Rapide-Danseur

Rapide-Danseur (French pronunciation: [ʁapid dɑ̃sœʁ]) is a municipality in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality. It covers 173.73 km² and had a population of 380 as of the 2021 Canadian census.

Rapide-Danseur
Municipality
Location within Abitibi-Ouest RCM
Rapide-Danseur Location in western Quebec
Coordinates: 48°33′N 79°18′W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Abitibi-Témiscamingue
RCM	Abitibi-Ouest
Settled	1928
Constituted	January 1, 1981
Government [2]
• Mayor	Alain Gagnon
• Federal riding	Abitibi—Témiscamingue
• Prov. riding	Abitibi-Ouest
Area [2][3]
• Total	185.67 km2 (71.69 sq mi)
• Land	173.73 km2 (67.08 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	380
• Density	2.2/km2 (6/sq mi)
• Pop (2016-21)	15.9%
• Dwellings	209
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0Z 3G0
Area code	819
Highways	R-388 R-393
Website	rapide-danseur.ao.ca

The municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1981. It owes its name to a waterfall found on the Duparquet River between Lake Duparquet and Lake Abitibi. The natives called it “opacicicimosik” which means “where we stop to dance, to stretch ourselves”, this after having done portage.

Demographics

Canada census – Rapide-Danseur, Quebec community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	380 (+15.9% from 2016)	328 (+5.1% from 2011)	312 (+14.3% from 2006)
Land area	173.73 km2 (67.08 sq mi)	175.56 km2 (67.78 sq mi)	175.33 km2 (67.70 sq mi)
Population density	2.2/km2 (5.7/sq mi)	1.9/km2 (4.9/sq mi)	1.8/km2 (4.7/sq mi)
Median age	45.6 (M: 48.8, F: 40)	45.0 (M: 50.4, F: 41.5)	46.7 (M: 50.1, F: 44.5)
Private dwellings	209 (total)	195 (total)	162 (total)
Median household income	$77,500	$69,888	$.N/A

References: 2021^[4] 2016^[5] 2011^[6]

Historical Census Data - Rapide-Danseur, Quebec

Year Pop. ±% 1981 246 —     1986 208 −15.4% 1991 206 −1.0% 1996 247 +19.9% 2001 265 +7.3%	Year Pop. ±% 2006 273 +3.0% 2011 312 +14.3% 2016 328 +5.1% 2021 380 +15.9%
Source: Statistics Canada

Private dwellings occupied by usual residents (2021): 161 (total dwellings: 209)^[3]

Mother tongue (2021):^[3]

• English as first language: 1.3%
• French as first language: 98.7%
• English and French as first language: 0%
• Other as first language: 0%

Government

Municipal council (2024):^[7]

• Mayor: Alain Gagnon
• Councillors: Donald Dubé, Lorraine Doucet-Dion, vacant, Marc Regaudie, Christiane Guillemette, Vanessa Gravel

Political representation

Rapide-Danseur federal election results^[8]

Year		Liberal		Conservative		Bloc Québécois		New Democratic		Green
	2021	19%	29	9%	14	55%	87	4%	7	4%	6
	2019	19%	31	16%	26	53%	87	6%	10	5%	7
	2015	24%	29	3%	4	26%	32	41%	51	4%	5
	2011	4%	5	4%	5	37%	52	55%	78	1%	1
	2008	21%	29	8%	11	52%	72	14%	20	4%	6
	2006	8%	9	16%	19	57%	68	16%	19	4%	5
	2004	23%	27	4%	5	62%	73	6%	7	5%	6

Rapide-Danseur provincial election results^[9]

Year		CAQ		Liberal		QC solidaire		Parti Québécois
	2022	24%	39	4%	7	18%	29	35%	56
	2018	22%	45	9%	17	23%	47	42%	87
	2014	18%	30	16%	27	15%	26	50%	86
	2012	19%	29	12%	18	10%	16	56%	86

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 Rapide-Danseur in the National Assembly of Quebec.

Federally, Rapide-Danseur is part of the federal riding of Abitibi—Témiscamingue. In the 2021 Canadian federal election, the incumbent Sébastien Lemire of the Bloc Québécois was re-elected to represent the population Rapide-Danseur in the House of Commons of Canada.