Last modified: 2022-02-26 by rob raeside
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The municipality of Bécancour (13,301 inhabitants in 2016;44,100 ha) is
located on the southern bank of river Saint-Laurent, facing Trois-Rivières. The
municipality was established on 17 October 1965 as the merger of the former
villages of Bécancour, Gentilly, Larochelle, and Laval, and of the former
parishes of Bécancourt, Sainte-Angèle-de-Laval, Saint-Édouard-de-Gentilly,
Sainte-Gertrude, Saint-Grégoire-le-Grand, and Très-Précieux-Sang-de-Notre-Seigneur.
The municipality is known for its business park (7,000 ha), mostly dedicated to
heavy industries, and associated port of commerce, managed by the State-owned
company SPIPB (Société du Parc industriel et portuaire de Bécancour) Gentilly
was the site of the only nuclear power plant in Quebec, Gentilly-2, operated
from 1983 to 2012 by the State-owned company Hydro-Québec.
Bécancour,
established in 1647 is named for its first lord, Pierre Robineau de Bécancour,
Grand Voyer of Nouvelle-France. The village was settled by Acadians and Abenakis,
a native tribe expelled from Maine. Bécancour is the death place of the explorer
and fur trader Nicolas Perrot (c. 1,644-1717;
http://www.biographi.ca/fr/bio.php?BioId=35152 - Complete biography), author
of "Mémoire sur les mœurs, coustumes et rellgion des sauvages de l’Amérique
septentrionale".
Bécancour is the birth place of the naturalist Léon
Provancher (1820-1892;
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=6378 - Complete biography), who
founded in 1868 "Le Naturaliste canadien", the oldest French-language scientific
journal in Canada, and published "Petite faune entomologique du Canada", a
description of every species of Canadian insect known at the time.
https://www.becancour.net/ - Municipal
website
Ivan Sache, 26 March 2017
Masao Okazaki, 17 October 2020
The town's new graphic identity was adapted in 2014.
The heart
symbolizes:
- the inhabitants' human values;
- their friendly nature,
generosity and voluntary help;
- their passion and commitment to the town;
- solidarity.
The wheat spike emphasizes the central role of agriculture for
the town's economy and identity.
The tree symbolizes:
- life and
growth;
- the numerous parks located on the municipal territory;
- the
town's environmental sensitivity;
- fruits in the tree: fertility and
prosperity;
- fruits in the tree: the dynamism of agrotourism industry.
The cogwheel symbolizes:
- the town's industrial capacity;
- movement
transmission: force, willingness and development;
- six cogs: six
interdependent branches, which are strong together.
A tractor wheel
(agriculture) and a flower (environment) can also be seen.
Water
symbolizes:
- the resource supplied by a 32 km long shore, including the
Saint Lawrence, lakes and rivers;
- the potential of watercourses for leisure
tourism;
- moving waves: force and well-being.
Furrows (soil fertility,
agriculture) can also be seen.
The official specifications for the green
color are:
CMYK 90 - 0 - 100 - 10
Pantone PMS 2426
RGB 0 140 21
Hex
008C15
The "preferred" logo shall have the symbols placed at the
writing's left. The logo with centered symbols, as used on the flag, is also
prescribed on the Charter.
https://www.becancour.net/telechargement/595/guide-des-normes-graphiques
Graphic charter
Ivan Sache, 18 October 2020
image by Masao Okazaki, 17 October 2020
The previous flag of Bécancour was white with the municipal arms and the writing "VILLE
DE . BÉCANCOUR", in green letters, and, in base, a green stripe surmounted by
two white and green wavy stripes.
Photos
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/573609/derniers-jours-campagne-becancour
http://www.lechodetroisrivieres.ca/actualites/politique/181917/jean-guy-dubois-assermente
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/vie-regionale/centre-du-quebec/201408/06/01-4789602-becancour-revendique-5-du-gateau.php
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/vie-regionale/centre-du-quebec/201204/05/01-4512647-maurice-richard-pourrait-quitter-la-mairie-de-becancour.php
The arms of Bécancour were adopted in 1967. Green represents
agriculture, recalling that 75% of the municipal territory is dedicated to
agriculture. The wheel represents the industrialization of the town, the upper,
half-wheel can also symbolize a rising sun over a new horizon. The waves
represent river Saint-Laurent.
https://www.becancour.net/vie-municipale/profil-general/armoiries/ -
Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 26 March 2017
This flag appears to be the flag still in use, based on several 2021
photographs posted on the city Facebook page.
Dave Fowler, 18
February 2022