Fermont
Fermont is a French-speaking town in northeastern Quebec, Canada. It has a population of 2,918 (2001), and lies near the Quebec-Labrador border about 23 kilometres from Labrador City on the Trans-Labrador Highway (Highway 500). Fermont (French for "Iron Mountain") was founded as a mining town in the 1970s to exploit rich iron ore deposits from nearby Mont Wright.
A small community was built in the lee of a huge self contained structure containing apartments, stores, schools, bars, a hotel, restaurants, a supermarket and swimming pool. the building was designed to permit resident to never leave the building during the long winter, which usually lasts about seven months. The structure, designed by Maurice Desnoyers and Norbert Schoenauer, was inspired by similar projects in Sweden designed by Ralf Erskine. The building measures 1.3 kilometres long and stands 50 metres high. [1]
The local economy is entirely dependent on the mine owned by Québec Cartier Mining Company [2]. Average earnings for full time workers was $63,982 in 2001, compared to $39,217 in Quebec as a whole. [3] The mine product is converted to pellets and shipped to southern quebec on the [[]Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway]]. In 2006 the mine was affected by a labour dispute which lasted from early April to early June. It was amicably resolved with a six-year contract renewal.[4]
Schools
- Ecole Sec Horizon Blanc