Alma, a town located in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of the Canadian province of Quebec, is home to a population of 30,331 as of the 2021 town census. With a Census Agglomeration (CA) population of 33,018 and an Urban Area (UA) population of 26,016, Alma is a bustling community with a rich history and vibrant culture.
The present town of Alma was formed in 1962 from the merging of four villages: Isle-Maligne, Naudville, Riverbend, and St-Joseph d'Alma. The oldest of these villages, St-Joseph-d'Alma, was founded in 1867 by Damase Boulanger. The area became an important industrial center during the 1920s and 1930s with the construction of a hydro-electrical power station on the Grande-Décharge River, a paper mill (Price), and an aluminum smelting plant (Alcan), all of which are still in activity today. In 2002, Alma merged with the Municipality of Delisle. Both modern-day Alma and St-Joseph d'Alma are named after the Battle of the Alma.
Alma is located on the southeast coast of Lac Saint-Jean where it flows into the Saguenay River, approximately 175 km north of Quebec City. Alma is the seat of Lac-Saint-Jean-Est Regional County Municipality and the second city in population in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region after the city of Saguenay. Alma is also the seat of the judicial district of Alma.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alma had a population of 30,331 living in 13,815 of its 14,493 total private dwellings, a change of -1.4% from its 2016 population of 30,771. With a land area of 194.92 km2 (75.26 sq mi), it had a population density of 155.6/km2 (403.0/sq mi) in 2021. The population trend shows a slight increase from 29,998 in 2006 to 30,915 in 2021. The mother tongue of the population is predominantly French (98.5%), with English as the first language for 0.5% of the population.
Alma is serviced by the Alma Airport, located 4.1 km to the south of the town. This makes it easily accessible for tourists and visitors, adding to its appeal as a destination in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec.
