Location

CHIBOUGAMAU, QUEBEC, CANADA

A meeting place is located in mountainous terrain, on the shores of Gilman Lake, near Aux Dorés and Chibougamau Lakes. It is the largest community in Northern Québec. Initially, the name Chibougamau designated a territory covering over 1600 square kilometers traversed by the fur route, a seaway linking Lac St-Jean to James Bay. Chibougamau was frequented as early as the 17th Century by many merchants, explorers and «coureurs des bois» . Father Charles Albanel also crossed the region to get to Hudson Bay in 1671. One of the many lakes that dot the region carries his name. The first official exploratory mining excursion to the territory was conducted in 1870 by James Richardson. The discovery of a gold-bearing quartz lode in 1903 by Peter McKenzie, a fur trader, generated intermittent waves of intensive exploration of the sector. However, the exploitation of the rich polymetallic deposits (gold, copper and silver) got underway only in 1975, with the opening of the Campbell Mine.

First founded as a mining village in 1950, Chibougamau obtained its status of municipal corporation in 1954. Although still considered a mining town, the town’s economy has diversified over the years and its population has developed a strong sense of nordic identity. Today, forestry employs as many people as the mining industry, and Chibougamau has become the main service centre for neighbouring communities. In recent years, tourism has grown considerably due, among others, to the Mining Centre, opened in 1997.