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Dolbeau-Mistassini
City
Dol-Mis CV.jpg
Location of Dolbeau-Mistassini
Dolbeau-Mistassini is located in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec
Dolbeau-Mistassini
Dolbeau-Mistassini
Location in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec
Country Canada
Province Quebec
Region Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
RCM Maria-Chapdelaine
Settled 1892
Constituted December 17, 1997
Area
 • City 355.60 km2 (137.30 sq mi)
 • Land 295.67 km2 (114.16 sq mi)
 • Urban
10.49 km2 (4.05 sq mi)
 • Metro
651.79 km2 (251.66 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • City 13,718
 • Density 46.8/km2 (121/sq mi)
 • Urban
10,849
 • Urban density 1,034.4/km2 (2,679/sq mi)
 • Metro
15,306
 • Metro density 23.6/km2 (61/sq mi)
 • Pop (2006–11)
Decrease 2.8%
 • Dwellings
6,866
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G8L
Area code(s) 418 and 581
Climate Dfb

Dolbeau-Mistassini is a city in northern Quebec, Canada. It's located where the Mistassibi River, Riviere aux Rats, and Mistassini River meet, close to Lac Saint-Jean. This city is a major shopping and business area for the Lac-St-Jean region.

The city was formed in 1997 when two smaller cities, Dolbeau and Mistassini, joined together. Dolbeau is on the west side of the Mistassini River, and Mistassini is on the east side.

History of Dolbeau-Mistassini

Early Settlements

The first person to settle in Mistassini might have been François Gaudreault in 1884. However, the Trappists, a group of monks, are often given credit for starting the town. In 1892, Trappist monks from Oka received a large piece of land between the Mistassini and Mistassibi Rivers. They first settled near the Mistassibi River and later moved closer to Lac Saint-Jean.

In 1895, the Parish of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini was created. Two years later, it became an official municipality.

Growth and Mergers

In 1930, the main part of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini became its own village, called Mistassini. The area grew a lot during the building of the Chute-des-Passes Dam in 1944. Because of this growth, Mistassini became a city in 1947. Later, in 1976, the Municipality of Saint-Michel-de-Mistassini and the Village of Mistassini joined back together to form the City of Mistassini.

Founding of Dolbeau

Dolbeau was founded in 1926 by Emil Andrew Wallberg, an industrialist from Sweden, and his partner John Stadler from Germany. They built a paper mill there. The town became official in 1927 and was named after Jean Dolbeau (1586–1652). He was a missionary who worked in the Tadoussac and Lac Saint-Jean areas in the early 1600s.

Joining Together

On December 17, 1997, the cities of Dolbeau and Mistassini officially merged. This created the single city we know today as Dolbeau-Mistassini.

People of Dolbeau-Mistassini

Population and Language

In 2021, Dolbeau-Mistassini had a population of about 13,718 people. Most people, about 99%, speak French as their first language. A small number of people also speak English.

Ancestry and Background

Many people in Dolbeau-Mistassini have Canadian, French, or Québécois backgrounds. About 6.5% of the population are Indigenous peoples, mainly Métis.

What Dolbeau-Mistassini Does

Main Industries

The main source of jobs in Dolbeau-Mistassini is a paper mill factory. This mill was closed for a few years but reopened in 2012. It is now owned by Resolute Forest Products.

Green Transportation

An environmental group called SGE provides bicycles for the town from May to September. These green bicycles belong to the city, so anyone can use them and leave them for others to pick up later.

Fun Things to Do

Dolbeau-Mistassini 7
Marina in Dolbeau-Mistassini

Dolbeau-Mistassini has many fun activities and places to visit:

  • Do-Mi-Ski: A local ski resort for winter sports.
  • Festival Western: A festival with a Western theme.
  • Downtown Beaches: Beaches located right in the city and along the shores of Lac-St-Jean.
  • Dolbeau-Saint-Félicien Airport: The local airport.
  • Hunting and Fishing: It's a great starting point for hunting and fishing trips in northern Quebec.
  • Rafting: You can go rafting on the Mistassibi River.
  • Festival of Stories: A summer festival where stories are told at night.
  • Festival du bleuet: The famous Blueberry Festival in August.

Blueberry Festival

The blueberry is a symbol of the Lac Saint-Jean region. Every year, usually between August 3 and 7, the city celebrates the Blueberry Festival. This festival includes many fun activities like exhibitions, performances, giant games, and blueberry contests. There's even a night parade and the baking of a giant blueberry pie! It's held in August because that's when blueberries are picked in the fields.

Weather in Dolbeau-Mistassini

Dolbeau-Mistassini has a humid continental climate. This means it has mild summers and cold winters. In winter, average low temperatures can drop to about -25°C. Spring arrives in April, and by summer, average high temperatures are around 24°C.

Climate data for Mistassini
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.8
(46.0)
8
(46)
16
(61)
28.5
(83.3)
33
(91)
36.1
(97.0)
36
(97)
36.7
(98.1)
31.5
(88.7)
26.1
(79.0)
17.8
(64.0)
10.5
(50.9)
36.7
(98.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −11.8
(10.8)
−9.5
(14.9)
−1.1
(30.0)
7.3
(45.1)
16.4
(61.5)
21.9
(71.4)
23.9
(75.0)
22.4
(72.3)
16.4
(61.5)
8.8
(47.8)
0.9
(33.6)
−8.1
(17.4)
7.3
(45.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −18.5
(−1.3)
−16.7
(1.9)
−7.3
(18.9)
2.1
(35.8)
9.9
(49.8)
15.2
(59.4)
17.6
(63.7)
16.3
(61.3)
10.9
(51.6)
4.4
(39.9)
−3.1
(26.4)
−13.7
(7.3)
1.4
(34.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −24.9
(−12.8)
−23.8
(−10.8)
−13.6
(7.5)
−3.1
(26.4)
3.4
(38.1)
8.5
(47.3)
11.2
(52.2)
10
(50)
5.4
(41.7)
0.1
(32.2)
−7.1
(19.2)
−19.4
(−2.9)
−4.4
(24.1)
Record low °C (°F) −46.1
(−51.0)
−46.1
(−51.0)
−40
(−40)
−27.8
(−18.0)
−11.7
(10.9)
−5
(23)
0.6
(33.1)
−1.7
(28.9)
−7
(19)
−13.3
(8.1)
−32.2
(−26.0)
−45
(−49)
−46.1
(−51.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 62.9
(2.48)
41.7
(1.64)
47.4
(1.87)
52.6
(2.07)
84.3
(3.32)
81.6
(3.21)
117.1
(4.61)
111.9
(4.41)
103.7
(4.08)
79.6
(3.13)
66.7
(2.63)
70.3
(2.77)
919.9
(36.22)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 6.3
(0.25)
2
(0.1)
16.2
(0.64)
40.1
(1.58)
83.6
(3.29)
81.6
(3.21)
117.1
(4.61)
111.9
(4.41)
103.7
(4.08)
73.9
(2.91)
39.6
(1.56)
6.2
(0.24)
682.1
(26.85)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 56.6
(22.3)
39.7
(15.6)
31.2
(12.3)
12.5
(4.9)
0.7
(0.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
5.8
(2.3)
27.2
(10.7)
64.1
(25.2)
237.8
(93.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 12.1 9.5 9.3 9.8 12.8 15.0 16.7 17.0 17.3 15.1 12.3 14.1 160.8
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.8 0.6 3.0 7.4 12.7 15.0 16.7 17.0 17.3 13.8 6.7 1.1 111.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 11.6 9.0 6.5 3.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.0 6.3 13.0 52.2
Source: Environment Canada

See also

  • Dolbeau-Mistassini para niños (in Spanish)
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