__FORCETOC__ Quebec is the second-most populous province in Canada with 8,501,833 residents as of 2021 and is the largest in land area at . For statistical purposes, the province is divided into 1,282 census subdivisions, which are municipalities and equivalents. Quebec's 1,218 municipalities include 87 regional county municipalities at the supralocal level and 1,131 local municipalities ( of its census subdivisions). Generally, most local municipalities, as well as some unorganized territories, are nested within regional county municipalities. The 1,218 municipalities are directly responsible for the provision of public transit, fire protection, potable water, water purification, and waste management services to its residents. They also share responsibility with the province in the provision of housing, road networks, police protection, recreation and culture, parks and natural spaces, and land use planning and development.
Below the regional county municipality level, the Government of Quebec's Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing recognizes 10 types of local municipalities – cities, towns, village municipalities, parish municipalities, township municipalities, united township municipalities, Cree village municipalities, Naskapi village municipalities, northern village municipalities, and simply "municipalities". Cities and towns are legislated primarily by the Loi sur les cités et villes (Cities and Towns Act). The Cree Villages and the Naskapi Village Act presides over the province's Cree and Naskapi village municipalities, while the Act Respecting Northern Villages and the Kativik Regional Government presides over northern villages. The 5 other types of municipalities are legislated primarily by the Code municipal du Québec (Municipal Code of Quebec). The Municipal Powers Act and 40 other pieces of legislation also apply to municipalities.
Of Quebec's 1,127 local municipalities, 654 or of them are simply "municipalities". Among the remaining 473, there are 234 towns, 42 village municipalities, 131 parish municipalities, 41 township municipalities, 2 united township municipalities, 8 Cree village municipalities, 1 Naskapi village municipality, and 14 northern village municipalities. Despite still being a legal municipal status type, there are no longer any cities in Quebec, although one town is permitted to brand itself as a city in its official name.
In 2021, Quebec's local municipalities covered of the province's land mass yet were home to of its population. Montreal is the province's largest municipality with 1,762,949 residents. Chisasibi, Eastmain, Kawawachikamach, Nemaska, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente, Waskaganish, Waswanipi, Wemindji, and Whapmagoostui are Quebec's smallest municipalities each with a population of 0. The largest municipality by land area is Eeyou Istchee Baie-James at , while the smallest by land area is Notre-Dame-des-Anges at .
Regional county municipalities A regional county municipality (French: Municipalité régionale de comté) in Quebec is a membership of numerous local municipalities, which in some cases can include unorganized territories, that was formed to administer certain services at the regional level such as waste management, public transit, land use planning and development, property assessment, etc. Its council comprises the mayors of all local municipalities within its membership and in some cases one or more other elected representatives.
Quebec legally recognizes 87 regional county municipalities (RCMs). They had a cumulative population of 3,909,607 in the 2021 Census of Population. The most and least populated of the province's incorporated RCMs are Roussilon with 185,568 residents and Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent with 3,382 residents. Quebec's largest and smallest RCMs by land area are Caniapiscau at and L'Île-d'Orléans at .
+ List of regional county municipalities in QuebecName 2021 Census of Population Population(2021) Population(2016) Change Land area(km²) Populationdensity(/km2) Abitibi Abitibi-Ouest Acton Antoine-Labelle Argenteuil Arthabaska Avignon Beauce-Centre Beauce-Sartigan Beauharnois-Salaberry Bécancour Bellechasse Bonaventure Brome-Missisquoi Caniapiscau Charlevoix Charlevoix-Est Coaticook D'Autray Deux-Montagnes Drummond Joliette Kamouraska La Côte-de-Beaupré La Côte-de-Gaspé La Haute-Côte-Nord La Haute-Gaspésie La Haute-Yamaska La Jacques-Cartier La Matanie La Matapédia La Mitis La Nouvelle-Beauce La Rivière-du-Nord La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau La Vallée-de-l'Or La Vallée-du-Richelieu Lac-Saint-Jean-Est L'Assomption L'Érable L'Île-d'Orléans L'Islet Le Domaine-du-Roy Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Le Granit Le Haut-Richelieu Le Haut-Saint-François Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Le Rocher-Percé Le Val-Saint-François Les Appalaches Les Basques Les Chenaux Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Les Etchemins Les Jardins-de-Napierville Les Laurentides Les Maskoutains Les Moulins Les Pays-d'en-Haut Les Sources Lotbinière Manicouagan Marguerite-D'Youville Maria-Chapdelaine Maskinongé Matawinie Mékinac Memphrémagog Minganie Montcalm Montmagny Nicolet-Yamaska Papineau Pierre-De Saurel Pontiac Portneuf Rimouski-Neigette Rivière-du-Loup Roussillon Rouville Sept-Rivières Témiscamingue Témiscouata Thérèse-De Blainville Vaudreuil-Soulanges Total regional county municipalities Province of Quebec
Local municipalities
Quebec's Act Respecting Municipal Territorial Divisions states that a "municipality that is not a regional county municipality is a local municipality." The province's 10 types of local municipalities include cities, towns, village municipalities, parish municipalities, township municipalities, united township municipalities, municipalities, Cree village municipalities, Naskapi village municipalities, and northern village municipalities.
Cities City (French: cité) status is no longer officially in use in Quebec. The last municipalities to have city status in Quebec were Dorval and Côte-Saint-Luc. Both held city status until they dissolved to become part of an amalgamated Montreal on January 1, 2002. While both were re-incorporated as towns on January 1, 2006, Dorval retained "City of Dorval" (French: Cité de Dorval) as its name for branding purposes.
Prior to 1988 amendments to the Cities and Towns Act, cities could be formed from any municipality in effect under the Municipal Code of Quebec with a population of 2,000 or more if the municipality: passed a resolution to formally request the Government of Quebec to change to city status; published the proposed resolution twice in the provincial gazette; obtained approval of its voters during an election or through a referendum; and submitted a petition to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for the letters patent to be granted within two months of the voters' approval that details the population, name, and boundaries of the city as well as the location of its first meeting of city council.
Upon submission of the petition with a certificate signed by the municipality's secretary-treasurer confirming the resolution's approval, the Government of Quebec could hold a public inquiry on the city status application, approve the application by granting the letters patent, and alter the proposed name of the city from the name proposed in the application.
Also prior to the 1988 amendments to the Cities and Towns Act, the Government of Quebec could consider and approve an application for city status from a municipality with a population of less than 2,000 under circumstances it deemed extenuating.
Towns
Quebec has 234 towns (French: villes) that had a cumulative population of 7,169,324 in the 2021 Census of Population. Quebec's largest and smallest towns by population are Montreal and L'Île-Dorval with populations of 1,762,949 and 30. Quebec's largest and smallest towns by land area are La Tuque and L'Île-Dorval with and .
Prior to 1988 amendments to the Cities and Towns Act, towns could be formed from any municipality in effect under the Municipal Code of Quebec with a population of 2,000 or more if the municipality: passed a resolution to formally request the Government of Quebec to change to town status; published the proposed resolution twice in the provincial gazette; obtained approval of its voters during an election or through a referendum; and submitted a petition to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for the letters patent to be granted within two months of the voters' approval that details the population, name, and boundaries of the town as well as the location of its first meeting of town council.
Upon submission of the petition with a certificate signed by the municipality's secretary-treasurer confirming the resolution's approval, the Government of Quebec could hold a public inquiry on the town status application, approve the application by granting the letters patent, and alter the proposed name of the town from the name proposed in the application.
Also prior to the 1988 amendments to the Cities and Towns Act, the Government of Quebec could consider and approve an application for town or city status from a municipality with a population of less than 2,000 under circumstances it deemed extenuating.
Under current legislation, any towns that were incorporated by special legislation or letters patent prior to September 1, 1979, or incorporated by any charter or letters patent approved under the Cities and Towns Act between September 1, 1979, and May 7, 1996, inclusive are subject to the Cities and Towns Act.
Village municipalities
In Quebec, a village (French: village) is an "[r]ural agglomeration characterized by a more or less concentrated habitat, possessing essential services and offering a form of community life", while a village parish municipality (French: municipalité de village) is the "[t]erritory of a village erected into a municipality." The Municipal Code of Quebec applies to all village municipalities in Quebec.
Quebec has 41 village municipalities that had a cumulative population of 44,120 in the 2021 Census of Population. Quebec's largest village municipality is Val-David with a population of 5,558, while Kingsbury is province's smallest village municipality with a population of 142. Quebec's largest and smallest village municipalities by area are Baie-Trinité and Lac-Poulin with land areas of and .
Parish municipalities
A parish (French: paroisse) in Quebec is an "[e]cclesiastical district where the jurisdiction of a minister of religion (priest, pastor, etc.) is exercised", while a parish municipality (French: municipalité de paroisse) is the "[t]erritory of a parish erected into a municipality." The Municipal Code of Quebec applies to all parish municipalities in Quebec.
Quebec has 129 parish municipalities that had a cumulative population of 131,772 in the 2021 Census of Population. Quebec's largest and smallest parish municipalities Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente with populations of 6,121 and 0. Quebec's largest and smallest parish municipalities by land area are Saint-Alexis-des-Monts and Notre-Dame-des-Anges with and .
Township municipalities
In Quebec, a township (French: canton) is an "[t]erritorial unit of a system of division of space, generally rectangular in shape, used for the freehold concession of public lands", while a township municipality (French: municipalité de canton) is the "[t]erritory or part of territory of a township established as a municipality." The Municipal Code of Quebec applies to all township municipalities in Quebec.
Quebec has 41 township municipalities that had a cumulative population of 47,954 and in the 2021 Census of Population. Quebec's largest and smallest township municipalities by population are Shefford and Hampden with populations of 7,253 and 193. Quebec's largest and smallest township municipalities by area are Nédélec and Bedford with land areas of and .
United township municipalities