La Tuque | |
|---|---|
 Downtown La Tuque | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: Reine de la Haute-Mauricie ("Queen of Haute-Mauricie")[1] | |
| Motto(s): Industriis et labore cresco (Industry and work to grow) | |
 Location within the former Le Haut-Saint-Maurice RCM | |
  La Tuque Location in central Quebec | |
| Coordinates:47°26′N72°47′W / 47.433°N 72.783°W /47.433; -72.783[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Mauricie |
| RCM | None |
| Settled | 1850s |
| Constituted | March 26, 2003 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Luc Martel |
| • Federal riding | Saint-Maurice—Champlain |
| • Prov. riding | Laviolette |
| Area | |
• Total | 28,293.71 km2 (10,924.26 sq mi) |
| • Land | 24,809.40 km2 (9,578.96 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 6.33 km2 (2.44 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• Total | 11,129 |
| • Density | 0.4/km2 (1/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 7,464 |
| • Urban density | 1,179.0/km2 (3,054/sq mi) |
| • Pop (2016-21) |  1.2% |
| • Dwellings | 6,930 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area code | 819 |
| Highways |  R-155 |
| Website | www |
La Tuque (/lɑːˈtjuːk/lahTEWK,French:[latyk],Canadian French:[lat͡sʏk]) is a city located in north-centralQuebec, Canada, on theSaint-Maurice River, betweenTrois-Rivières andChambord. The population was 11,129 at the2021 Canadian census, most of which live within theurban area. At over 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi), it is thelargest city in Canada by area.[6]
TheClassique internationale de canots de la Mauriciecanoeing race begins at La Tuque.
The name, which dates to the eighteenth century, originates from a nearby rock formation which resembles a French-Canadian knitted cap known as thetuque.
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." Theportage is aleague long, and climbs steep slopes.")[2]
The hat-shaped mountain which gave its name to the town of La Tuque is located between theSaint-Maurice River (left bank) and theWestRock paper mill. The summit of this mountain is about 245 m (804 ft). It is located 200 m (660 ft) from the river and about 400 m (1,300 ft) upstream (northeast side) of the La Tuque hydroelectric power plant.
The territory of La Tuque was first inhabited byAtikamekw 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 theMauricie until the early 1900s when theNational 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.[2]
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.[2][7]
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.[2]
In 1972, the Municipality of Haute-Mauricie was formed out of portions from the unincorporated Carignan and Malhiot Townships, in the proximity of theSaint-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.[2]
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, andlargest in Canada (38,000 km2). On January 1, 2006, the municipalities ofLa Bostonnais andLac-Édouard separated and were reestablished.[2]
In May 2010, some 120forest fires broke out around La Tuque, burning until June.[8][9] Smoke from these fires reached portions ofEastern Ontario and southern Quebec, including the cities ofOttawa andMontreal, as well as the northernUS states.[10][11][12]
In 2011, the 100th anniversary of La Tuque was celebrated with various cultural activities,[13] including a large parade held on June 25[14] as well as the creation of a recipe book made by local residents.[15]
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 formerregional county municipality ofLe Haut-Saint-Maurice, and includes the settlements of Carignan,Clova, La Croche, Fitzpatrick,Kiskissink,Oskélanéo,Parent, Rapide-Blanc, Rivière-aux-Rats, andSanmaur.
Enclosed by but not administratively part of the city are the threeFirst Nations reserves ofCoucoucache,Obedjiwan, andWemotaci.
Notable bodies of water in La Tuque are:
Notable rivers in La Tuque are:
La Tuque has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfb) 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) |
| Mean daily maximum °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) |
| Mean daily minimum °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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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[16] | |||||||||||||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, La Tuque had a population of11,129 living in5,543 of its6,930 total private dwellings, a change of1.2% from its 2016 population of11,001. With a land area of 24,809.4 km2 (9,579.0 sq mi), it had a population density of0.4/km2 (1.2/sq mi) in 2021.[4]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,129 (+1.2% from 2016) | 11,001 (-2.0% from 2011) | 11,227 (-5.0% from 2006) |
| Land area | 24,809.40 km2 (9,578.96 sq mi) | 25,112.41 km2 (9,695.96 sq mi) | 25,113.70 km2 (9,696.45 sq mi) |
| Population density | 0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi) | 0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi) | 0.4/km2 (1.0/sq mi) |
| Median age | 51.6 (M: 50.8, F: 52.4) | 51.1 (M: 50.3, F: 51.7) | 48.6 (M: 47.9, F: 49.2) |
| Private dwellings | 6,930 (total) 5,543 (occupied) | 6,919 (total) | 7,373 (total) |
| Median household income | $59,600 | $51,014 | $45,874 |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Population amounts prior to 1993 are total of La Tuque V and Haute-Mauricie SD. (A) adjustment due to boundary change. Source: Statistics Canada[4][20] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque, Quebec[20] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |  5.6% | 94.96% | 180 | 5.3% | 1.63% | 50 | 150.0% | 0.45% | 325 | 8.3% | 2.95% | |||||
2006 | 11,590 | 11,080 | 3.6% | 95.60% | 190 | 5.5% | 1.64% | 20 | 66.7% | 0.17% | 300 | 33.3% | 2.59% | |||||
2001 | 11,160 | 10,695 | 6.2% | 95.83% | 180 | 53.8% | 1.61% | 60 | 100.0% | 0.54% | 225 | 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% | |||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2003E | 15,862 | — |
| 2006 | 15,448 | −2.6% |
| 2011 | 15,130 | −2.1% |
| 2016 | 15,059 | −0.5% |
| 2021 | 15,038 | −0.1% |
| (E) established on March 26, 2003. Source: Statistics Canada[21] | ||
The population of the La Tuque territorial equivalent according to theCanada 2021 Census is 15,038.[21]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,038 (-0.1% from 2016) | 15,059 (-0.5% from 2011) | 15,130 (-2.1% from 2006) |
| Land area | 26,031.84 km2 (10,050.95 sq mi) | 26,356.13 km2 (10,176.16 sq mi) | 26,356.98 km2 (10,176.49 sq mi) |
| Population density | 0.6/km2 (1.6/sq mi) | 0.6/km2 (1.6/sq mi) | 0.6/km2 (1.6/sq mi) |
| Median age | 45.2 (M: 44.8, F: 45.6) | 44.6 (M: 43.6, F: 45.9) | 43.2 (M: 41.9, F: 44.4) |
| Private dwellings | 8,394 (total) | 8,360 (total) | 9,040 (total) |
| Median household income | $61,600 | $51,384 | $45,484 |
| Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque TE, Quebec[20] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 6.2% | 75.15% | 190 | 9.5% | 1.27% | 55 | 120.0% | 0.37% | 3,460 | 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% | |||||
The local economy centres onpulp and paper; the city has a pulp-milling centre as well as a majorhydroelectric 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 largehinterland, which is partially regulated by the followingzone d'exploitation contrôlées:
The main highway isQuebec Route 155 that connects La Tuque withShawinigan to the south and theSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region to the north. Numerous forest roads provide access to remote hunting and fishing camps, and the village ofParent is accessible by a 175 kilometres (109 mi) long gravel road fromMont-Saint-Michel in theLaurentides region.
TheCanadian National Railway dissects La Tuque's territory. This railway, built in 1910 by theNational Transcontinental Railway, connectedQuebec City to theCanadian Prairies and goes through vast wilderness areas of northern Quebec and Ontario. While it was intended to ship grain from the prairies to thePort of Quebec and to open up virgin territories, it never carried much rail traffic. However, it is still serviced byVia Rail at theLa Tuque railway station andParent railway station, with request stops atFitzpatrick,Oskélanéo, andClova. Other sidings along the line areCasey,Hibbard,Cann,Sanmaur,Vandry,Windigo, andRapide-Blanc-Station.
TheLa 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.
TheUrban agglomeration of La Tuque is anurban 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 theregional county municipality ofHaut-Saint-Maurice, which was created in 1982 from part of theQuebec ridings's (county's) ofChamplain electoral district, ofQuebec electoral district ofSaint-Maurice and ofAbitibi. 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 recreatingLa Bostonnais andLac-Édouard, the agglomeration of La Tuque was created to allow municipalities to manage in common some competencies.
La Tuque is aterritory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) andcensus division ofQuebec, with geographical code 90. The TE of La Tuque consists of:
The mayor is the municipality's highest elected official. La Tuque has had fifteen mayors, since its incorporation as a city.[22]
| # | 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[23] | 1935 | 1944 |
| 8 | Omer Veillette | 1944 | 1947 |
| 7 | Joseph-Omer Journeault | 1947 | 1951 |
| 9 | Léo-Joffre Pilon[24] | 1951 | 1955 |
| 10 | J.-Onésime Dallaire | 1955 | 1961 |
| 11 | Lucien Filion[25] | 1961 | 1985[26] |
| 12 | Clément Filion | 1985 | 1985 |
| 13 | André Duchesneau | 1985 | 1991 |
| 14 | Gaston Fortin[27] | 1991 | 2003 |
| 15 | Réjean Gaudreault[28] | 2003 | 2009 |
| 16 | Normand Beaudoin | 2009 | 2017 |
| 17 | Pierre-David Tremblay | 2017 | 2021 |
| 18 | Luc Martel | 2021 |
Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions | |
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 Subdivisions ofLa Tuque [TE] | |
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| Cities | |
| Municipalities | |
| Native reserves | |
| Regional county municipalities andequivalent territories | |
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| Municipalities | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
