La Tuque (; ) is a city located in north-central

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 ...

, Canada, on the

Saint-Maurice River The Saint-Maurice River (french: Rivière Saint-Maurice; Atikamekw: ''Tapiskwan sipi'') flows north to south in central Quebec from Gouin Reservoir to empty into the Saint Lawrence River at Trois-Rivières, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. F ...

, between

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 ...

and

Chambord Chambord can refer to: * Chambord (liqueur), a brand of raspberry-flavored liqueur * Château de Chambord, a French ''château'' built in the 16th century * Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, the French commune where the ''château'' is located * Chambord, ...

. The population was 11,227 at the Canada 2011 Census, most of which live within the

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...

. At over 28,000 square kilometres, it is the largest city in Canada by area. The city is known as the Queen of Haute-Mauricie. The ''Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie''

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

ing race begins at La Tuque.

Etymology

The name, which dates to the eighteenth century, originates from a nearby rock formation which resembles the well-known French-Canadian hat known as the tuque. The hat-shaped mountain which gave its name to the town of La Tuque is located between the

(left bank) and the WestRock paper mill. The summit of this mountain is about 245 metres. It is located 200 metres from the river and about 400 metres upstream (northeast side) of the La Tuque hydroelectric power plant. In 1823–24, the explorer François Verreault described the location as: In Canada, a ''tuque'' ("tuque" in French) is a knitted cap, often with a tassel at the top, worn as a head covering in winter.

History

The territory of La Tuque was first inhabited by

Atikamekw The Atikamekw are the Indigenous inhabitants of the subnational country or territory they call ('Our Land'), in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about north of Montreal), Canada. Their current population is around 8,000. One o ...

Indigenous people. In the early 1850s, settlers were drawn to the area to exploit the forest resources. The La Tuque Post Office opened in 1887, but the area remained isolated from the rest of the

Mauricie Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km² (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...

until the early 1900s when the

National Transcontinental Railway The National Transcontinental Railway (NTR) was a historic railway between Winnipeg and Moncton in Canada. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway. The Grand Trunk partnership The completion of construction of Canada's ...

was built, prompting industrial development and the growth of a community on the east bank of the

where there was a large set of falls. On November 15, 1909, the Village Municipality of La Tuque was incorporated, with Achille Comeau as first mayor. A few months later on April 4, 1910, the Village Municipality of La Tuque Falls was formed, with Wenceslas Plante as first mayor. Less than one year later in March 1911, both villages merged to form the Town of La Tuque, with Wenceslas Plante as first mayor. In the 1940s, the hydro-electric generating station on the

was built, resulting in the partial destruction of the rock formation that gave the town its name. In 1972, the Municipality of Haute-Mauricie was formed out of portions from the unincorporated Carignan and Malhiot Townships, in the proximity of the

Saint-Maurice Wildlife Reserve The Saint-Maurice Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve to the north of Shawinigan, Quebec. The reserve is located west of the Saint-Maurice River in the territory of the Mekinac Regional County Municipality. Like all wildlife reserves, this ...

. However, its low population and constantly rising administrative costs led to the merger of Haute-Mauricie with La Tuque in August 1993. On March 26, 2003,

Le Haut-Saint-Maurice Regional County Municipality Le Haut-Saint-Maurice Regional County Municipality was a former regional county municipality and census division in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. It was formed on January 1, 1982, and dissolved on March 26, 2003, when it was amalgamate ...

was dissolved and all its municipalities and unorganized territories were amalgamated into the new City of La Tuque, thereby becoming the largest municipality with city status in land area in Quebec, and largest in Canada (38,000 km²). On January 1, 2006, the municipalities of La Bostonnais and Lac-Édouard separated and were reestablished. In May 2010, some 120 forest fires broke out around La Tuque, burning until June. Smoke from these fires reached portions of Eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, including the cities of

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

and

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 ...

, as well as the northern US states.

Geography

While the urban area of La Tuque is relatively small, its entire territory is the largest city in Canada. It consists of almost all the entire former

regional county municipality The term regional county municipality or RCM (''french: municipalité régionale de comté, MRC'') is used in Quebec, Canada to refer to one of 87 county-like political entities. In some older English translations they were called county r ...

of Le Haut-Saint-Maurice, and includes the settlements of Carignan, Clova, La Croche, Fitzpatrick, Kiskissink,

Oskélanéo Oskélanéo is a community in northern Quebec, Canada, within the boundaries of the City of La Tuque. It is located along the Canadian National Railway between Clova and Parent, on the shores of Lake Oskélanéo. The community is named after the ...

, Parent, Rapide-Blanc, Rivière-aux-Rats, and Sanmaur. Enclosed by but not administratively part of the city are the three First Nations Reserves of Coucoucache,

Obedjiwan Obedjiwan (officially designated as Obedjiwan 28) is a First Nations reserve and village on the north shore of Gouin Reservoir in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. It belongs to the Atikamekw of Opitciwan band of the Atikamekw Nation. Ge ...

, and

Wemotaci Wemotaci (designated as Weymontachie 23 until 1997) is a First Nations reserve on the north shore of the Saint-Maurice River at the mouth of the Manouane River in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada. Together with the Obedjiwan and the Coucou ...

. Notable bodies of water in La Tuque are: *

Gouin Reservoir The Gouin Reservoir () is a man-made lake, in La Tuque, in Mauricie, in the central portion of the Canadian province of Quebec, fully within the boundaries of the City of La Tuque. It is not one contiguous body of water, but the collective na ...

* Lake Kiskissink *

Lake Wayagamac The Wayagamac Lake is located in the city of La Tuque in La Tuque (census division), in Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. Until 2006, the territory of the lake was part of the former unorganized territory of Petit-Lac-Wayagamac (Little Wayagamac Lake ...

Grand Lake Bostonnais The Grand Lake Bostonnais is located in the La Tuque (urban agglomeration), in the administrative region of Mauricie, in Quebec, Canada. This lake is an important body of water is feeding the Bostonnais River which pours at La Tuque, Quebec, La T ...

Ventadour Lake (La Tuque) The lac Ventadour is the main headwater lake of the Bostonnais River. This lake is located in the La Tuque (urban agglomeration), in Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. The area around the lake is mostly administered by the Zec Kiskissink. Geogra ...

Notable rivers in La Tuque are: *

Vermillon River (La Tuque) The Vermillon River (atikamekw : acopekihikan sipi) flows in the territory of La Tuque (urban agglomeration), in Upper-Mauricie, in the administrative region of Mauricie, in Quebec, Canada. Geography After a journey of (east bound), the river ...

Manouane River (La Tuque) The Manouane River flows from west to east in the Haute-Mauricie (Upper-Mauricie), at northwest of La Tuque, in the administrative region of Lanaudière and Mauricie, in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The river basin is mostly covered by forest. ...

Croche River (La Tuque) The Croche River is a tributary of Saint-Maurice River, and flows in the regions of Haute- Mauricie and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The Croche River crosses the following cantons of Chabanel and Bécard, in Lac-As ...

Bostonnais River The river Bostonais or Bostonians is a river of Canada, located in Quebec, in the administrative region of Mauricie, in La Tuque (urban agglomeration). Geography This river of 96 km takes its sources in main lakes, located at almost highe ...

Little Bostonnais River The Little Bostonnais river flows westbound in the city of La Tuque, in Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. Geography From the mouth of Little Wayagamac Lake, Little Bostonnais River runs on 4.4 km (measured on water) before emptying into the ...

* Trenche River

Climate

La Tuque 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 ...

( Köppen ''Dfb'') with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Demographics

Town

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 ...

, La Tuque 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.

Territorial equivalent

The population of the La Tuque territorial equivalent according to the Canada 2011 Census is 15,130.

Economy

The local economy centres on

pulp and paper The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web an ...

; the city has a pulp-milling centre as well as a major

hydroelectric 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 and ...

station. As the gateway to the upper Mauricie, La Tuque's economy also offers outdoor tourism opportunities and caters to hunting and fishing trips in its large

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...

, which is partially regulated by the following ZEC's: *

Zec de la Croche The ZEC de la Croche is a " zone d'exploitation controlée" (controlled harvesting zone) (ZEC) in La Tuque (urban agglomeration), in administrative region of Mauricie, in Québec, in Canada. This public hunting and fishing area is located 18 ...

Zec de la Bessonne The Zec de la Bessonne is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting area) (ZEC) near La Tuque in administrative region of Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. A territory of was assigned in 1978 to the Zec. The Zec is managed by the A ...

* Zec Borgia *

Zec Frémont The ZEC Frémont is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting area) (ZEC) located in administrative region of Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. This public hunting and fishing area is managed by the "Association de chasse et pêche ...

Zec du Gros-Brochet The ZEC du Gros-Brochet is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting area) (ZEC), located in the region of Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. This public hunting and fishing area is managed by the "Association Sportive du Gros-Broche ...

Zec Jeannotte, Québec The ZEC Jeannotte is a zone d'exploitation contrôlée (Controlled harvesting area), located in Lac-Édouard, in the administrative region of Mauricie, in Quebec, in Canada. The "Association de chasse et pêche Batiscan" (English: Hunting and fi ...

Zec Kiskissink The Zec Kiskissink is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting zone) (zec), located in the administrative region of the Mauricie, the Capitale-Nationale and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, in Quebec, in Canada. This wild territory, us ...

* Zec Menokeosawin *

Zec Tawachiche The zec Tawachiche is a ''zone d'exploitation contrôlée'' (controlled harvesting zone) (zec) covering 318 km², of which 310 km² are located in Mékinac Regional County Municipality, in Mauricie, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. ...

Zec Wessonneau The ZEC Wessonneau is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting zone) (ZEC), located on the west bank of the Saint-Maurice River, in the La Tuque (urban agglomeration), in the region the Mauricie, in Quebec (Canada). This public ...

Transportation

The main highway is

Quebec Route 155 Route 155 is a north/south highway on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. Its northern terminus is in Chambord at the junction of Route 169, and the southern terminus is the Piles Bridge in Shawinigan. Previously the ...

that connects La Tuque with

Shawinigan Shawinigan () is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It had a population of 49,349 as of the 2016 Canadian census. Shawinigan is also a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) an ...

to the south and the

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (, ) is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region. It is also known as Sagamie in French, from the first part of "Saguenay" and th ...

region to the north. Numerous forest roads provide access to remote hunting and fishing camps, and the village of Parent is accessible by a long gravel road from

Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...

in the Laurentides region. The

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

dissects La Tuque's territory. This railway, built in 1910 by the

, connected

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 ...

to the Canadian Prairies and goes through vast wilderness areas of northern Quebec and Ontario. While it was intended to ship grain from the prairies to the Port of Quebec and to open up virgin territories, it never carried much rail traffic. However, it is still serviced by Via Rail at the

La Tuque railway station La Tuque station is a 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 Can ...

and

Parent railway station Parent station is a staffed Via Rail station in La Tuque, Quebec, Canada. It is located on rue Commerciale in the Parent A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "chi ...

, with request stops at Fitzpatrick,

, and Clova. Other sidings along the line are Casey,

Hibbard Hibbard is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aldro Hibbard (1886–1972), American painter * Bill Hibbard, American scientist * Brian Hibbard (1946–2012), Welsh actor and singer * Claude W. Hibbard (1905–1973), American pal ...

Cann Cann may refer to: *Cann (surname), a list of people with the name *Cann River, a river of Victoria, Australia *Cann, Dorset, a village in England *Edward du Cann, British businessman and politician *Claire and Antoinette Cann pianists, known as t ...

, Sanmaur, Vandry, Windigo, and Rapide-Blanc-Station. The

La Tuque Airport La Tuque Airport is a registered aerodrome located adjacent to La Tuque, Quebec, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northwar ...

is located directly south of the town's centre on Route 155.

La Tuque Water Aerodrome La Tuque Water Aerodrome is located north of La Tuque, Quebec, Canada. Geography La Tuque Water Aerodrome is located at the entrance to the great bay at the mouth of Bostonnais River which flows into the Saint-Maurice River, just north of th ...

is located just north of the city centre.

Government

Urban agglomeration

La Tuque centre-ville et rivière Saint-Maurice

The Urban agglomeration of La Tuque is an urban agglomeration that consists of: *the city of La Tuque, *the municipality of La Bostonnais, *the municipality of Lac-Édouard. The agglomeration comprises the elements of the redefined city of La Tuque as it existed after amalgamation on March 26, 2003, including the two municipalities that chose to de-merge on January 1, 2006. The agglomeration of La Tuque succeeded to the

of Haut-Saint-Maurice, which was created in 1982 from part of the Quebec ridings's (county's) of Champlain electoral district, of Quebec electoral district of Saint-Maurice and of Abitibi. Le Haut-Saint-Maurice was dissolved during the merger of all municipalities in 2003 to create the city of

La Tuque La Tuque (; ) is a city located in north-central Quebec, Canada, on the Saint-Maurice River, between Trois-Rivières and Chambord. The population was 11,227 at the Canada 2011 Census, most of which live within the urban area. At over 28,000 sq ...

. Following the referendum on recreating La Bostonnais and Lac-Édouard, the agglomeration of La Tuque was created to allow municipalities to manage in common some competencies.

Census division

La Tuque is a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and

census division Census divisions, in Canada and the United States of America, United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-lev ...

(CD) of

, with geographical code 90. The TE of La Tuque consists of: *the municipalities of the urban agglomeration of La Tuque, namely :*the city of La Tuque :*the municipality of La Bostonnais :*the municipality of Lac-Édouard *three

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

s, namely :* Coucoucache :*

List of mayors

The Mayor is the municipality's highest elected official. La Tuque has had fifteen mayors, since its incorporation as a city. Liste des maires, Ville de La Tuque, 1909 à 2009

Notable residents

* (November 19, 1939 – May 28, 2009), animator, humourist and actor * , actor * Mathieu Fortin, writer * Maude Guérin, actress * , environmentalist *

Félix Leclerc Félix Leclerc, (August 2, 1914 – August 8, 1988) was a French-Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and '' Québécois'' political activist. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 20, 1968. Leclerc was posth ...

(August 2, 1914 – August 8, 1988), singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and Québécois political activist *

Sylvie Roy Sylvie Roy (November 4, 1964 – July 31, 2016) was a Canadian politician in Quebec and a Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Arthabaska. She previously represented the riding of Lotbinière from 2003 until 2012, initia ...

, politician * , TV reporter * James Renald, musician * Gaétan Barrette, politician

References

External links

*
City of La Tuque official website
*

*
service de publicitées...
*

*
Eau Quai Saint-Maurice (Kayaking on St. Maurice River)
*
Tourisme Mauricie
Regional tourist office *
Association des stations de ski du Québec
Ski area profile in English {{Authority control Cities and towns in Quebec