Amqui

Amqui

Amqui, Qué, Town, pop 6261 (2006c), 6473 (2001c), inc 1991. Present-day Maqui is the result of a merger of the town of Amqui with the parish municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre. It is located west of the Gaspé Peninsula, at the southern tip of Lac Matapédia. Rivière Matapédia winds southward through the town, converging with Rivière Humqui near the town centre.

Amqui's municipal history is more complex than it seems. In 1907, the village centre had split away from the parish municipality of Saint-Benoît-Joseph-Labre. It adopted the name Amqui in 1948 and was given town status in 1961. Thirty years later it reunited with the parish municipality it had broken away from. The name is of Micmac origin, although the meaning of the word is in dispute. The most acceptable translation is "a place where we can play and have fun," referring to where the Micmac had festive gatherings.

Amqui, the county seat of the regional county municipality of Matapédia, is an important service centre and an industrial town built up around forest products and farming. It is also a tourist destination, and the area is internationally known for its salmon and trout fishing. At Anse Saint-Jean, a covered bridge that crosses the Matapédia is one of a number of local historic sites.