Fermont
Fermont (/ˈfɛərmɒnt/) is a small mining city in northeastern Quebec, Canada, near the Quebec-Labrador border about 23 kilometres (14 mi) from Labrador City on Route 389, which connects to the Trans-Labrador Highway (Newfoundland and Labrador Route 500). It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Caniapiscau.
Fermont | |
|---|---|
| Ville de Fermont | |
Fermont showing windscreen design | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): Faire front, faire face | |
Fermont Location in Côte-Nord Region of Quebec. Fermont Fermont (Quebec) Fermont Fermont (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 52°47′N 67°05′W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Côte-Nord |
| RCM | Caniapiscau |
| Settled | 1971 |
| Constituted | October 15, 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Martin St-Laurent |
| • Federal riding | Manicouagan |
| • Prov. riding | Duplessis |
| Area | |
| • Total | 495.50 km2 (191.31 sq mi) |
| • Land | 476.89 km2 (184.13 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 610 m (2,000 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 2,474 |
| • Density | 5.2/km2 (13/sq mi) |
| • Pop 2011-2016 | 13.9% |
| • Dwellings | 1,638 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | G0G 1J0 |
| Area code(s) | 418 and 581 |
| Highways | R-389 |
| Website | www |
Fermont (French contraction of "Fer Mont", meaning "Iron Mountain") was founded as a company town in the early 1970s to exploit rich iron ore deposits from Mont Wright, which is about 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the west.
The town is notable for the huge self-contained structure containing apartments, stores, schools, bars, a hotel, restaurants, a supermarket and swimming pool; the large building shelters a community of smaller apartment buildings and homes on its leeward side. Popularly known as The Wall (Le Mur), the structure was designed to be a windscreen to the rest of the town. It permits residents (other than mine workers) to never leave the building during the long winter, which usually lasts about seven months. The town, designed by Maurice Desnoyers and Norbert Schoenauer, was inspired by similar projects in Sweden designed by Ralph Erskine, notably that of Svappavaara, an iron mining town in Sweden. The building measures 1.3 kilometres (4,300 ft) long and stands 15 metres (49 ft) high.