La Tuque, Quebec

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Not to be confused with El Tuque or Tuque.
"La Tuque" redirects here. For other uses, see La Tuque (disambiguation).
La Tuque
City
Downtown La Tuque
Downtown La Tuque
Coat of arms of La Tuque
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Industriis et labore cresco
(Industry and work to grow)
Location within Les Chenaux RCM
Location within Les Chenaux RCM
La Tuque is located in Central Quebec
La Tuque
La Tuque
Location in central Quebec
Coordinates: 47°26′N 72°47′W / 47.433°N 72.783°W / 47.433; -72.783Coordinates: 47°26′N 72°47′W / 47.433°N 72.783°W / 47.433; -72.783[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionMauricie
RCMNone
Settled1850s
ConstitutedMarch 26, 2003
Government
[2]
 • MayorLuc Martel
 • Federal ridingSaint-Maurice—Champlain
 • Prov. ridingLaviolette
Area
[2][3]
 • City28,098.60 km2 (10,848.93 sq mi)
 • Land25,112.41 km2 (9,695.96 sq mi)
 • Urban
[4]
9.75 km2 (3.76 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • City11,001
 • Density0.4/km2 (1/sq mi)
 • Urban
[4]
7,751
 • Urban density794.8/km2 (2,059/sq mi)
 • Pop 2011-2016
Decrease 2.0%
 • Dwellings
6,919
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Postal code(s)
G9X
Area code(s)819
Highways Route 155
Websitewww.ville.latuque.qc.ca Edit this at Wikidata

La Tuque (/lɑː tjuːk/; Canadian French: [la t͡sʏk]) 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 square kilometres, it is the largest city in Canada.[5]

The city is known as the Queen of Haute-Mauricie.

The Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie canoeing 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 Saint-Maurice River (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:

un Portage nommé Ushabatshuan (le courant trop fort pour le sauter). Les Voyageurs le nomment la Tuque, à cause d'une Montagne haute, dont le pic ressemble à une Tuque. Ce portage est d'une lieue, avec des fortes côtes à monter. "a portage named Ushabatshuan ('the rapids too strong to jump'). The voyageurs call it La Tuque, due to a tall mountain whose peak resembles a "tuque." The portage is a league long, and climbs steep slopes."[1]

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 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 until the early 1900s when the National Transcontinental Railway was built, prompting industrial development and the growth of a community on the east bank of the Saint-Maurice River where there was a large set of falls.[1]

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.[1][6]

In the 1940s, the hydro-electric generating station on the Saint-Maurice River was built, resulting in the partial destruction of the rock formation that gave the town its name.[1]

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. However, its low population and constantly rising administrative costs led to the merger of Haute-Mauricie with La Tuque in August 1993.[1]

On March 26, 2003, Le Haut-Saint-Maurice Regional County Municipality 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.[1]

In May 2010, some 120 forest fires broke out around La Tuque, burning until June.[7][8] Smoke from these fires reached portions of Eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, including the cities of Ottawa and Montreal, as well as the northern US states.[9][10][11]

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

Notable bodies of water in La Tuque are:

Notable rivers in La Tuque are:

Climate[]

La Tuque has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Climate data for La Tuque, Quebec (1981–2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.2
(54.0) 		12.0
(53.6) 		21.1
(70.0) 		32.0
(89.6) 		35.0
(95.0) 		38.0
(100.4) 		37.2
(99.0) 		40.0
(104.0) 		33.3
(91.9) 		29.4
(84.9) 		21.1
(70.0) 		12.0
(53.6) 		40.0
(104.0)
Average high °C (°F) −8.5
(16.7) 		−5.1
(22.8) 		1.3
(34.3) 		9.3
(48.7) 		18.2
(64.8) 		23.3
(73.9) 		25.3
(77.5) 		23.9
(75.0) 		17.9
(64.2) 		10.9
(51.6) 		2.3
(36.1) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		9.5
(49.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −14.8
(5.4) 		−12.0
(10.4) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		3.4
(38.1) 		11.1
(52.0) 		16.4
(61.5) 		18.8
(65.8) 		17.6
(63.7) 		12.3
(54.1) 		6.0
(42.8) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−9.8
(14.4) 		3.5
(38.3)
Average low °C (°F) −21.0
(−5.8) 		−18.8
(−1.8) 		−11.7
(10.9) 		−2.6
(27.3) 		4.0
(39.2) 		9.4
(48.9) 		12.2
(54.0) 		11.3
(52.3) 		6.6
(43.9) 		1.1
(34.0) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−14.8
(5.4) 		−2.5
(27.5)
Record low °C (°F) −44.4
(−47.9) 		−42.8
(−45.0) 		−40.0
(−40.0) 		−24.4
(−11.9) 		−9.4
(15.1) 		−2.8
(27.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−14.4
(6.1) 		−26.7
(−16.1) 		−42.8
(−45.0) 		−44.4
(−47.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 57.8
(2.28) 		46.5
(1.83) 		54.8
(2.16) 		54.9
(2.16) 		84.4
(3.32) 		93.5
(3.68) 		129.9
(5.11) 		93.7
(3.69) 		94.9
(3.74) 		82.1
(3.23) 		73.6
(2.90) 		52.9
(2.08) 		919
(36.18)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 7.3
(0.29) 		10.1
(0.40) 		28.0
(1.10) 		49.2
(1.94) 		84.3
(3.32) 		93.5
(3.68) 		129.9
(5.11) 		93.7
(3.69) 		94.9
(3.74) 		80.4
(3.17) 		52.0
(2.05) 		9.5
(0.37) 		732.8
(28.86)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 50.5
(19.9) 		36.4
(14.3) 		26.8
(10.6) 		5.8
(2.3) 		0.1
(0.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.7
(0.7) 		21.6
(8.5) 		43.4
(17.1) 		186.3
(73.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 13.3 10.5 10.6 10.8 12.5 14.0 14.8 14.5 15.3 14.2 13.0 13.8 157.3
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 1.3 1.3 4.6 9.8 13.5 14.1 15.4 14.9 16.2 14.5 8.4 2.1 116.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 12.3 9.9 6.9 2.3 0.1 0 0 0 0 0.6 6.1 12.5 50.7
Source: Environment Canada[12]

Demographics[]

Population[]

City[]

Canada census – La Tuque, Quebec community profile
20162011
Population11001 (-2.0% from 2011)11,227 (-5.0% from 2006)
Land area25,112.41 km2 (9,695.96 sq mi)25,113.70 km2 (9,696.45 sq mi)
Population density0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi)0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi)
Median age51.1 (M: 50.3, F: 51.7)48.6 (M: 47.9, F: 49.2)
Total private dwellings6,9197,373
Median household income$51,014$45,874
References: 2016[13] 2011[14] earlier[15][16]
Historical Census Data - La Tuque, Quebec
YearPop.±%
1986 13,034—    
1991 12,577−3.5%
1996 12,102−3.8%
2001 11,298−6.6%
YearPop.±%
2003 (A) 12,488+10.5%
2006 11,821−5.3%
2011 11,227−5.0%
2016 11,001−2.0%
Population amounts prior to 1993 are total of La Tuque V and Haute-Mauricie SD. (A) adjustment due to boundary change
Source: [3][17]

Territory equivalent[]

The population of the TE according to the Canada 2011 Census is 15,130.[14]

Canada census – La Tuque TE, Quebec community profile
2011
Population15,130 (-2.1% from 2006)
Land area26,356.98 km2 (10,176.49 sq mi)
Population density0.6/km2 (1.6/sq mi)
Median age43.2 (M: 41.9, F: 44.4)
Total private dwellings9,040
Median household income$45,484
References: 2011[14] earlier[15][16]
Historical Census Data - La Tuque TE, Quebec[17]
YearPop.±%
2003E 15,862—    
YearPop.±%
2006 15,448−2.6%
YearPop.±%
2011 15,130−2.1%
(E) established on March 26, 2003.

Language[]

City[]

Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque, Quebec[17]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2011
11,010
 10,455 Decrease 5.6% 94.96% 180 Decrease 5.3% 1.63% 50 Increase 150.0% 0.45% 325 Increase 8.3% 2.95%
2006
11,590
 11,080 Increase 3.6% 95.60% 190 Increase 5.5% 1.64% 20 Decrease 66.7% 0.17% 300 Increase 33.3% 2.59%
2001
11,160
 10,695 Decrease 6.2% 95.83% 180 Decrease 53.8% 1.61% 60 Increase 100.0% 0.54% 225 Increase 60.7% 2.02%
1996
11,965
 11,405 n/a 95.32% 390 n/a 3.26% 30 n/a 0.25% 140 n/a 1.17%

Territory equivalent[]

Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque TE, Quebec[17]
Census Total
French
English
French & English
Other
Year Responses Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop % Count Trend Pop %
2011
14,910
 11,205 Decrease 6.2% 75.15% 190 Decrease 9.5% 1.27% 55 Increase 120.0% 0.37% 3,460 Increase 12.7% 23.21%
2006
15,245
 11,940 n/a 78.32% 210 n/a 1.38% 25 n/a 0.16% 3,070 n/a 20.14%

Economy[]

The paper mill in La Tuque

The local economy centres on pulp and paper; the city has a pulp-milling centre as well as a major hydroelectric 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, which is partially regulated by the following ZEC's:

Transportation[]

The main highway is Quebec Route 155 that connects La Tuque with Shawinigan to the south and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region to the north. Numerous forest roads provide access to remote hunting and fishing camps, and the village of Parent is accessible by a 175 kilometres (109 mi) long gravel road from Mont-Saint-Michel in the .

La Tuque Railway Station

The Canadian National Railway dissects La Tuque's territory. This railway, built in 1910 by the National Transcontinental Railway, connected Quebec City 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 and Parent railway station, with request stops at Fitzpatrick, Oskélanéo, and Clova. Other sidings along the line are , , , Sanmaur, , , and .

The La Tuque Airport is located directly south of the town's centre on Route 155. La Tuque Water Aerodrome is located just north of the city centre.

Government[]

Urban agglomeration[]

Quebec MRC La Tuque location map.svg
Urban area of La Tuque City seen from west shore of Saint-Maurice River

The Urban agglomeration of La Tuque is an urban agglomeration that consists of:

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 regional county municipality of , which was created in 1982 from part of the 's (county's) of Champlain electoral district, of 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. 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 (CD) of Quebec, with geographical code 90. The TE of La Tuque consists of:

  • the municipalities of the urban agglomeration of La Tuque, namely

List of mayors[]

The Mayor is the municipality's highest elected official. La Tuque has had fifteen mayors, since its incorporation as a city.[18]

# Mayor Taking Office Leaving
1 Wenceslas Plante 1911 1915
2 Alphondor Roy 1915 1920
3 Donat E. Hardy 1920 1921
4 Wellie Juneau 1921 1921
5 Réal Gravel 1921 1923
1 Wenceslas Plante 1923 1927
6 François-Xavier Lamontagne 1927 1935
7 Joseph-Omer Journeault [19] 1935 1944
8 Omer Veillette 1944 1947
7 Joseph-Omer Journeault 1947 1951
9 Léo-Joffre Pilon [20] 1951 1955
10 J.-Onésime Dallaire 1955 1961
11 Lucien Filion [21] 1961 1985 [22]
12 Clément Filion 1985 1985
13 André Duchesneau 1985 1991
14 Gaston Fortin [23] 1991 2003
15 Réjean Gaudreault [24] 2003 2009
16 Normand Beaudoin 2009 2017
17 Pierre-David Tremblay 2017 2021
18 Luc Martel 2021

Notable residents[]

  •  [fr] (November 19, 1939–May 28, 2009), animator, humourist and actor
  •  [fr], actor
  •  [fr], writer
  • Maude Guérin, actress
  •  [fr], environmentalist
  • Félix Leclerc (August 2, 1914 – August 8, 1988), singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and Québécois political activist
  • Sylvie Roy, politician
  •  [fr], TV reporter
  • James Renald, musician
  • John Wallace, bilingue Born-Né 1965, Actor, entertainer, Santa Claus of Asia, Acteur, artiste, Père Noël d'Asie
  • , Musicien, Artiste Québécois, Song Writer - Auteur compositeur
  • Gaétan Barrette, politician

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "La Tuque (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  2. ^ a b Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire - Municipalité: La Tuque - Répertoire des municipalités du Québec Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2010-03-04
  3. ^ a b c "(Code 2490012) Census Profile". 2016 census. Statistics Canada. 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Census Profile, 2016 Census - La Tuque (Population centre), Quebec". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ John Misachi (26 September 2017). "The Largest Canadian Cities By Land Area". www.worldatlas.com. WorldAtlas. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Ville de La Tuque - Liste des maires 1909 à 2013" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ Jennifer Pagliaro (May 31, 2010). "Something in the air: Index more than doubles 2007 record for poor quality". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2020-11-18.[dead link]
  8. ^ Max Harrold and René Bruemmer (2020-11-18). "Smog, smoke warnings from forest fires". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  9. ^ "Forest fire smoke drifts over Montreal, Ottawa". The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 31, 2010. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  10. ^ Kantor, Ira (May 31, 2010). "Boston getting smoked by Canadian wildfires". The Boston Herald.
  11. ^ "Quebec forest fires black out skies". Agence France-Presse. 2010-05-31. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  12. ^ "La Tuque climate normals 1981-2010". Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  13. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  14. ^ a b c "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  15. ^ a b "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  16. ^ a b "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  18. ^ Liste des maires, Ville de La Tuque, 1909 à 2009 Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Journeault ran as a Bloc Populaire candidate in the provincial election of 1944 in the district of Laviolette. He finished third.
  20. ^ Pilon ran as a Liberal candidate in the 1952 and the 1956 provincial elections in the district of Laviolette. He was each time defeated by incumbent Romulus Ducharme.
  21. ^ Lucien Filion ran as a Union Nationale candidate in the provincial election of 1970 in the district of Laviolette. He finished third.
  22. ^ Lucien Filion dies in office on September 22, 1985.
  23. ^ Fortin ran as a Union Nationale candidate in the provincial election of 1976 and as a Liberal candidate in the provincial election of 1994 in the district of Laviolette. Each time he lost to Jean-Pierre Jolivet.
  24. ^ Gaudreault admits that he generally supports the Parti Québécois in provincial elections, even though municipal elections in La Tuque are officially on a non-partisan basis. Patrick Vaillancourt, Le maire Gaudreault approché par le PQ, L'Hebdo Mékinac des Chenaux, November 13, 2008[permanent dead link]

External links[]

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