Chibougamau, Quebec
| Chibougamau | ||
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| City | ||
Chibougamau main street
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 Chibougamau
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| Coordinates (650, 3e Rue): 49°55′N 74°22′W / 49.917°N 74.367°WCoordinates: 49°55′N 74°22′W / 49.917°N 74.367°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Quebec
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| Region | Nord-du-Québec | |
| RCM | None | |
| Settled | 1952 | |
| Constituted | November 8, 1952 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Manon Cyr | |
| • Federal riding | Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou | |
| • Prov. riding | Ungava | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,027.80 km2 (396.84 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 699.31 km2 (270.01 sq mi) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 7,541 | |
| • Density | 10.8/km2 (28/sq mi) | |
| • Change (2006–11) |
 0.3% |
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| • Dwellings | 3,474 | |
| Time zone | EST (UTC−5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) | |
| Postal code(s) | G8P | |
| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 | |
| Climate | Dfc | |
| Website | www |
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Chibougamau is a town in central Quebec, Canada, located on Lake Gilman. It has a population of 7,541 people (Canada 2011 Census). Chibougamau is completely surrounded by, but not part of, the Municipality of Baie-James.
Due to its remoteness from Lac Saint-Jean (over 200 km (124 mi) south-east) and Abitibi-Témiscamingue (over 250 km (155 mi) south-west) areas, Chibougamau provides services for the few small communities surrounding it (Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou and Chapais) and for the regional resource-based industries. Despite Chibougamau's remoteness, it is only about as far north as Winnipeg.
Nearby are Lake Aux Dorés and the vast Lake Chibougamau, after which the town was named. Chibougamau means "Gathering place" in the Cree language. The neighbouring Cree village of Oujé-Bougoumou is a more traditional Cree spelling of the same name.
The area surrounding Lake Gilman is Obalski Park. Its amenities include a beach, pier, picnic tables, cabins, among others. The many trails allow for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, or even snowmobiling through the park's boreal forest.
Access to the town is by Route 167 from Lac Saint-Jean and by Route 113 from Lebel-sur-Quevillon. Chibougamau's airport is along Route 113, about halfway to Chapais.
The area has long been part of the Cree territory. It was in the early 17th century that French explorers and traders, including Charles Albanel in 1671, came to the Lake Chibougamau area. However, no permanent European settlements were established at that time.
Only in the late 19th Century did the area attract the interest of mining prospectors. When gold was discovered in 1903, there were periods of intense exploration. Due to difficulty of access, no lasting development took place at that time. Not until 1949 was copper first exploited, with the opening of a multi-metallic mine in the area, and a permanent community was established in 1952. Chibougamau started out as a company town but soon after, in 1954, it was incorporated as a municipality. Many mines have exploited the area since. While still thought of as a mining town, Chibougamau is now also the centre of a large logging and sawmill industry.
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