Drummondville is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in the

Centre-du-Québec Centre-du-Québec (, ''Central Quebec'') is a region of Quebec, Canada. The main centres are Drummondville, Victoriaville, and Bécancour. It has a land area of and a 2016 Census population of 242,399 inhabitants. Description The Centre-du- ...

region of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, located east of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

on the

Saint-François River The Saint-François River is a right tributary of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. Its source is Lake Saint-François in Chaudière-Appalaches, southeast of Thetford Mines. It flows southwest towards Sherbrooke, where it changes course ...

. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville is the seat of

Drummond Regional County Municipality Drummond is a regional county municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, Canada. The seat is Drummondville. Subdivisions There are 18 subdivisions within the RCM: ;Cities & Towns (1) * Drummondville ;Municipalities (12) * Durha ...

, and of the

judicial district A judicial district or legal district denotes the territorial area for which a legal court (usually a district court) has jurisdiction. By region Europe Austria In texts concerning Austria, "judicial district" (german: Gerichtsbezirk) refers ...

of Drummond.

History

Drummondville was founded in June 1815 by Lieutenant-Colonel

Frederick Heriot Frederick George Heriot (11 January 1786 – 30 December 1843) was a British army officer, who fought in the War of 1812 and subsequently became a landowner and administrator in Canada. Biography Of mixed Scottish and Irish ancestry, he was ...

. The purpose of the town was to provide a home for

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

soldiers in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, and to guard the Saint-François (St Francis) River against

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

attacks. The town was named after Sir

Gordon Drummond General Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB (27 September 1772 – 10 October 1854) was a Canadian-born British Army officer and the first official to command the military and the civil government of Canada. As Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Drumm ...

, the

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

between 1813 and 1816. The construction of the Hemmings Falls

hydro-electric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

dam in 1920 brought a new wave of industrial growth to the Drummondville area. Several outlying municipalities have been amalgamated into Drummondville since the 1950s: *1955: Saint-Joseph de Grantham, Saint-Jean-Baptiste *1966: Drummondville-Ouest *1982: Drummondville-Sud *1993: Grantham *2004: Saint-Nicéphore, Saint-Charles-de-Drummond, Saint-Joachim-de-Courval

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, Drummondville had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Attractions and culture

Drummondville markets itself as Quebec's Capital of Expression and Traditions, with attractions focusing on culture, both past and present. The main attractions are the

Village Québécois d'Antan The site of the Village Québécois d'Antan is a historical village and living museum depicting life in Québec during the 19th century. The tourist attraction is located in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. The Village Québécois d'Antan was con ...

. Since 2008 Drummondville hosts ''Festival de la Poutine'', towards the end of August; during three days people are invited to attend concerts there, and to savour several kinds of

poutine Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...

, a Canadian dish of provincial origin. From 1982 to 2017, Drummondville was home to the

Mondial des Cultures The Mondial Des Cultures (formerly called the Festival Mondial de Folklore (''World Folklore Festival'') was a folk dance festival which was held every summer in early July at the Woodyatt Park, in Drummondville, a city located in the Centre-du-Qu ...

, one of the largest folk dance festivals in the world.

Climate

Drummondville has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Dfb DFB may refer to: * Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city * Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas * Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia * Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate * Distributed-feedback las ...

) with warm, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.

Sports

Drummondville is home to the

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

(QMJHL)'s

Drummondville Voltigeurs The Drummondville Voltigeurs are a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The franchise was originally granted for the 1982–83 season, and is based in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, playing its home games at th ...

, founded in 1982. The team plays its home games at

Centre Marcel Dionne The Centre Marcel Dionne is a 4,000 capacity (3,038 seated) multi-purpose arena in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. It is home to the Drummondville Voltigeurs Ice hockey team. It is named in honour of Marcel Dionne Marcel Elphège "Little Beaver ...

. Drummondville also has another arena, Olympia Yvan-Cournoyer. Drummondville and

Victoriaville Victoriaville is a town in central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region. It is formed by the 1993 merger of Arthabask ...

co-hosted the

2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge The 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge was an ice hockey tournament held in Drummondville and Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada between December 29, 2012 and January 4, 2013. The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge is held by Hockey Canada annually t ...

. Prior to the Voltigeurs, Drummondville was home to the

Drummondville Rangers The Drummondville Rangers were a junior ice hockey team that played in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. They originally played in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, but became a founding member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 1969. They w ...

of the QMJHL from 1969 to 1974. Drummondville also was host to several baseball teams in the

Quebec Provincial League The Provincial League, sometimes known as the Quebec Provincial League, was a minor league baseball league based in the Canadian province of Quebec. It went through a number of incarnations during the 20th century, spending time as both an indepen ...

in the 1940s and 1950s. The

Drummondville Tigers The Drummondville professional baseball team was a member of the now extinct Quebec Provincial League and operated in Drummondville, in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec. The team went through many incarnations over the years. They debuted ...

in 1940, the Drummondville Cubs from 1948-1952, the Drummondville Royals in 1953, and the Drummondville A's in 1954. The Autodrome Drummond holds various automotive races throughout the summer season. La Courvalloise is used for tubing, skiing, and snowboarding.

Economy

Drummondville is home to the Promenades Drummondville regional

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

which has 109 stores. MicroBird by Girardin has its headquarters in Drummondville.

Transportation

;Highways Drummondville is served by Autoroutes 20 and 55. ;Local transit Intra-city transit has been operated since 1987 by Drummondville Transit, which currently operates city bus services on six routes headquartered at the main bus terminal at Des Forges and Lindsay Streets. Service runs at half-hour intervals Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. ;Intercity buses Intercity highway coach service is provided by

Orléans Express Orléans Express is a coach (vehicle), coach operator in Quebec, Canada. Destinations served include Ottawa (Ontario, ON), Gatineau, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City, Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, and Gaspé, Quebec, Gaspé. Maritime Bus, a s ...

and

Groupe La Québécoise Groupe La Québécoise is a passenger transportation company based in Quebec, Canada. The company started out in 1965 by providing student transportation for school boards in the Quebec City area, and has progressed into providing intercity bus ...

. Major destinations include the nearby cities of

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe (; French: ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérég ...

, and

Thetford Mines Thetford Mines ( Canada 2021 Census population 26,072) is a city in south-central Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of Les Appalaches Regional County Municipality. The city is located in the Appalachian Mountains, 141 miles northeast of Montreal an ...

. ;Intercity rail Passenger train service towards Montreal and Quebec City is provided by

Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

. Drummondville is part of the high-traffic

Quebec City–Windsor Corridor The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor (french: link=no, Corridor Québec-Windsor) is the most densely populated and heavily industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, the region extends between Quebec City in the northeast and Windsor, ...

, and trains run at a rate of about five per day in either direction from the

Drummondville railway station Drummondville station is a Via Rail station in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 263 Lindsay Street, and was staffed until October 2013, when a machine replaced the tickets window; it is wheelchair-accessible. Several corridor Montr ...

. ;Air General aviation services are available at the

Drummondville Airport Drummondville Airport is located east southeast of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA officers at this airport can handl ...

and the

Drummondville Water Aerodrome Drummondville Water Aerodrome is located east of Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). CBSA officers at this airport can handle ...

Education

Drummondville is home to the

Cégep de Drummondville Cégep de Drummondville is a CEGEP in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Programs The Cégep de Drummondville offers types of programs: pre-university and technical. The pre-university programs, which take two years to complete, cover the subject m ...

, a public

French-language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

CEGEP A CEGEP ( or ; ), also written cégep, CÉGEP and cegep, is a publicly funded college providing technical, academic, vocational or a mix of programs; they are exclusive to the province of Quebec's education system. A loanword from French, i ...

. Drummondville is served by two school boards, the English-language

Eastern Townships School Board The Eastern Townships School Board, also known as the Commission Scolaire Eastern Townships, is an anglophone school board covering the Eastern Townships in the Canadian province of Quebec. As of 2010, it oversees twenty elementary schools, thre ...

and the French Centre de services scolaire des chenes.

Notable people

Louise Bédard Louise Bédard (born 1955) is a Canadian dancer, choreographer and teacher who is active on the contemporary dance. Biography After completing her dance training, notably with Groupe Nouvelle Aire, Louise Bédard was quickly noticed as a talente ...

, dancer and choreographer *

Jean Bégin Jean Bégin (1944 – November 20, 1991) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and convicted sex offender. He worked six seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and one season in the Nationale 1A league in France. He was the first ...

, ice hockey coach *

Serge Boisvert Pierre Serge Boisvert (born June 1, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. In Sweden, Boisvert played for Västra Frölunda, and for Frisk Tigers, Spektrum Flyers and Vål ...

, professional hockey player *

Alex Bourret Alex Bourret (born October 5, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who most notably played in the American Hockey League (AHL). Playing career His first season in the QMJHL was in the 2002–03 season, where he played with t ...

, professional hockey player *

Yvan Cournoyer Yvan Serge Cournoyer (born November 22, 1943) is a Canadian former professional hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1979. In 1972, Cournoyer scored the tying goal in the deciding g ...

, professional hockey player *

Gilbert Dionne Gilbert Marc Dionne (born September 19, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 until 1995–96. He is the younger brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Marce ...

, professional hockey player *

Marcel Dionne Marcel Elphège "Little Beaver" Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. Marcel Dionn ...

, professional hockey player *

Nancy Drolet Nancy Drolet (born August 2, 1973) is a Canadian ice hockey player, international public speaker and philanthropist. She is the daughter of Denis Drolet and Viviane Dubé. Nancy has won 6 gold medals for Canada with the Canadian women's hockey te ...

, Olympic silver medalist in hockey *

Jessica Dubé Jessica Dubé (born October 29, 1987) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater who is best known for her pairs career with Bryce Davison. They are the 2008 World bronze medallists, the 2009 Four Continents silver medallists, and three-ti ...

, Olympic ice skater *

Robert Dupuis Major-General Robert Dupuis CMM, CStJ, CD, QHP, CSPQ, FRCPC (21 November 1928 – 28 January 2019) was the 28th Canadian Surgeon General. Biography Born in Drummondville, Quebec, Robert was educated at Université Laval in Quebec City, where ...

, 28th Canadian Surgeon General *

Mickaël Gouin Mickaël Gouin is a Canadian actor and television writer from Drummondville, Quebec. He is most noted for his role in the sketch comedy series ''SNL Québec'', the Quebec adaptation of ''Saturday Night Live'', and its spinoff ''Le nouveau show''. ...

, actor and comedian *

Alan Haworth Alan Joseph Gordon Haworth (born September 1, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1980 and 1988. He is the son of Gordie Haworth and the brother of Carey Haworth. Pl ...

, professional hockey player * Gordie Haworth, professional hockey player * Kaïn, musical group *

Patrick Lalime Patrick Lalime (born July 7, 1974) is a Canadian ice hockey commentator and former professional ice hockey player who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago ...

, professional hockey player *

Yvon Lambert Yvon Pierre Lambert (born May 20, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Lambert was born in Drummondville, Quebec. Although drafted in 1970 by the Detroit Red Wings, Lambert started his National Hockey League (NHL) caree ...

, professional hockey player *

Bernard Lemaire Bernard Lemaire (May 6, 1936 – November 8, 2023) was a Canadian businessman. He was the Chairman of the Board of Cascades Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of packaging products, tissue products, and fine papers products. Biography Born in Dru ...

, businessman *

Danick Martel Danick Martel (born December 12, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing under contract with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League (AHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flye ...

, professional hockey player *

Renée Martel Renée Martel (26 June 1947 – 18 December 2021) was a French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco- ...

, country singer *

Éric Messier Éric Messier (born October 29, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers. Playing career As a youth, Messier playe ...

, professional hockey player *

Louis Morissette Louis Morissette (born July 19, 1973) is a Canadian actor and screenwriter from Drummondville, Quebec. He is most noted as a star and writer of the feature films ''The Mirage (Le Mirage)'' and ''The Guide to the Perfect Family (Le Guide de la famil ...

, actor and screenwriter *

Lester Patrick Curtis Lester Patrick (December 31, 1883 – June 1, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (Western Hockey League after 1924), and t ...

, professional hockey player *

Jean-Luc Pepin Jean-Luc may refer to: In politics: * Jean-Luc Bennahmias (born 1954), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament * Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014), a Flemish politician * Jean-Luc Laurent (born 1957), a French politician * Jean-Luc ...

, politician *

Mathieu Perreault Mathieu Perreault (born January 5, 1988) is a Canadian former ice hockey winger. He played for the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL), and for HIFK of the SM-liiga (SM-l) ...

, professional hockey player *

Michel Plante Michel Plante (born January 19, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA). Drafted in the fifth round of the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Plante opted to play i ...

, professional hockey player *

Kim Poirier Kim Jacinthe Poirier (born February 6, 1980) is a Canadian actress, singer, film producer, and television host. Biography Personal life Born in Drummondville, Quebec, the daughter of actress/model Carol Laquerre who was Miss Toronto in 1976, sh ...

, actress *

Karine Vanasse Karine Vanasse (born 24 November 1983) is a French-Canadian actress, who had roles in the films '' Polytechnique'', '' Séraphin: Heart of Stone (Séraphin: un homme et son péché)'', ''Switch'' and '' Set Me Free (Emporte-moi)''. International ...

, actress *

John P. Webster John Phillip Webster is a Canadian bank executive with The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), serving as President & CEO of the Scotia Mortgage Authority. He formerly served as the President & CEO of Maple Trust, who were acquired by Scotiabank in 20 ...

, bank executive *

A Perfect Murder ''A Perfect Murder'' is a 1998 American crime thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen. It is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film ''Dial M for Murder'', though the characters' ...

, musical group *

Les Trois Accords Les Trois Accords is a Canadian rock band from Drummondville, Québec. The band launched its first album, ''Gros Mammouth Album,'' in 2003. Some of the songs from that album, include "''Hawaïenne''", "''Saskatchewan''" and "''Lucille''". Their ...

, musical group *

Yves-François Blanchet Yves-François Blanchet (; born April 16, 1965) is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election. Before federal ...

, politician, Leader of the

Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...

Sister cities

La Roche-sur-Yon La Roche-sur-Yon () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is ''Yonnais''. History The town expanded significantly after Napo ...

Vendée Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.

Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful of "balancing metropolises" (). ...

, France *

Braine-l'Alleud Braine-l'Alleud (; nl, Eigenbrakel ; wa, Brinne-l'-Alou) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium, about south of Brussels. The municipality consists of the following districts: Braine-l'Alleud (includ ...

Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant (french: Brabant wallon ; nl, Waals-Brabant ; wa, Roman Payis) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and ...

, Belgium *

Community of Communes Ackerland The Community of Communes Ackerland (French: ''Communauté de communes Ackerland'') is a former French intercommunal structure gathering most of the communes of the Ackerland natural region, next to Kochersberg, département of Bas-Rhin, région ...

and

Kochersberg The Kochersberg () is a natural region of the French département of Bas-Rhin in Alsace and is a part of the hills found along the eastern side of the Vosges mountains. It gave its name to the Communauté de communes du Kochersberg, a cooperation ...

History

Demographics

Attractions and culture

Climate

Sports

Economy

Transportation

Education

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

Notes

References

External links