed when its territory was detached from the municipality of Marchand (now part of Rivière-Rouge).
It was first a farming community and later on its inhabitants worked mostly in logging, but today La Macaza receives a flood of vacationers each year.
On December 18, 2002, La Macaza was merged into the new town of Rivière-Rouge when the Québec government forced certain province-wide mergers that were alleged to save citizens money. In 2004 the residents voted to separate from the city and on January 1, 2006, the municipality was reinstated.
Geography
Climate
| Climate data for La Macaza 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1976–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.0 (95.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
12.5 (54.5) |
36.0 (96.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.1 (19.2) |
−4 (25) |
2.0 (35.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
23.1 (73.6) |
25.1 (77.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.3 (8.1) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
12.8 (55.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
3.9 (39.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.5 (−3.1) |
−18 (0) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
3.9 (39.0) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.2 (54.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
6.9 (44.4) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
−13.9 (7.0) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45 (−49) |
−41.7 (−43.1) |
−39 (−38) |
−21.5 (−6.7) |
−8 (18) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−41 (−42) |
−45 (−49) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 68.8 (2.71) |
54.1 (2.13) |
62.7 (2.47) |
72.4 (2.85) |
93.6 (3.69) |
102.8 (4.05) |
115.9 (4.56) |
100.9 (3.97) |
99.7 (3.93) |
98.3 (3.87) |
88.1 (3.47) |
71.5 (2.81) |
1,028.8 (40.51) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 18.7 (0.74) |
15.4 (0.61) |
33.4 (1.31) |
64.1 (2.52) |
93.3 (3.67) |
102.8 (4.05) |
115.9 (4.56) |
100.9 (3.97) |
99.6 (3.92) |
95.3 (3.75) |
67.8 (2.67) |
21.1 (0.83) |
828.3 (32.6) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 50.1 (19.7) |
38.7 (15.2) |
29.3 (11.5) |
8.3 (3.3) |
0.4 (0.2) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.0) |
3.0 (1.2) |
20.3 (8.0) |
50.4 (19.8) |
200.6 (78.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 13.5 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 13.4 | 14.6 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 154.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 10.9 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 13.3 | 14.3 | 9.4 | 3.3 | 112.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 11.8 | 9.1 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 0.07 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.03 | 0.65 | 5.5 | 11.0 | 46.55 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,094 (-4.9% from 2016) | 1,150 (9.2% from 2011) | 1,053 (7.4% from 2006) |
| Land area | 161.42 km (62.32 sq mi) | 163.48 km (63.12 sq mi) | 162.78 km (62.85 sq mi) |
| Population density | 6.8/km (18/sq mi) | 7.0/km (18/sq mi) | 6.5/km (17/sq mi) |
| Median age | 58.4 (M: 57.2, F: 59.2) | 55.6 (M: 54.7, F: 56.4) | 53.7 (M: 53.9, F: 53.4) |
| Private dwellings | 997 (total) 509 (occupied) | 1,043 (total) | 1,020 (total) |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $42,944 | $29,096 |
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| Source: Statistics Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mother tongue (2021):
- English as first language: 3.9%
- French as first language: 91%
- English and French as first language: 1.7%
- Other as first language: 3.9%
Government
List of former mayors:
 |
- Christian Bélisle (2006–2013)
- Céline Beauregard (2013–2021)
- Yves Bélanger (2021–present)
Education
![[icon]](/key/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2017) |
Sainte Agathe Academy (of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board) in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts serves English-speaking students in this community for both elementary and secondary levels.