Welcome to Chibougamau!
Chibougamau, population 7500 (2011), is the largest regional centre in Northern Quebec. It was founded as a mining village in 1950, and was incorporated as a municipality in 1954.
Chibougamau is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman it has a population of 7,504 people (2016 Canadian Census). Chibougamau is completely surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government.
Due to its remoteness from Lac-Saint-Jean (over 200 km (124 mi) south-east) and Abitibi-Témiscamingue (over 250 km (155 mi) south-west) areas, Chibougamau provides services for a few smaller communities surrounding it (Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou and Chapais) and for the regional resource-based industries. Despite Chibougamau's remoteness, it is only about as far north as Winnipeg, and is south of any part of the mainland of England.
Nearby are Lake Aux Dorés, which is fed by the Chibougamau River from the larger Chibougamau Lake, after which the town was named. Chibougamau means "Gathering place" in the Cree language. The neighbouring Cree village of Oujé-Bougoumou has the same name with a more traditional Cree spelling.
The area surrounding Lake Gilman is Obalski Park. Its amenities include a beach, pier, picnic tables, and cabins, among others. The many trails allow for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, or even snowmobiling through the park's boreal forest.
Access to the town is by Route 167 from Lac-Saint-Jean and by Route 113 from Lebel-Sur-Quévillon. Chibougamau's airport is along Route 113, about halfway to Chapais.