The 2004 Quebec municipal referendums were held by the Quebec Liberal Party government of Jean Charest that came to power in the 2003 Quebec election, in fulfillment of a campaign promise to allow voters to have a say regarding the municipal reorganization program that had been undertaken by the preceding Parti Québécois administration. From late 2000 to 2003, the PQ government had amalgamated (merged) many Quebec cities with their suburbs or neighbouring municipalities. This was imposed through legislation by the Quebec government rather than by the initiative of the municipalities themselves. In Canada, municipal governments are creatures of the provincial governments. However, the amalgamation proved unpopular in some places, with residents wishing to de-merge from the newly expanded cities and reconstitute their former municipalities. The 2004 referendums were organized to provide an opportunity to vote on the matter. Signing of registers As a first step, a minimum threshold of 10% of the population of a former municipality was required to sign a register in order for a referendum to be held. The registers were open from 16 to 20 May 2004. The results are shown below (those in bold were successful): Adstock Municipality of Adstock (0.45%) Village of Sainte-Anne-du-Lac (3.86%) Alma City of Alma (Nobody) Municipality of Delisle (0.12%) Beauharnois City of Beauharnois (0.20%) City of Maple Grove (23.94%) Village of Melocheville (10.50%) Cookshire-Eaton City of Cookshire (5.81%) Municipality of Eaton (2.57%) Township of Newport, Quebec (21.58%) Gatineau City of Aylmer (17.22%) City of Buckingham (13.87%) City of Gatineau (5.40%) City of Hull (10.09%) City of Masson-Angers (20.14%) Grenville-sur-la-Rouge Village of Calumet (6.98%) Township of Grenville (1.57%) Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine Village of Cap-aux-Meules (16.64%) Municipality of Fatima (4.11%) Municipality of Grande-Entrée (0.74%) Municipality of Grosse-Île (35.02%) Municipality of Havre-aux-Maisons (1.23%) Municipality of L'Étang-du-Nord (0.61%) Municipality of L'Île-du-Havre-Aubert (3.28%) La Tuque Municipality of La Bostonnais (21.11%) Municipality of La Croche (10.42%) Municipality of La Tuque (0.15%) Municipality of Lac-Édouard (17.16%) Village of Parent (14.39%) Lac-Etchemin City of Lac-Etchemin (Nobody) Parish of Sainte-Germaine-du-Lac-Etchemin (1.26%) Lacolle Village of Lacolle (0.42%) Parish of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel (14.50%) Lévis City of Charny (10.71%) City of Lévis (3.71%) Municipality of Pintendre (4.48%) Parish of Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville (7.28%) Municipality of Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon (23.38%) City of Saint-Jean-Chrysostome (7.45%) Parish of Saint-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy (4.14%) City of Saint-Nicolas (16.64%) City of Saint-Rédempteur (14.52%) City of Saint-Romuald (8.13%) Longueuil City of Boucherville (34.73%) City of Brossard (23.48%) City of Greenfield Park (16.71%) City of LeMoyne (2.23%) City