Regional Formation and the Importance of Place Names in Quebec
The Bois-Francs of southern Quebec manifest the power of place naming in territorial organization. This vernacular region, was inscribed in the mentality of those who arrived in the nineteenth century from the seigneuries in the Saint Lawrence Valley. To reach the well-drained soils covered with maple, elm, yellow birch and other hardwood trees, settlers had to traverse coniferous swamps. Specialization in forest products and agriculture as well as a shared history and kinship ties have long given the Bois-Francs a regional coherence. As a vernacular region, the Bois-Francs has a level of authenticity not apparent in the Québec government formulation of Administrative Region 04, Mauricie-Bois-Francs. Commercial interests and services seeking to define their market area have helped to crystallize the regional name. However, the rise of the regional county municipality (MRC) in the Quebec government has compromised the vernacular definition. Today two different sets of boundaries for the Bois-Francs are extant. Nevertheless, by whatever definition, its regional formation suggests the importance of place names in the hatching of a regional identity.