Thorne
Coordinates: 45°45′N 76°26′W / 45.75°N 76.433°W / 45.75; -76.433
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Outaouais
RCM	Pontiac
Incorporation	January 1, 1860
Government
- Type	Municipality
- Mayor	Edwin Ross Vowles
- Ridings:
- Federal	Pontiac
- Provincial	Pontiac
Area [1]
- Total	177.33 km2 (68.5 sq mi)
- Land	174.34 km2 (67.3 sq mi)
Population (2006)[2]
- Total	427
- Density	2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	J0X 2A0
Access Routes	Route 301 Route 303
Website	www.thornequebec.ca/

Thorne is a municipality in the Pontiac Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, about 63 kilometers (39 mi) northwest of Downtown Gatineau, part of the Outaouais region.

It is named after a town with the same name in Yorkshire, England. The name Thorn(e) is rarely used alone in English toponymy where it is more common in other forms such as Thornhill, Thornton, Thornley, Thornham, Thorngrove.^[3]

[edit] Geography

Thorne is located in the Gatineau Hills with its highest hills reaching an elevation of 300 meters (984 ft) above sea level. Its notable lakes are Barnes, Johnson, Mecham, Sparling, Thorne, and Toote Lakes.^[4]

Its settlements include Greer Mount, Hodgins, Ladysmith, Schwartz, Thornby, and Thorne Centre.^[4]

[edit] History

On May 1, 1861, the Township of Thorne was formed when it separated from Clarendon Township. But because it was too small to form its own municipality, it was merged with Leslie Township.^[5] James Martin was its first mayor.^[6]

That same year, it had a population between 450 to 465 people, made up of mixed national origin but only fourteen French Canadians.^[4][6] During the next ten years, the area had a large increase of settlers from German descent.^[6]

In 1867, Leslie Township separated (now part of Otter Lake) and Thorne was merged with its neighbouring townships to form the United Township Municipality of Thorne-Cawood-et-Alleyn. In 1876, the Cawood and Alleyn townships were separated, resulting in the creation of the Township Municipality of Thorne on January 1, 1877, with John Rennix as mayor.^[5][3]

On August 2, 2003, the statute of the municipality changed and the Township Municipality of Thorne became the Municipality of Thorne.^[3]

[edit] Demographics

Population:^[7]

• Population in 2006: 427
• Population in 2001: 408
  • 2001 to 2006 population change: 4.7 %
• Population in 1996: 397
• Population in 1991: 359

Total private dwellings (excluding seasonal cottages): 189

Languages:

• English as first language: 81 %
• French as first language: 13 %
• Other as first language: 6 %

[edit] References

		Otter Lake	Alleyn-et-Cawood
	Litchfield		La Pêche
		Thorne
		Clarendon	Bristol