# L'Île-d'Anticosti, Quebec

L'Île-d'Anticosti (French pronunciation:) is a municipality located on the Anticosti island, between the straits of Jacques Cartier and Honguedo, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Minganie Regional County Municipality, Côte-Nord region, Quebec, Canada.

## Toponymy

Within the municipality, the main populated area is Port-Menier.
Officially the municipality was formed first in 1902 when Anticosti Island was separated from the County of Saguenay. But since the entire island was privately owned, there was no elected council to preside over the islanders, who were either servants of the landlord or employees of logging companies. Even after the island was owned again by the provincial government in 1974, it took another decade to put a working municipal organization in place. On January 31, 1984, the first council was finally sworn in.

## UNESCO's World Heritage

On September 19, 2023, Anticosti was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. It is recognized for its exceptional fossil assemblage representing the first global mass extinction of animal life on Earth.
Located within protected areas free from any industrial activity, the site is endowed with exceptionally well-preserved, abundant and diverse fossil fauna, this Anticosti fauna represents the first mass extinction of animal life on a global scale, 447 – 437 million years ago, at the end of the Ordovician period.
* Vauréal Canyon
* Cliff wall, fall and Vauréal River
* Cliff wall, fall and Vauréal River
* Fossil (probably sponge), in the gravel, at the foot of the wall
* Fossil to be identified, in the gravel, at the foot of the wall
The Vauréal River has its source in Lake Vauréal, it flows 25 km south-northeast, in the eastern part of the island. The salmon goes up the river to the Vauréal Falls, 13 km from the coast, crossing the Vauréal canyon where the river is enclosed between two limestone walls.

## Communities
### Port-Menier

The village of Port-Menier is the hub of the island. Its population doubles in the summer with seasonal workers and tourists. The economic mainstays are outdoor tourism and forestry/logging. Services available in Port-Menier include general and grocery stores, gas station, banking, restaurant, and lodging.

## Demographics
### Population

| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 451 | — |
| 1931 | 454 | +0.7% |
| 1941 | 424 | −6.6% |
| 1951 | 743 | +75.2% |
| 1956 | 856 | +15.2% |
| 1961 | 532 | −37.9% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1966 | 494 | −7.1% |
| 1971 | 419 | −15.2% |
| 1976 | 293 | −30.1% |
| 1981 | 275 | −6.1% |
| 1986 | 335 | +21.8% |
| 1991 | 264 | −21.2% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1996 | 263 | −0.4% |
| 2001 | 266 | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 281 | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 240 | −14.6% |
| 2016 | 218 | −9.2% |
| 2021 | 177 | −18.8% |
Source: Statistics Canada :

### Language

Canada Census mother tongue - L'Île-d'Anticosti, Quebec :
| Census | Total | French | French | French | English | English | English | French & English | French & English | French & English | Other | Other | Other |
| Year | Responses | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % | Count | Trend | Pop % |
| 2021 | 180 | 170 | 19.0% | 94.4% | 5 | 0.0% | 2.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2016 | 215 | 210 | 10.6% | 97.7% | 5 | 0.0% | 2.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 240 | 235 | 16.1% | 97.9% | 5 | n/a% | 2.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 280 | 280 | 7.1% | 100.0% | 0 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 280 | 260 | 1.9% | 92.9% | 10 | n/a% | 3.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 | n/a% | 3.6% |
| 1996 | 265 | 265 | n/a | 100.0% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% | 0 | n/a | 0.0% |

## Local government

List of former mayors:
* No mayor 1902–1984 (no municipal organization)
* Raymond Bond (1984–1986)
* Mario Auclair (1986–1988, 1993–2002)
* Jean-Guy Joubert (1988–1989)
* Fernand Tremblay (1989–1990)
* No mayor 1990–1993 (under government supervision)
* Denis Malouin (2002–2005)
* Denis Duteau (2005–2013)
* Jean-François Boudreault (2013–2015)
* John Pineault (2016–2021)
* Hélène Boulanger (2021–present)

## Time zone

Anticosti Island is bisected by the 63rd meridian west, and as a result, the eastern part of the municipality is officially within the AST legislated time zone boundary. However, in practice, all of L'Île-d'Anticosti observes the Eastern Time Zone (EST and EDT).

## Education

Commission scolaire du Littoral operates St-Joseph School (francophone) in Port-Menier.