Nestled in the La Matapédia Regional County Municipality (RCM) in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, Sayabec is a charming municipality that offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. With a population of approximately 2,000, it is the third largest municipality in its RCM, following Amqui and Causapscal.
Sayabec is an important regional economic centre, thanks to the presence of the Panval chipboards plant, the biggest industry in the valley. The main activities of the village are agriculture and forestry, contributing significantly to the local economy.
Historically, the territory was occupied by the Mi'kmaq people, a First Nation who occupied much of the Gaspé Peninsula. The first French Canadian inhabitant was Pierre Brochu, who arrived in 1833. The municipality was officially created in 1887 as a school municipality under the name Sainte-Marie-de-Sayabec, and the Catholic parish was erected in 1894. The village of Saindon was created in 1917, and it took the name of Sayabec in 1951. The current municipality was formed in 1982 through the merger of the parish municipality of Sainte-Marie-de-Sayabec and the village municipality of Sayabec.
Sayabec, pronounced "Say-bec" (/se.bɛk/), derives its name from the Mi'kmaq language word sepeg, which means "full river" or "river obstructed by a beaver dam". Other sources suggest that the name comes from the Mi'kmaq word siapeg, which means "extension of the lake" or "small gulf". The residents of Sayabec are known as "Sayabécois" for males and "Sayabécoise" for females.
Sayabec is located in the Matapédia Valley between the Chic-Choc Mountains of the Appalachian near Lake Matapédia. It is divided into two sections: the main section near Lake Matapédia, and a second section near Lake Malcolm known as the hamlet of Lac-Malcolm. The territory of Sayabec encompasses two watersheds, one shedding into Lake Matapédia and the other into Blanche River. The municipality's main transportation link is the Quebec Route 132 which loops around the Gaspé Peninsula back towards the Mont-Joli area northwest of Sayabec. It is also located along the Canadian National Railway.
According to Statistics Canada, Sayabec's population in 2021 was 1,706, a 6.8% decrease from the 2016 population of 1,831. The majority of Sayabec's housing are single-family homes. French is the mother tongue of nearly the entire population, with about 13% of the population able to speak English.
Sayabec is located on the main transportation axis of the Gaspé Peninsula: Quebec Route 132. It is also located on the Canadian National Railway. Intercity buses of Orléans Express serve Sayabec, using the Route 132 in direction of Rimouski and Matapédia, Quebec. The closest regional airport is located in Mont-Joli, 43 km to the northwest of Sayabec.
The region was first frequented by the Mi'kmaq First Nation, beginning before the 17th century. The first inhabitant of Matapédia Valley was Pierre Brochu, who settled down at the tip of Matapédia Lake in 1833. The Fenderson family was the first real industrials of the valley, buying a shingle mill in 1896. The municipality was first officially created on February 18, 1887 as a school municipality. The village of Saindon was created in 1917, and it took the name of Sayabec in 1951. The current municipality was formed in 1982 through the merger of the parish municipality of Sainte-Marie-de-Sayabec and the village municipality of Sayabec.
