Huntingdon, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Huntingdon is a small town in Huntingdon County
in the Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality
and the Montérégie
region of the province of Quebec
, Canada
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
was 2,587. The town is located 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) southwest of Montréal, and only a few miles from the border with New York State.
soldiers after the War of 1812
and the fertile land in the area led to a successful farming economy. Once the fear of attack from the Americans
was gone, in the 1820s businessmen established lumber and grist mills on the banks of the Chateauguay River
.
During the first few decades of the 20th century, when transport from major urban centers to the outlying rural areas became economically feasible, the textile industry began expanding at a rapid rate in various towns throughout the province of Quebec. By the 1930s, Huntingdon was home to a small but thriving textile industry. After World War II
, entrepreneurs François Cleyn and Alec Tinker acquired the textile businesses in Huntingdon and built their company, Cleyn & Tinker Limited, into one of the most successful woolen mills in all of Canada. In Huntingdon, the business expanded to five interconnected operations around the town and the decades of the 1950s through to the early part of the 1970s saw the town prosper and the company acquire subsidiaries in Sherbrooke, Quebec
and in Castlecomer
, Kilkenny
, Ireland
.
based International Textile Group Inc. who have a partnership with China Ting Group, a textile manufacturer based in Hong Kong
. On January 28, 2005, Mayor Stéphane Gendron
announced that the town was purchasing the five textile plants that were closing with the expectation that they could be sold to new businesses.
In recent years, the small town had to deal with a substantial increase in teen vandalism. In August 2004 a controversial municipal bylaw went into effect that placed a 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew on unsupervised children aged 15 and under. The controversial bylaw held parents responsible for their children's activities through fines if a child was caught in violation of the curfew. After parents filed a legal action to have the bylaw overturned, the Council suspended application of the bylaw.
) and radio host (CHMP-FM
), drew public attention with controversial remarks about the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
by claiming that, "Israelis are the Nazis of modern times". He refused to retract this comment.
Huntingdon County, Quebec
Huntingdon County, is an historical county in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is named after the town and county of the same name in east central England. It is situated in the Montreal South Shore region of Montérégie, one of the roughly 12 regions of Quebec...
in the Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality
Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Le Haut-Saint-Laurent is a regional county municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Montérégie region. Its seat is in Huntingdon and it is named for the Saint Lawrence River which forms its western and northwestern boundary....
and the Montérégie
Montérégie
Montérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
region of the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
was 2,587. The town is located 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) southwest of Montréal, and only a few miles from the border with New York State.
History
The town was first settled by BritishGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
soldiers after the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and the fertile land in the area led to a successful farming economy. Once the fear of attack from the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was gone, in the 1820s businessmen established lumber and grist mills on the banks of the Chateauguay River
Chateauguay River
The Chateauguay River has its source in northern New York State in the United States. It winds its way through several towns and villages in Quebec, Canada, such as Huntingdon, Dewittville, Ormstown and Châteauguay before emptying into the Saint Lawrence River near Montreal.The river is home to...
.
During the first few decades of the 20th century, when transport from major urban centers to the outlying rural areas became economically feasible, the textile industry began expanding at a rapid rate in various towns throughout the province of Quebec. By the 1930s, Huntingdon was home to a small but thriving textile industry. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, entrepreneurs François Cleyn and Alec Tinker acquired the textile businesses in Huntingdon and built their company, Cleyn & Tinker Limited, into one of the most successful woolen mills in all of Canada. In Huntingdon, the business expanded to five interconnected operations around the town and the decades of the 1950s through to the early part of the 1970s saw the town prosper and the company acquire subsidiaries in Sherbrooke, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and in Castlecomer
Castlecomer
Castlecomer is a town in the barony of Fassadinin, County Kilkenny in Ireland.The Irish name for the town translates to "The castle at the confluence of the rivers"; the "rivers" refers to the rivers Deen, Brocagh and Clohogue while the "castle" refers to the castle built by the Normans in 1171...
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Recent history
Huntingdon was also home to Huntingdon Mills (Canada) Ltd., another textile business and a significant employer in the town. In December 2004, the company filed for bankruptcy protection and announced they would have to close putting more than 215 employees out of work. Cleyn & Tinker too announced it would be closing its operations in the town in April 2005. Shortly after the announcement, some of the company's assets and supply contracts were acquired by the Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
based International Textile Group Inc. who have a partnership with China Ting Group, a textile manufacturer based in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. On January 28, 2005, Mayor Stéphane Gendron
Stéphane Gendron
Stéphane Gendron is the current mayor of Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada and a political analyst for several media outlets.-Background:He was born in Saint-Rémi, Quebec, Montérégie...
announced that the town was purchasing the five textile plants that were closing with the expectation that they could be sold to new businesses.
In recent years, the small town had to deal with a substantial increase in teen vandalism. In August 2004 a controversial municipal bylaw went into effect that placed a 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew on unsupervised children aged 15 and under. The controversial bylaw held parents responsible for their children's activities through fines if a child was caught in violation of the curfew. After parents filed a legal action to have the bylaw overturned, the Council suspended application of the bylaw.
Mayor
In August 2006, Mayor Stéphane Gendron (as of 2004), who was also a television (TQSTqs
V is a Canadian privately-owned French-language television network. The network has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations existing throughout Quebec, although it can also be seen over-the-air in some bordering markets in the provinces of Ontario and New Brunswick...
) and radio host (CHMP-FM
CHMP-FM
CHMP-FM is a French language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec. Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 98.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 40,800 watts using an omnidirectional antenna....
), drew public attention with controversial remarks about the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
by claiming that, "Israelis are the Nazis of modern times". He refused to retract this comment.
Population
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2,587 | 3.0% |
| 2001 | 2,666 | 2.9% |
| 1996 | 2,746 | 4.0% |
| 1991 | 2,859 | N/A |
Language
Mother tongue language (2006)| Language | Population | Pct (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French only | 1,415 | 56.04% | |||
| English only | 965 | - | Both English and French | 75 | 2.97% |
| Other languages | 75 | 2.97% |
See also
- List of municipalities in Quebec
- CIT du Haut-Saint-LaurentCIT du Haut-Saint-LaurentThe CIT du Haut-Saint-Laurent provides a bus service, operated under the auspices of Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality, in southwestern Quebec, Canada...
provides commuter and local bus services. - Huntingdon (disambiguation)Huntingdon (disambiguation)-Canada:*Huntingdon, Quebec*Huntingdon, a provincial electoral district in Quebec-United Kingdom:*Huntingdon, in Cambridgeshire.*Huntingdon -United States:*Huntingdon, Pennsylvania*Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania...
- Electoral districtElectoral district (Canada)An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
External links
- Huntingdon official website
- Street map from Google Maps
- Commission de la toponymie du Québec. Ville de Huntingdon