The creation of the La Mitis Regional County Municipality in 1982 brought together municipalities from three neighbouring county municipalities to form a new community, and incorporated a vast wooded area in the highland, including – naturally – the Seigneurie du Lac Mitis (Lac Mitis Seigniory). The Mitis River also crosses this territory.

The heart of this RCM is located at an important junction for roads and railways. Its regional airport serves all of the surrounding RCMs. Needless to say these transportation infrastructures have contributed, and continue to contribute, to this area’s development.

La Mitis RCM boasts the highest number of sawmills in the Lower St. Lawrence. What is more, it is also home to dynamic secondary and tertiary wood processing companies, a state-of-the-art smelter, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada research centre, a rich historical heritage and the famous Reford Gardens. As far as the agri-food industry is concerned, sheep production has risen dramatically since 1990. There are some 11,000 sheep in the area, which represent 37% of the entire Lower St. Lawrence sheep population.

La Mitis has a population of 19,609 (January 2004). Its 16 municipalities cover only half its 2,312 square kilometres; the rest is made up of unorganized territories. However, during the summer period, the population of certain municipalities that border the St. Lawrence River triples, or even quadruples. This is the case for Métis-sur-Mer, Sainte-Flavie and Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer. Each summer, 4,000 people come back to these municipalities to be serenaded by the sound of the waves of the majestic river that is sometimes called “the sea”.

Last Update : 2005-02-25 | Printable version