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| Baie-Comeau, Québec is a town located approximately 420 kilometers north-east of Quebec City in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Québec, Canada. Its population was of 25,554 at the 1996 census, and 23,079 at that of 2001. This slight decrease in population in the last decade is partly explained by the fact that many baby-boomers get retired then move elsewhere, often looking for warmer temperatures. The absence of University and many college-level courses forces the youth to get their education elsewhere; many of them will not find employment in their hometown (e.g. military, high-tech, etc.) or will prefer to establish themselves closer to a urban area (Usually Montreal or Quebec city). Baie-Comeau is also the seat of Manicouagan Regional County Municipality.
Baie-Comeau is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and of the Manicouagan River, which is home to several hydroelectric dams. The most important Manicouagan hydroelectric dam is Manic 5 located about 230 kilometers north of Baie-Comeau. Those dams are owned by Hydro-Québec and they create the Manicouagan Reservoir. The town was named after Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau, a local naturalist and was founded in 1936 by Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The region is a major center of lumbering for the pulp and paper industry, owned by Abitibi Consolidated, as of October 2006. Alongside hydro-electricity and the paper industry, an aluminum plant has fed the employment for decades.
In June 1982, Baie-Comeau was merged with the small town of Hauterive located about 6 kilometers west of Baie-Comeau. The eastern sector of Baie-Comeau is now known as Marquette, while the western sector of Baie-Comeau is entitled Mingan. They are separated by the 4km long boulevard Pierre-Ouellet.
Baie-Comeau native Brian Mulroney was elected Prime Minister of Canada in 1984, serving in that office until his 1993 resignation.
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