Launay, Quebec

Launay (French pronunciation: [lonɛ]) is a township municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Abitibi Regional County Municipality.

Launay
Township municipality
Location within Abitibi RCM
Launay Location in western Quebec
Coordinates: 48°39′N 78°32′W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Abitibi-Témiscamingue
RCM	Abitibi
Settled	c. 1917
Constituted	May 18, 1921
Named after	Jean-Baptiste Leporquier de Launay[1]
Government [2]
• Mayor	Claudette Laroche
• Federal riding	Abitibi—Témiscamingue
• Prov. riding	Abitibi-Ouest
Area [2][3]
• Total	259.22 km2 (100.09 sq mi)
• Land	257.80 km2 (99.54 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	211
• Density	0.8/km2 (2/sq mi)
• Pop (2016-21)	3.2%
• Dwellings	99
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0Y 1W0
Area code	819
Highways	R-111
Website	www.launay.ca

The municipality is named after Jean-Baptiste Leporquier de Launay, a military commander and captain of the Guyenne Regiment from the mid-18th century.^[1]

Its economy is dependent on agriculture and forestry.^[1]

History

The town's origin began with the construction of the railway station along the National Transcontinental Railway in 1913. In 1916, the geographic township was established, and settlement began the following year. On May 18, 1921, the Township Municipality of Launay was created out of unincorporated territory. Its first school was built in 1922, and its post office opened the following year (which closed in 1956).^[1][4][5]

In 1947, Launay was connected to the electrical grid, and in 1961, to the telephone system. In 1971, the Canadian National railway company closed Launay Station, which was demolished in 1988. That same year, the municipal sewer network was installed.^[4]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Launay had a population of 211 living in 97 of its 99 total private dwellings, a change of -3.2% from its 2016 population of 218. With a land area of 257.8 km² (99.5 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.8/km² (2.1/sq mi) in 2021.^[3]

Canada census – Launay, Quebec community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	211 (-3.2% from 2016)	218 (-4.8% from 2011)	229 (+1.3% from 2006)
Land area	257.8 km2 (99.5 sq mi)	258.51 km2 (99.81 sq mi)	258.24 km2 (99.71 sq mi)
Population density	0.8/km2 (2.1/sq mi)	0.8/km2 (2.1/sq mi)	0.9/km2 (2.3/sq mi)
Median age	49.2 (M: 54, F: 44.4)	50 (M: 53, F: 47)	47.1 (M: 47.2, F: 46.8)
Private dwellings	99 (total)  97 (occupied)	118 (total)  100 (occupied)	97 (total)  96 (occupied)
Median household income	$.n/a	$.n/a	$.n/a

References: 2021^[6] 2016^[7] 2011^[8]

Mother tongue (2021):^[3]

• English as first language: 0%
• French as first language: 100%
• English and French as first language: 0%
• Other as first language: 0%

Historical census populations – Launay, Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1921 121 —     1931 409 +238.0% 1941 423 +3.4% 1951 413 −2.4% 1956 508 +23.0% 1961 470 −7.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1966 466 −0.9% 1971 475 +1.9% 1976 395 −16.8% 1981 369 −6.6% 1986 335 −9.2% 1991 272 −18.8%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 260 −4.4% 2001 259 −0.4% 2006 226 −12.7% 2011 229 +1.3% 2016 218 −4.8% 2021 211 −3.2%
Source: Statistics Canada

Government

Local government

Municipal council (as of 2023):^[2]

• Mayor: Claudette Laroche
• Councillors: Clermont Bossé, Jimmy Samson, Rémi Gilbert, Laurier Fortin, Denyse Lacombe-Audy, Marie-Anne Fortin

List of former mayors:^[5]

• Moïse Viens (1921–1924)
• Évariste Lefebvre (1924–1926, 1935–1937)
• Cyrille Larochelle (1926–1931)
• Ben Campbell (1931–1935)
• Adélard Thibeault (1937–1940)
• Joseph Gagnon (1940–1943)
• Cajetan Bourassa (1943, 1947–1949)
• Joseph Rochefort (1943–1947)
• Émile Thibeault (1949–1953)
• Rolland Ménard (1953–1957)
• Aimé Bilodeau (1957–1961)
• Arthur Laroche (1961–1969)
• Joseph Brochu (1969–1971)
• Vallier Thibeault (1971–1972)
• Euclide Ménard (1972–1976)
• Marcel Ébacher (1976–1983)
• Ozanam Paré (1983–1987, 1991–2005)
• Camil Trépanier (1987–1991)
• Rosaire Thibeault (2005–2006)
• Gilles Labbé (2006–2009)
• Rémi Gilbert (2009–2017)
• Claude Lamoureux (2017–2021)
• Claudette Laroche (2021–present)

Political representation

Launay federal election results^[9]

Year		Liberal		Conservative		Bloc Québécois		New Democratic		Green
	2021	17%	19	7%	8	58%	64	5%	6	5%	5
	2019	22%	25	16%	18	51%	59	8%	9	3%	4
	2015	30%	28	5%	5	18%	17	43%	40	1%	1
	2011	2%	2	13%	14	36%	40	50%	56	0%	0
	2008	18%	16	19%	17	46%	41	13%	12	4%	4
	2006	12%	13	31%	35	52%	59	4%	4	2%	2
	2004	24%	26	10%	11	59%	64	4%	4	3%	3

Launay provincial election results^[10]

Year		CAQ		Liberal		QC solidaire		Parti Québécois
	2022	51%	53	6	6	13%	13	25%	26
	2018	20%	29	14%	20	23%	34	39%	56
	2014	9%	12	30%	37	13%	16	45%	55
	2012	16%	18	16%	18	5%	6	61%	69

Federally, Launay is part of the federal riding of Abitibi—Témiscamingue. In the 2025 Canadian federal election, the incumbent Sébastien Lemire of the Bloc Québécois was re-elected to represent the population Launay in the House of Commons of Canada.

Provincially it is part of the riding of Abitibi-Ouest. In the 2022 Quebec general election the incumbent MNA Suzanne Blais, of the Coalition Avenir Québec, was re-elected to represent the population of Launay in the National Assembly of Quebec.