The name of Trois-Rivières, which dates from the end of the 16th century, was used by French explorers in reference to the three channels in the Saint-Maurice River formed at its mouth with the Saint Lawrence, as it is divided by two islands, Potherie (Île Caron) andÎle Saint-Quentin. The city occupies a location near whereJacques Cartier, in a 1535 trip along the St. Lawrence, stopped to plant a cross on Saint-Quentin island.
The city's name, which is French for 'three rivers', is named for the fact the Saint-Maurice River has three mouths at the Saint Lawrence River, as it is divided by two islands in the river. TheTrois-Rivières name was used for the first time in 1599 by SieurFrançois Gravé Du Pont, a geographer under Champlain, whose records confirmed the name in 1603. As Sieur Gravé Du Pont sailed upriver toward Montreal, he saw what appeared to be three separate tributaries. He had yet to learn that two large islands divide the course of the Saint-Maurice River into three streams, where each flows into the St. Lawrence River.
Historically, in English this city was once known asThree Rivers. Since the late 20th century, when there has been more recognition of Quebec and French speakers, the city has generally been referred to asTrois-Rivières in both English and French. The anglicized name still appears in many areas of the town (e.g., the city'sThree Rivers Academy), bearing witness to the influence of English settlers in the town. The city's inhabitants are known asTrifluviens (Trifluvians).
For thousands of years, the area that would later become known as Trois-Rivières was frequented by indigenous peoples. The historicAlgonquin andAbenaki peoples used it as a summer stopping place. They would fish and hunt here, as well as gather roots and nuts. The area was rich in resources. The French explorerJacques Cartier described the site while on his second journey to the New World in 1535.
The name "Trois-Rivières", however, was not given until 1599, by Captain Dupont-Gravé, and first appeared on maps of the area dated 1601.[12]
In 1603, while surveying the Saint-Lawrence River,Samuel de Champlain recommended establishing a permanent settlement in the area. The settlement grew into a village, officially formed on July 4, 1634, by its first governor,Sieur de Laviolette. Early inhabitants of Trois-Rivières included Quentin Moral, Sieur de St-Quentin; future governorPierre Boucher de Grosbois, François Hertel de la Fresnière (father ofJoseph-François Hertel de la Fresnière), François Marguerie, René Robineau, and Jean Sauvaget, and interpreter Jean Godefroy de Lintot, who married Marie, daughter of Michel Le Neuf.[13]
The city was the second to be founded inNew France (afterQuebec City, beforeMontreal). Given its strategic location, it played an important role in the colony and in thefur trade withFirst Nations peoples. The settlement became the seat of a regionalGovernment of Trois-Rivières in 1665.Ursuline nuns first arrived at the settlement in 1697, where they founded the first school and helped local missionaries to Christianize the local indigenous people, developing a class ofMétis people. In 1730, the first smiths opened on the Saint Maurice river.
Trois-Rivières continued to grow in importance throughout this period and beyond. In 1792 it was designated as the seat of a judicial district. In 1852, the Roman Catholic church made this the see of theDiocese of Trois-Rivières.
In 1816, Captain A.G. Douglas, a former adjutant at the British military college at Great Marlow, recommended a military college for Catholic and Protestant boys be established at Trois-Rivières. He proposed it operate in a disused government house and he would be superintendent. Douglas' college was intended as a boarding school to educate the young sons of officers, amongst others, inLatin, English, French, history, geography, drawing and mathematics. This preceded the founding of theRoyal Military College of Canada in 1876.[15] In 1878 a railway began to serve the city directly (north side of the St Lawrence).
In 1908, the greater part of the city of Trois-Rivières was destroyed by a fire; most of the city's original buildings, many dating to the French colonial years, were destroyed. Among the surviving buildings were the Ursuline Monastery and the De Tonnancour Manor. As a result of the destruction, a major redesign and renovation of the city was undertaken, including the widening and renewal of many of the city's roads. Many new businesses and industries became established in the town, attracting additional residents.
During the mid-century, the city became heavily industrialized and lost jobs during the later restructuring. In the 1960s, Trois-Rivières undertook a large-scale project of economic diversification, including founding several cultural institutions and attractions. The Old City of Trois-Rivières was declared an "historic sector" in 1964. TheLaviolette Bridge, linking Trois-Rivières to Bécancour and the south shore of the Saint-Lawrence River, was opened officially on December 20, 1967. In 1969, the city founded theUniversité du Québec à Trois-Rivières, known for itschiropractic school, its podiatric medical education, and its programs for primary and secondary school education.
Although historically an important centre of commerce, trade and population, Trois-Rivières has been superseded by the two major cities of Quebec: themetropolis of Montreal and thecapital of Quebec City. It remains as one of the principal medium-sized cities of Quebec, along withSaguenay,Sherbrooke, andGatineau.
Saint-Quentin Island lies at the confluence of theSaint-Maurice River andSt. Lawrence River, where the city of Trois-Rivières developed. With the islandsSaint-Christophe andDe La Poterie, it creates threechannels at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River, where it flows intoSt. Lawrence River. The island was named in honour of judge Quentin Moral, also said to be a fur trader and one of the first dealers on this island.[16] It is now a centre of popular outdoor activities and relaxation at the heart of city. The patron saint of the island isQuentin de Rome.
It was first inhabited by anAlgonquin tribe who cultivate corn in the lowlands of the river. On October 7, 1535,Jacques Cartier planted across on the island and proclaimed the sovereignty of France on this territory. A commemorative wrought iron cross was erected at the site associated with Cartier's claim. The natural environment of Saint-Quentin has remained virtually unchanged. For nearly a century, it was not developed or cultivated.
Since 1930, the island has become more important as a destination for recreation. The island belonged at the time to Quebec Savings and Trust Company Limited and the Canada Power and Paper Corporation. The city bid for the land in 1933, but did not take ownership until November 3, 1947. During World War II, it was the site of a training camp for theRoyal Canadian Navy. Services were gradually introduced in 1950.
The park and the beach on the island Saint-Quentin were officially inaugurated on June 24, 1962, in the presence of 5,000 people. There were more than 100 000 visitors that year.[17] Since then, many facilities have been developed on the island, including amarina, abike path, an interpretative trail, anice rink, andcamping ground. Several happenings andfestivals are held annually on the island.
The area has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfb). Winters are long, cold, and snowy: the January high is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F),[18] with lows dropping to −20 °C (−4 °F) on 27 nights per year and to −30 °C (−22 °F) on 2.9 nights. Snowfall averages 274.4 cm (108.0 in),[18] with reliable snow cover from December to March. Summers are warm, with an average July high of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F),[18] and high temperatures reach 30 °C (86 °F) on 5.5 days per summer. Spring and autumn are short and crisp. Precipitation averages 1,001.7 mm (39.44 in), and is the greatest during summer.[18]
The highest temperature ever recorded in Trois-Rivières was 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) on 17 July 1953.[19] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −41.7 °C (−43.1 °F) on 5 February 1923.[20]
According to the2021 Canadian census, Trois-Rivières had a population of 139,163 an increase of3.5% from its 2016 population of 134,413. This population lived in 66,822 of its 70,411 total private dwellings. With a land area of 288.65 km2 (111.45 sq mi), the city had a population density of482.1/km2 (1,248.7/sq mi) in 2021.[4]
The Trois-Rivièresmetropolitan area as defined byStatistics Canada comprises Trois-Rivières itself and six other municipalities.Saint-Maurice,Yamachiche,Champlain andSaint-Luc-de-Vincennes are all located on the North shore and except for Saint-Luc (which is separated from it by Saint-Maurice) are also directly adjacent to Trois-Rivières. The city ofBécancour and the enclavedIndian reservation ofWôlinak are located opposite Trois-Rivières on the South shore of the Saint Lawrence River. In 2021 the population of the census metropolitan area was 161,489 in a land area of 1,038.64 km2 (401.02 sq mi) giving a population density of155.5/km2 (402.7/sq mi)[5]
In 2021 thepopulation centre had 128,057 people in an area of 98.58 km2 (38.06 sq mi) giving a population density of1,299.0/km2 (3,364.4/sq mi)[6]
Prior to amalgamation on January 1, 2002, the new city of Trois-Rivières was divided among six municipalities.
Municipal population, pre-amalgamation(December 14, 2000)[24]
Municipality
Population
Trois-Rivières
48,285
Cap-de-la-Madeleine
32,927
Trois-Rivières-Ouest
24,170
Saint-Louis-de-France
7,798
Pointe-du-Lac
6,846
Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap
6,428
Total
126,454
In 2021,[25] the median age in Trois-Rivières was 47.2 years, compared to the Canadian average of 41.6. Slightly more than a quarter (26.3%) of the population was of retirement age (65 and older) compared to 19% in Canada as a whole.
French was the sole mother tongue of 93.9% of residents of Trois-Rivières. The next most common first languages cited were English (1.2%), Spanish (1.1%), andArabic (0.8%). 0.7% claimed both English and French as a first language, while 0.5% claimed both French and a non-official language.
In 2021, 71.0% of Trois-Rivières residents were Christian, down from 89.9% in 2011.[26] 64.6% of residents were Catholic, 4.4% were Christians of unspecified denomination, and 0.7% were Protestants. All other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions accounted for 1.3% of the population. 26.8% of residents were nonreligious or secular, up from 9.1% in 2011. All other religions and spiritual traditions account for 2.1% of the population. The largest non-Christian religion was Islam (1.6%).
According to the 2021 census, Approximately 92.1% of residents wereWhite, 1.9% wereIndigenous and 6.0% werevisible minorities. The largest visible minority groups in Trois-Rivières wereBlack (2.8%),Latin American (1.2%), andArab (1.0%).
Panethnic groups in the City of Trois-Rivières (2001−2021)
Trois-Rivières is Canada's oldest industrial city, with its first foundry established in 1738.[31] The forge produced iron and cast for 150 years, much of it being shipped to France to be used in French navy ships.[32] The first port facility was built in 1818 near rue Saint-Antoine, and today handles 2.5 million tonnes of cargo annually.[33] The first railway was built in 1879 to support the growing lumber industry.[34]
From the late 1920s until the early 1960s, the city was known as thepulp and paper industry capital of the world.[35] The city once had five mills in operation (Trois-Rivières Ouest, Wayagamack, C.I.P., and St-Maurice Paper). Today, there are three mills left operating (Kruger Trois-Rivières Ouest, Kruger Wayagamack and Cascades Lupel ex-St-Maurice Paper); the closures resulted largely to a decline in newsprint demand and globalization. The closures were not limited to just the pulp and paper industry. Trois-Rivières had anindustrial decline in the 1980s and 1990s, when several textile mills were closed after owners moved jobs offshore. Unemployment rose to 14 percent in the 1990s.[36]
Trois-Rivières is attempting an industrial revitalization by establishing technology parks and taking advantage of its central location to both Montreal and Quebec City, its university and port. An example of the new economy is Marmen Incorporated, which manufactureswind turbine towers and employs 1,000 people between its operations in Trois-Rivières andMatane.
Trois-Rivières hosts the FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières, a 10-day summermusic festival that attracts in excess of 300,000 visitors annually.[37] The city also hosts the Festival International de la Poésie – an internationalpoetry festival – as well as the Festival International Danse Encore,[38] and the MetalFest de Trois-Rivières every November. In 2009, Trois-Rivières was designated as the 2009Cultural Capital of Canada for cities having a population of 125,000 or more.[39]
Trois-Rivières is officially the "Poetry Capital of Quebec".[40][41] Numerous plaques displaying poetic verses are installed throughout the centre of the city. An International Festival of Poetry is held annually in the first week of October.
The city's main thoroughfare is Boulevard des Forges, an area several blocks long in the heart of the Old Town composed of century-old buildings housing a great variety of cafés, restaurants, clubs, bars, and shops. In the warmer months, the area is regularly closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate various festivals and events, turning the downtown core into apedestrian mall.
Inbaseball, Trois-Rivières is represented by theFrontier League'sTrois-Rivières Aigles, which play their home games atStade Quillorama. In professionalice hockey, the city is host to theECHL'sTrois-Rivières Lions (farm team of theMontreal Canadiens) beginning with the 2021–22 season, and has had several teams in theLigue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, typically with home games at theColisée de Trois-Rivières. The city is also the site of the only remaining pari-mutuel (wagering) harness racing track in Quebec, Hippodrome de Trois-Rivières, which operates live standardbred racing from May through October. In 2014, the hippodrome has resurrected thePrix d'Été, a once major Canadian race for four-year-old pacers that had been contested in Montreal until 1992.
Trois-Rivières had a brief soccer presence in theCanadian Soccer League whenTrois-Rivières Attak represented the city from 2007 to 2009.[43] The club served as a feeder team for theMontreal Impact.[43] Their most notable season occurred in 2009, when they won the league double, initially winning the division title and followed with aplayoff championship title.[44] In 2010, Montreal ended its affiliation with Trois-Rivières by creating itsacademy team.[43]
Local bus service is provided by theSociété de transport de Trois-Rivières. TheLaviolette Bridge links Trois-Rivières toBécancour of theCentre-du-Québec administrative region on the south shore of theSaint Lawrence River. The Laviolette Bridge is the only bridge across the Saint Lawrence River betweenMontreal andQuebec City; therefore it provides an important connection between the north and south shores of the river. Known for its impressive structure, its elegant aesthetics, the bridge has become a major landmark of Trois-Rivières and theMauricie region. Approximately 40,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day. Anairport also serves the city. There are currently no scheduled flights operating out of the airport. The nearest airports to the city areQuébec City Jean Lesage International Airport, located 123 km (76 mi) north east andMontréal–Trudeau International Airport, located 177 km (110 mi) south west of the city.
On April 8, 2014, during morning commute an SUV fell into a giant pothole in Trois-Rivières caused by heavy rain accumulation. Nobody was injured during the incident.[47]
The city hosts a major ice-free port on the Saint Lawrence River, handling about 300 ships per annum.[48]
^Report Concerning the Archives of Canada for the year 1905. Vol I. of III., p. li.
^Lamontagne, Léopold (1966)."LENEUF DE LA POTERIE, JACQUES".Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–.Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. RetrievedDecember 1, 2019.
^Richard Preston,Canada's RMC: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada, U of Toronto Press for RMC Club.
^ab"Daily Data Report for February 1923".Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. October 31, 2011.Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2017.
^"Cap De La Madeleine".Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. October 31, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2017.
^"Trois Rivieres".Canadian Climate Data. Environment and Climate Change Canada. October 31, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2017.
^"Nicolet".Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment and Climate Change Canada. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2017.[permanent dead link]
^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021)."Census Profile, 2016 Census".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2023.
^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 27, 2015)."NHS Profile".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2023.
^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 20, 2019)."2006 Community Profiles".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2023.
^Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 2, 2019)."2001 Community Profiles".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2023.
^Gauthier, Louis-Simon."L'Attak champion" [The Champion Attack].La Presse (in Canadian French). Archived fromthe original on May 21, 2017. RetrievedMay 21, 2017.
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