Baie-James

This article is about the former municipality. For the current municipality, see Eeyou Istchee James Bay. For the bay, see James Bay.

Baie-James
Municipality
Motto: 
"A territory the size of a country"
Municipality of Baie-James, Quebec
Municipality of Baie-James, Quebec
Coordinates: 52°00′N 76°00′W / 52.000°N 76.000°W / 52.000; -76.000[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionNord-du-Québec
RCMNone
ConstitutedJuly 14, 1971
DissolvedJuly 24, 2012
Government
[2]
 • MayorGérald Lemoyne
 • Federal ridingAbitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou and Abitibi—Témiscamingue
 • Prov. ridingUngava
Area
[2][3]
 • Total335,818.20 km2 (129,660.13 sq mi)
 • Land297,332.84 km2 (114,800.85 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total1,303
 • Density0.0/km2 (0/sq mi)
 • Pop (2006–11)
Decrease 6.5%
 • Dwellings
701
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
J0Y
Area code819
Websitewww.villembj.ca

The Municipality of Baie-James (French: Municipalité de Baie-James) was a municipality in northern Quebec, Canada, which existed from 1971 to 2012. Located to the east of James Bay, Baie-James covered 297,332.84 km2 (114,800.85 sq mi) of land, making it the largest incorporated municipality in Canada — only eight unorganized territories were larger.[4] Its territory almost entirely (about 98%) covered the administrative region of Jamésie, although it contained less than five percent of the population. Essentially, it was the remainder of the Jamésie Territory's land after all of the major population centres were removed.

On July 24, 2012, the Quebec government signed an accord with the Cree that would result in the abolition of Baie-James and the creation of a regional government known as Eeyou Istchee James Bay Territory.[5]

The hydroelectric power plants of the La Grande Complex were all located within the municipal boundaries of Baie-James, making the municipality strategically important to Quebec's energy policy. Other important economic sectors are mining, softwood logging, forestry, and tourism.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference toponymie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire: Baie-James". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  3. ^ a b "Baie-James census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  4. ^ Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Lia Lévesque (24 July 2012). "Québec et les Cris signent une entente pour un gouvernement régional". La Presse. La Presse Canadienne. Retrieved 2012-07-24.