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, located east of Montreal 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, and of the judicial district of Drummond.

History

Drummondville was founded in June 1815 by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Heriot. The purpose of the town was to provide a home for British soldiers in the War of 1812, 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, 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 ...

of Upper Canada between 1813 and 1816. The construction of the Hemmings Falls hydro-electric 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. 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, 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 ( Dfb) with warm, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.

Sports

Drummondville is home to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)'s Drummondville Voltigeurs, founded in 1982. The team plays its home games at Centre Marcel Dionne. Drummondville also has another arena,

Olympia Yvan-Cournoyer The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

. Drummondville and Victoriaville 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 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 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 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 The Drummondville Transit Commission (la Commission de transport de Drummondville (CTD)) is responsible for public transportation in the city of Drummondville in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian ...

, 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 and Groupe La Québécoise. Major destinations include the nearby cities of Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Victoriaville, Saint-Hyacinthe, and Thetford Mines. ;Intercity rail Passenger train service towards Montreal and Quebec City is provided by Via Rail. 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. ;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 han ...

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 handl ...

Education

Drummondville is home to the Cégep de Drummondville, 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. Drummondville is served by two school boards, the English-language Eastern Townships School Board 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, ice hockey coach * Serge Boisvert, 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, professional hockey player * Gilbert Dionne, professional hockey player * Marcel Dionne, professional hockey player * Nancy Drolet, Olympic silver medalist in hockey * Jessica Dubé, 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, professional hockey player *

Gordie Haworth Gordon Joseph Haworth (February 15, 1932 – September 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played two games in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Rangers. He was inducted into the Drummondville sports ha ...

, professional hockey player *

Kaïn Kaïn is a folk rock group from Drummondville, Quebec, Canada."Kaïn : Pop culture"
''Voir''. ...

, 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, 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 Dr ...

, businessman * Danick Martel, professional hockey player * Renée Martel, 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, professional hockey player * Jean-Luc Pepin, politician * Mathieu Perreault, professional hockey player * Michel Plante, professional hockey player * Kim Poirier, actress * Karine Vanasse, 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, musical group * Les Trois Accords, musical group * Yves-François Blanchet, 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, Vendée,

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, Walloon Brabant, Belgium * Community of Communes Ackerland and Kochersberg, France

Notes

References

External links

Ville de Drummondville

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Quebec