Kazabazua, Quebec, a charming village and municipality nestled in La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Located halfway between Maniwaki and Hull, this quaint village is situated at the intersection of Route 105 and Route 301, just west of the Gatineau River.
The village and municipality derive their name from the Kazabazua River that gracefully flows through it. The name Kazabazua, with its various English spellings like Kazaluzu, Kasubasua, and Cazabasua, originates from the Algonquin word 'kachibadjiwan', meaning 'underground river'. This name is a testament to the local topography, as the Kazabazua River intriguingly disappears underground and resurfaces a few yards downstream. The river then cascades through rapids and passes under a natural stone bridge. The communities of Kazabazua Station, Aylwin, and Aylwin Station also find their home within this municipality.
The bedrock of Kazabazua is predominantly composed of marble dating back to the Precambrian Era, representing metamorphic sedimentary rocks from the Grenville orogeny. The Kazabazua River has chemically and mechanically eroded the marble, forming a karst stone bridge. The Kazabazua Plain, a unique geomorphological phenomenon in Quebec, is made up of metamorphic rocks covered with a network of ancient sand dunes and bogs. This topography is the result of water and wind action since the withdrawal of the last glacier.
Kazabazua, Quebec, is part of the Algonquin First Nation territory and has been inhabited by this community for centuries. Around 1835, the area began to be settled and was originally named Hoganville, in honor of the first pioneers, the Hogan family. In 1858, the Aylwin Township was formed, named after judge and politician Thomas Cushing Aylwin. The local post office opened in 1862, named Kazubazua, and by 1873, the village itself began to be popularly known as Kazabazua. In 1932, the name was changed to Kazabazua, and the municipality legally adopted this name in 1976.
As of 2021, Kazabazua, Quebec, is home to 484 private dwellings occupied by usual residents, out of a total of 832 dwellings. The linguistic diversity of the area is reflected in the fact that 42.3% of the population speaks English as their first language, 53.4% speaks French, and 3.7% are bilingual, speaking both English and French as their first language.
Discover the charm and history of Kazabazua, Quebec, a village that beautifully blends the past and the present, offering a unique experience to its visitors.
