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La Tuque
City
Downtown La Tuque
Coat of arms
Nickname: Reine de la Haute-Mauricie ("Queen of Haute-Mauricie")
Motto(s): Industriis et labore cresco (Industry and work to grow)
Location within the former Le Haut-Saint-Maurice RCM
La TuqueLocation in central Quebec
Coordinates: 47°26′N 72°47′W / 47.433°N 72.783°W / 47.433; -72.783
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 km (10,924.26 sq mi)
• Land	24,809.40 km (9,578.96 sq mi)
• Urban	6.33 km (2.44 sq mi)
Population
• Total	11,129
• Density	0.4/km (1/sq mi)
• Urban	7,464
• Urban density	1,179.0/km (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)	G9X
Area code	819
Highways	R-155
Website	www.ville.latuque.qc.ca

La Tuque (/lɑː ˈtjuːk/ lah TEWK, French: [la tyk], 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 11,129 at the 2021 Canadian census, most of which live within the urban area. At over 28,000 km (11,000 sq mi), it is the largest city in Canada by area.

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 a French-Canadian knitted cap known as the tuque.

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.")

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 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.

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.

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 Saint-Maurice River 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. 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 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 km). 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 and Montreal, as well as the northern US states.

In 2011, the 100th anniversary of La Tuque was celebrated with various cultural activities, including a large parade held on June 25 as well as the creation of a recipe book made by local residents.

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, Kiskissink, 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:

• Gouin Reservoir
• Lake Edouard
• Lake Kiskissink
• Lake Wayagamac
• Grand Lake Bostonnais
• Ventadour Lake

Notable rivers in La Tuque are:

• Saint-Maurice
• Vermillon
• Manouane
• Croche
• Bostonnais
• Little Bostonnais
• Trenche

Climate

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

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, La Tuque had a population of 11,129 living in 5,543 of its 6,930 total private dwellings, a change of 1.2% from its 2016 population of 11,001. With a land area of 24,809.4 km (9,579.0 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.4/km (1.2/sq mi) in 2021.

Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque, Quebec
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%

Territorial equivalent

The population of the La Tuque territorial equivalent according to the Canada 2021 Census is 15,038.

Canada Census Mother Tongue - La Tuque TE, Quebec
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%

Economy

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 zone d'exploitation contrôlées:

• Zec de la Croche
• Zec de la Bessonne
• Zec Borgia
• Zec Frémont
• Zec du Gros-Brochet
• Zec Jeannotte, Québec
• Zec Kiskissink
• Zec Menokeosawin
• Zec Tawachiche
• Zec Wessonneau

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 Laurentides region.

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 Casey, Hibbard, Cann, Sanmaur, Vandry, Windigo, and Rapide-Blanc-Station.

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

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 regional county municipality 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. 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 of Quebec, 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 reserves, namely

• Coucoucache
• Wemotaci
• Obedjiwan

List of mayors

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

Notable residents

• Mathieu Fortin, writer
• Maude Guérin, actress
• Félix Leclerc (1914–1988), singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor and Québécois political activist
• Sylvie Roy, politician
• James Renald, musician
• Gaétan Barrette, politician
• Steven Guilbeault, politician

See also

• La Tuque Water Aerodrome
• Municipal history of Quebec
• Municipal reorganization in Quebec

References

1. Marie-Soleil Desautels (24 April 2013). "Toponymie - Histoires de Villages". La Presse+. La Presse Inc. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
2. ^ "La Tuque (Ville)" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
3. ^ "Répertoire des municipalités: La Tuque". www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
4. ^ "La Tuque, Ville (V) Quebec [Census subdivision] Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
5. ^ "La Tuque, Quebec [Population centre] Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
6. Misachi, John (26 September 2017). "The Largest Canadian Cities By Land Area". WorldAtlas. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
7. "Ville de La Tuque - Liste des maires 1909 à 2013" (PDF).
8. Jennifer Pagliaro (May 31, 2010). "Something in the air: Index more than doubles 2007 record for poor quality". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
9. Harrold, Max; Bruemmer, René (2020-11-18). "Smog, smoke warnings from forest fires". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
10. "Forest fire smoke drifts over Montreal, Ottawa". The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 31, 2010. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
11. Kantor, Ira (May 31, 2010). "Boston getting smoked by Canadian wildfires". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012.
12. "Quebec forest fires black out skies". Agence France-Presse. 2010-05-31. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
13. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Justice et faits divers-. "Les célébrations du 100e anniversaire de La Tuque sont lancées". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2023-03-07.
14. Défilé du centenaire - La Tuque - 2011, retrieved 2023-03-07
15. "Un livre de recettes dédié au centenaire de La Tuque". Le Nouvelliste (in French). 2011-08-29. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
16. "La Tuque climate normals 1981-2010". Environment Canada. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
17. ^ "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
18. ^ "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
19. ^ "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
20. ^ "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
21. ^ "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
22. ^ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
23. ^ "La Tuque, Territoire équivalent (TÉ) Quebec [Census division] Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
24. Liste des maires, Ville de La Tuque, 1909 à 2009 Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
25. Journeault ran as a Bloc Populaire candidate in the provincial election of 1944 in the district of Laviolette. He finished third.
26. 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.
27. Lucien Filion ran as a Union Nationale candidate in the provincial election of 1970 in the district of Laviolette. He finished third.
28. Lucien Filion dies in office on September 22, 1985.
29. 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.
30. 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

External links

• (in French) City of La Tuque official website

v t e Adjacent Municipal Subdivisions
Eeyou Istchee James Bay Lac-Ashuapmushuan Lac-Bouchette Lac-Moncouche Senneterre La Tuque Lac-Jacques-Cartier Lac-Croche Lac-Édouard La Bostonnais Dépôt-Échouani Lac-de-la-Bidière, Lac-Bazinet, Baie-Obaoca, Lac-Normand, Trois-Rives, Lac-Masketsi Lac-Lapeyrère, Linton

v t e  Subdivisions of La Tuque
Cities	La Tuque
Municipalities	La Bostonnais Lac-Édouard
Native reserves	Coucoucache Obedjiwan Wemotaci
Regional county municipalities in Mauricie: Les Chenaux Maskinongé Mékinac Equivalent territories: La Tuque Native reserves: Coucoucache Obedjiwan Wemotaci

v t e  Administrative divisions of Mauricie  (Region 04)
Regional county municipalities and equivalent territories	Mékinac Shawinigan Trois-Rivières Les Chenaux Maskinongé La Tuque
Municipalities	Saint-Tite Shawinigan Trois-Rivières Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel Louiseville La Tuque
Administrative divisions of Quebec

• La Tuque, Quebec
• Cities and towns in Quebec