Mattice-Val Côté

Mattice-Val Côté is an incorporated township in Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.[1] It is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Hearst and 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of Kapuskasing on Ontario Highway 11.

Mattice-Val Côté
Township (single-tier)
Township of Mattice-Val Côté
Canton de Mattice-Val Côté
Voyageur statue in Mattice. Bridge over the Missinaibi River is in the background.
Motto(s): 
In Futuro Spes
Mattice-Val Côté
Location of Mattice-Val-Côté in Ontario
Coordinates: 49°38′45″N 83°17′13″W[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
DistrictCochrane
Settled1910s
IncorporatedApril 18, 1975
Government
 • MayorMarc Dupuis
 • MPCarol Hughes (NDP)
 • MPPGuy Bourgouin (NDP)
Area
 • Total414.00 km2 (159.85 sq mi)
Elevation
232 m (761 ft)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total648
 • Density1.6/km2 (4/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code FSA
P0L
Area code(s)705, 249
Websitematticevalcote.ca

The township was incorporated on April 18, 1975, as the United Townships of Eilber and Devitt, with Paul Zorzetto as first reeve.[3] Its two primary population centres are Mattice and Val-Côté. Mattice is located on the Missinaibi River, a historic fur-trading route that flows into the Moose River, then into James Bay. The river is a popular destination for canoers, known for its historical significance.

History
Mattice
Val Côté

Mattice was founded in the 1910s, fueled by the arrival of the Canadian Transcontinental Railway and free land given away by the government. Most residents came from the province of Quebec.

The town was named after Gregor Lenox Mattice. He was born July 26, 1872 in Cornwall Township, Ontario, Canada, and died April 1, 1940 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[4] Major Gregor Lenox Mattice was educated at the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and graduated as a civil engineer. For a time he was with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (now the Canadian National Railway) as District Engineer, with headquarters at Cochrane, Ontario. He had charge of construction between Hearst and Cochrane. When the road was completed, the field office was named Mattice in his honor. When a town built up around the field office, the town was also named Mattice.

The history of Mattice-Val-Côté and its residents is detailed in the two volume book Si Missinaïbi m'était conté. Volume I tells the story of the original settlers in the early 1920s. Volume II tells the story of their descendants.[5]

Economy

A majority of residents work in nearby Hearst and Opasatika in the lumber industry. Opasatika's mill is now shut down. Other residents work in the service industry.

A group of local women entrepreneurs have banded together to open a clothing company which manufactures polar fleece clothing, ideal for the cold winter conditions of the area.

Tourist attractions

The Municipality of Mattice-Val-Côté has set up a rest and camp area on the right bank of the Missinaibi River so that canoe enthusiasts can sleep, shower, rest and visit the sites. The municipality has also erected a sculpture depicting a voyageur portaging along the river.

Mattice is home to a historical First Nations cemetery, located two kilometers south of town. It had been abandoned in the 1940s but has now been cleaned up and can be accessed by road or by canoe on the Missinaibi River.

A rock museum opened in Val-Côté in 2002.

Ontario Northland freigh train crossing the Missinaibi River at Mattice-Val Côté in Northern Ontario

Festivals

The Carnaval Missinaïbi (winter carnival) is held over the course of two weeks in the end of February/beginning of March every winter. Activities include snowmobile rallies, music concerts, and kids activities. The Carnaval is best known in the area for its generous prizes (vehicles and money) given away in the Carnival draw.

The first "journées médiévales" (Medieval Days) took place in the summer of 2006, inspired by a similar activity in a small Quebec town. The festival takes place at the baseball field of Mattice on the last weekend of August. This festival features the naming of a king and queen for the day, a competition to become a knight, a lot of family activities, a variety of different expositions and a meal without utensils.

Canadian Rivers Day has been celebrated for four years with organized trips on the Missinaibi River, educational sessions and family activities.

Sports

Residents and visitors enjoy outdoor sports such as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, camping, swimming and canoeing. It is a popular spot for anglers and hunters.

Education

The local grade school is called École catholique St-François-Xavier where students go from kindergarten to grade 8. High school students are bussed to École Secondaire catholique Hearst.

Demographics
Canada census – Mattice-Val Côté community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 648 (-5.5% from 2011) 686 (-11.1% from 2006) 772 (-13.4% from 2001)
Land area: 414.00 km2 (159.85 sq mi) 414.64 km2 (160.09 sq mi) 414.64 km2 (160.09 sq mi)
Population density: 1.6/km2 (4.1/sq mi) 1.7/km2 (4.4/sq mi) 1.9/km2 (4.9/sq mi)
Median age: 51.1 (M: 51.5, F: 50.6) 41.5 (M: 42.4, F: 40.4)
Total private dwellings: 338 353 376
Median household income: $56,405 $51,703
References: 2016[6] 2011[7] 2006[8] earlier[9]

The majority of Mattice-Val-Côté residents are French speaking. Most of the residents are also Caucasian, born in Canada for many generations, but different cultures can also be found such as Portuguese, First Nations, Finnish, Dutch and even Spanish. About 92% of the population is French, but 96% speak it.

See also

References
  1. "Mattice-Val Côté". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  2. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Mattice-Val Côté, Township". Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  3. "Council History" (in French). Municipality of Mattice–Val-Côté. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  4. Mattice Family History: 1709-1961," by Rex G. Mattice
  5. Si Missinaïbi m'était conté-- : l'histoire vécue des pionniers de Mattice-Val Côté [If the story of Missinaïbi were told: the story of the lives of the pioneers of Mattice-Val Côté] (in French). Mattice. 1986. OCLC 16983300. Vol I - L'histoire vécue des pionniers de Mattice-Val-Côté. Vol II- L'histoire des gens de Mattice-Val-Côté.
  6. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  7. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  8. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
  9. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
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