Waswanipi, Quebec


Waswanipi is a Cree community in the Eeyou Istchee territory of central Quebec, Canada, located along Route 113 and near the confluence of the Chibougamau and Waswanipi Rivers. It has a population of 1,473 people. Waswanipi is a compound word composed of wâswân and -pî, meaning "torch-fishing lake" but colloquially translated as "light over the water" referring to the traditional night-time fishing method of luring fish to light by using torches.
The original location of the village was on an island in Lake Waswanipi. It was the site of a Hudson's Bay Company trading post until 1965 when the post was closed. Its residents dispersed until 1978 when the new village of Waswanipi was built about 47 km upstream the Waswanipi River from the former location.

Languages Spoken

Waswanipi is a trilingual community, the majority of its residences speaking the Southern East Cree dialect of the Cree language. Aside from the elderly people, who tend to be monolingual Cree speakers, the majority of the population speaks, in addition to Cree, either English or French, some speaking both.

Education

The Cree School Board operates two schools: Willie J. Happyjack Memorial School and Rainbow Elementary School, along with Jolina Gull-Blacksmith Memorial School. Happyjack has 536 students.