Chapais is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on Route 113 near Chibougamau in the Jamésie region. It is surrounded by, but not a part of, the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay. The community was first settled in 1929, when prospector Léo Springer discovered deposits of copper, silver and gold in the area. Named for Thomas Chapais, it was incorporated as a city in 1955.

History

Opémisca Copper Mines operated the community's mine until 1991. More recently, with the closure of the mines, the community's primary industry has been forestry. The community opened the first cogeneration plant in Quebec to produce electricity from the sawmill's waste matter. On the night of January 1, 1980, at 1:30 a.m., 48 people were killed when a fire destroyed the Opémiska Community Hall. Fifty others were injured and rushed to Chibougamau hospital. This fire was the worst to occur in Quebec for more than 40 years. The fire started in wreaths of dried branches and other Christmas decorations, and the ensuing chaos that followed quickly blocked access to the main entrance. Several people managed to escape in time, but the tragedy left deep scars in the community. Chapais had a population of 1,468 in the Canada 2021 Census. A crater on Mars is named after this community. The community, and the efforts of its residents to keep it alive in the face of economic decline, are profiled in the 2013 documentary film Waiting for Spring (En attendant le printemps).

Geography

Climate

Chapais has a marginal subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc), slightly colder than the humid continental (Koppen: Dfb) areas to the south. While winters are bitterly cold, summers are relatively warm during daytime, though nights remain relatively cool. As such, the yearly mean is just above freezing. Summers have high rainfall and winters are quite snowy.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Chapais had a population of 1,468 living in 648 of its 711 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 1,499. With a land area of 62.31 km2, it had a population density of in 2021. Population: Mother tongue: