Otter Lake is a municipality in the Outaouais region, northwest of Gatineau, part of the Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada.

Otter Lake
Municipality
Location within Pontiac RCM
Otter Lake Location in western Quebec
Coordinates: 45°51′N 76°26′W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Outaouais
RCM	Pontiac
Constituted	January 1, 1877
Government [2]
• Mayor	Terry Lafleur
• Federal riding	Pontiac
• Prov. riding	Pontiac
Area [2][3]
• Total	493.32 km2 (190.47 sq mi)
• Land	454.70 km2 (175.56 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	1,041
• Density	2.3/km2 (6/sq mi)
• Pop (2016–21)	11.7%
• Dwellings	1,134
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)	J0X 2P0
Area code	819
Access Routes[4]	Route 301 Route 303
Website	www.otterlakequebec.ca

Prior to December 20, 2003 it was known as Leslie-Clapham-et-Huddersfield and had the legal status of a united township municipality.[5]

Geography

Population centres within the municipality include: Klukeville, Lauréat, Omer, Otter Lake, and Sandy Creek.

The village of Otter Lake is surrounded by Hughes Lake to the west, Lac de la Ferme (Farm Lake) to the east, McCuaig Lake to the south, and Lac à la Loutre (Otter Lake) to the north.[1]

History

In 1793, Huddersfield Township was established, named after its namesake in West Yorkshire, England. In 1866, Leslie Township was established, named after James Leslie (1786-1873), a Canadian senator.[1]

Also in 1866, the Otter Lake post office opened and the village that formed around the post office also came to have the same name. Since then, Philemon Wright, pioneer of the logging industry in Ottawa, operated a wood depot at Otter Lake. The industry has played and continues to play a leading role in the early and contemporary history of the village.[1]

In 1877, the United Township Municipality of Leslie-Clapham-et-Huddersfield was formed from its constituent townships. While Clapham Township was not officially established until 1920, it was already planned in the second half of the 19th century and named after a village north of Bedford, England. The united municipality was established because it was more advantageous to hold a municipal status than remain unorganized territory.[1]

In 2004 the United Township Municipality of Leslie-Clapham-et-Huddersfield became the Municipality of Otter Lake.[1]

Demographics

Population

Language

Canada Census Mother Tongue - Otter Lake, Quebec[11]
Census		Total		French				English				French & English				Other
Year		Responses		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %		Count	Trend	Pop %
2021		1,040		400	19.4%	38.5%		580	0.9%	55.8%		45	200.0%	4.3%		15	200.0%	1.4%
2016		930		335	9.5%	36.0%		575	17.3%	61.8%		15	40.0%	1.6%		5	66.7%	0.5%
2011		1110		370	24.5%	33.3%		695	46.3%	62.6%		25	n/a%	2.3%		15	n/a%	1.4%
2006		970		490	92.2%	50.5%		475	20.2%	49.0%		0	100.0%	0.0%		0	100.0%	0.0%
2001		880		255	45.2%	29.0%		595	20.2%	67.6%		15	50.0%	1.7%		15	50.0%	1.7%
1996		985		465	n/a	47.2%		495	n/a	50.3%		10	n/a	1.0%		10	n/a	1.0%

Local government

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2022)

List of former mayors:

• Terry G. Richard (2001–2009)
• Graham Hawley (2009–2015)
• Kim Cartier-Villeneuve (2015–2021)
• Terry Lafleur (2021-)

See also

• List of municipalities in Quebec

References