Thetford Mines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thetford Mines
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City
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City centre
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| Motto(s): | ||
Location within Les Appalaches RCM
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Quebec |
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| Region | Chaudière-Appalaches | |
| RCM | Les Appalaches | |
| Founded | 1876 | |
| Constituted | October 17, 2001 | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 227.70 km2 (87.92 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 225.97 km2 (87.25 sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 17.43 km2 (6.73 sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 405.92 km2 (156.73 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • City | 26,072 | |
| • Density | 115.4/km2 (299/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 20,312 | |
| • Urban density | 1,165.3/km2 (3,018/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 28,287 | |
| • Metro density | 69.7/km2 (181/sq mi) | |
| • Pop 2016–2021 |  2.6% |
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| • Dwellings | 13,059 | |
| Demonym(s) | Thetfordois, Thetfordoises (Fr); Thetforder (EN) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Postal code(s) |
G6G & G6H
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| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 | |
| Highways |  Route 112 Route 267 Route 269 Route 271 |
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| Geocode | 24 31084 | |
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Thetford Mines is a city in south-central Quebec, Canada. In 2021, about 26,072 people lived there. It is the main city of the Les Appalaches Regional County Municipality.
The city is found in the Appalachian Mountains. It is about 187 kilometers (116 miles) east of Montreal and 79 kilometers (49 miles) south of Quebec City. Thetford Mines was once very famous for its asbestos mines.
History of Thetford Mines
Before Europeans arrived, the Abenaki people lived in the area where Thetford Mines is now.
A small village started in 1876. This happened after a lot of asbestos was found in the ground nearby. Asbestos is a natural mineral that was once used a lot in building materials. The village was first called Kingsville in 1892. It was named after William King, who owned an important mine.
A few years later, in 1905, Kingsville changed its name. It became Thetford Mines, named after the larger area (Township of Thetford) it was in. That township was named after a town in England called Thetford.
During the 1900s, Thetford Mines became a very important place for asbestos mining. It was even called the "Asbestos Capital of the World" or the "City of White Gold." At its busiest time, there were seven mines working. They employed about 4,000 people.
In 1949 and 1975, there were big worker protests at the asbestos mines. These protests lasted for almost five months.
In 2001, the city grew bigger. It joined with nearby towns like Black Lake, Robertsonville, Pontbriand, and Thetford-Sud.
Canada later stopped using asbestos in schools and homes. The mines in Thetford Mines then mostly sold their asbestos to other parts of the world. However, in 2012, the last mine in the city closed down. Since then, Thetford Mines has started to focus on other types of work, especially manufacturing.
Climate
Thetford Mines has a humid continental climate. This means it has very cold and snowy winters. Its summers are warm and rainy. Most of the rain falls during the summer months.
| Climate data for Thetford Mines, Quebec, 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
15.0 (59.0) |
19.0 (66.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
31.1 (88.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.8 (91.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
26.1 (79.0) |
20.5 (68.9) |
15.0 (59.0) |
33.0 (91.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.3 (18.9) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
0.4 (32.7) |
8.4 (47.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.6 (11.1) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
4.0 (39.2) |
3.9 (39.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.2 (55.8) |
6.5 (43.7) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
4.6 (40.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −15.9 (3.4) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
12.8 (55.0) |
8.5 (47.3) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−11 (12) |
0.1 (32.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −36 (−33) |
−35 (−31) |
−34 (−29) |
−19 (−2) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
3.0 (37.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−6 (21) |
−11 (12) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−34 (−29) |
−36 (−33) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 107.9 (4.25) |
86.5 (3.41) |
89.1 (3.51) |
88.3 (3.48) |
105.0 (4.13) |
130.0 (5.12) |
133.3 (5.25) |
135.3 (5.33) |
100.2 (3.94) |
112.2 (4.42) |
104.6 (4.12) |
117.2 (4.61) |
1,309.6 (51.56) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 25.9 (1.02) |
15.5 (0.61) |
27.0 (1.06) |
65.7 (2.59) |
102.9 (4.05) |
130.0 (5.12) |
133.3 (5.25) |
135.3 (5.33) |
100.1 (3.94) |
105.6 (4.16) |
70.6 (2.78) |
33.6 (1.32) |
945.5 (37.22) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 82.1 (32.3) |
71.0 (28.0) |
62.0 (24.4) |
23.1 (9.1) |
2.0 (0.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
6.6 (2.6) |
34.0 (13.4) |
83.6 (32.9) |
364.5 (143.5) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 52 (20) |
70 (28) |
76 (30) |
32 (13) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
4 (1.6) |
26 (10) |
76 (30) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm) | 17.9 | 14.7 | 14.3 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 14.1 | 13.4 | 16.2 | 17.2 | 18.6 | 186.9 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 11.0 | 15.1 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 14.1 | 13.4 | 15.4 | 11.0 | 4.6 | 126.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 16.0 | 13.4 | 11.1 | 5.0 | 0.47 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.04 | 1.8 | 8.1 | 15.6 | 71.4 |
| Source: ECCC | |||||||||||||
Population Details
In 2021, the population of Thetford Mines was 26,072 people. This was a small increase of 2.6% from 2016. The city has a land area of about 226 square kilometers (87 square miles). This means there are about 115 people living in each square kilometer.
Fun Activities in Thetford Mines
Thetford Mines offers many activities throughout the year.
Winter Fun
Winter brings lots of snow to Thetford Mines for many months. It's a great place for snowmobiling and riding four-wheel drive vehicles. You can also enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing.
The city has its own minor-pro ice hockey team, the Thetford Mines Assurancia. They play in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) at Centre Mario Gosselin. Thetford Mines is the only city that has had a team in this league every season since it started in 1996.
Young people can join ringette and hockey teams. There are also yearly tournaments for young players and for older hockey players. In 2009, Thetford Mines was chosen as one of the top five finalists for Kraft Hockeyville. This is a special event on Hockey Night In Canada.
Spring Fun
Spring is the time for making maple syrup in the area. The region has many maple trees. This makes it one of the best places in the world for producing maple syrup. In March and early April, many people visit local sugar camps. They go to "sugaring off" parties. Here, warm maple syrup is poured over fresh snow to make a tasty taffy.
Summer Fun
Summer offers many outdoor activities. There are lots of lakes and rivers for swimming and gatherings. The city also hosts summer festivals. These include sports events, concerts, and fireworks.
Autumn Fun
The same maple trees that give us syrup in spring create beautiful colors in autumn. The leaves turn bright shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Local Media
Thetford Mines has two radio stations. They are CFJO (known as "O97,3") and CKLD (known as "Passion-Rock 105,5"). Both stations play music and shows that are partly made in Thetford Mines and partly in Victoriaville.
Famous People from Thetford Mines
Many interesting people have come from Thetford Mines:
- Bob Fillion (1920–2015), a hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens.
- Raymond Setlakwe (1928–2021), a successful business person, lawyer, and former senator.
- Armand Vaillancourt (born 1929), a Canadian artist known for his sculptures and paintings.
- Michel Louvain (1937–2021), a popular French Canadian singer and TV host.
- Janel Gauthier (born 1950), a psychologist.
- Michaëlle Jean (born 1957), who was once the Governor General of Canada.
- Jean-François Lisée (born 1958), a former leader of a political party in Quebec.
- Daniel Poudrier (born 1964), a retired hockey player and city council member.
- Mario Gosselin (born 1963), a hockey player.
- Patrice Tardif (born 1970), a hockey player who played in the NHL.
- Simon Gamache (born 1981), a hockey player who also played in the NHL.
- John Mervin Nooth (1737–1828), a doctor and scientist.
- Andrew Stuart Johnson (1848–1926), a farmer, lumber merchant, and important political figure.
Images for kids
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Asbestos miners in Thetford Mines in the 1920s
See also
In Spanish: Thetford Mines para niños
