| Trois-Rivières | |||
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| — City — | |||
| Ville de Trois-Rivières | |||
| Trois-Rivières seen from the St. Lawrence River. | |||
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Trois-Rivières
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Quebec | ||
| Region | Mauricie | ||
| Founded | 1634 | ||
| Amalgamated | January 1, 2002 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Yves Lévesque (2001–2010) |
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| • Governing Body | Trois-Rivières City Council | ||
| • MPs | Robert Aubin Ruth Ellen Brosseau |
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| • MNAs | Noëlla Champagne Jean-Paul Diamond Danielle Saint-Amand |
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| Area | |||
| • City | 288.92 km2 (111.6 sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 176.92 km2 (68.3 sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 880.36 km2 (339.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) | ||
| Population (2010)[1] | |||
| • City | 130,407 | ||
| • Density | 437.2/km2 (1,132.3/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 121,666 | ||
| • Urban density | 684.8/km2 (1,773.6/sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 141,529 | ||
| • Metro density | 160.8/km2 (416.5/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Postal code span | G8(T,V-W,Y-Z), G9(A-C) | ||
| Area code(s) | 819 | ||
| Access Routes[2] A-40 A-755( A-40) A-55 |
Route 138 Route 153 Route 155 Route 157 Route 352 Route 359 |
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| Website | www.v3r.net | ||
Trois-Rivières (French pronunciation: [tʁwɑ ʁivjɛʁ]) is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour. It is part of the densely populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor and is approximately halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. Trois-Rivières is the economic and cultural hub of the Mauricie region. It was founded on July 4, 1634, the second permanent settlement in New France,[3] after Quebec City in 1608.
The city's name, which is French for three rivers, is named for the fact that the Saint-Maurice River, which is divided by two small islands at the river's opening, has three mouths at the Saint Lawrence River. Traditionally, Trois-Rivières was referred to in English as Three Rivers, although in more recent decades it has been referred to as Trois-Rivières in both English and French. The anglicized name still appears in many areas of the town (e.g., the city's Three Rivers Academy), bearing witness to the influence of English settlers in the town. The city's inhabitants are known as "Trifluviens" (Trifluvians).
Trois-Rivières is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Trois-Rivières. Its geographical code is 371. Together with the regional county municipality of Les Chenaux, it forms the census division (CD) of Francheville (37). The municipalities within Les Chenaux and the former municipalities that were amalgamated into Trois-Rivières formerly constituted the regional county municipality of Francheville. Trois-Rivières is the seat of the judicial district of the same name.[4] The Trois-Rivières metropolitan area also includes the city of Bécancour which is situated on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River across the Laviolette Bridge.
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For a long time, the area that would later become known as Trois-Rivières was frequented by Algonquins and Abenakis, who used it as a summer stopping place. The French explorer Jacques Cartier described the site while on his second journey to the New World in 1535. The name "Trois-Rivières", however, was given only in 1599, by Captain Dupont-Gravé, and first appeared on maps of the area in 1601.[5]
In 1603, while surveying the Saint-Lawrence River, Samuel de Champlain recommended establishing a permanent settlement in the area, which was finally done on July 4, 1634, by the Sieur of Laviolette. Additional inhabitants of the original city of Trois-Rivières include: Quentin Moral, Sieur de St. Quentin; Pierre Boucher, Jacques Le Neuf, Jean Godefroy de Lintot, Michel Le Neuf du Hérisson, François Hertel, François Marguerie, René Robineau, and Jean Sauvaget.[6] The city was the second to be founded in New France (after Quebec City, before Montreal) and – thanks to its strategic location – played an important role in the colony and in the fur trade. The settlement became the seat of a regional government in 1665. Ursuline nuns first arrived at the settlement in 1697, establishing the first school and helping local missionnaries to Christianize the local Aboriginals and Métis.
French sovereignty in Trois-Rivières continued until 1760, when the city was captured as part of the British conquest of Quebec. Sixteen years later, on June 8, 1776, it was the theatre of the Battle of Trois-Rivières (part of the ill-fated Invasion of the province of Quebec by Americans from the Boston area—les Bostonnais) during the American Revolutionary War.
Trois-Rivières continued to grow in stature throughout the period and beyond; in 1792 it became the seat of a judicial district, and in 1852, that of a Roman Catholic diocese.
In 1908, the greater part of the city of Trois-Rivières was destroyed by a fire in which the majority of the city's original buildings, many dating back to French colonial years, were destroyed. Only a few were spared, including 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. As well, many new businesses and industries became established in the town, which attracted many new residents.
In the 1960s, Trois-Rivières undertook a large-scale project of economic diversification, including the establishment of several cultural institutions and attractions. The Old City of Trois-Rivières was declared an "historic sector" in 1964. The Laviolette Bridge, linking Trois-Rivières to Bécancour and the south shore of the Saint-Lawrence River, was opened officially on December 20, 1967. Finally, in 1969, the city appeared on Canada's academic map with the establishment of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, known for its chiropractic school, its podiatric medical education and its excellent programs for primary and secondary school education.
Although historically an important center of commerce, trade and population, Trois-Rivières has relinquished much of its earlier importance to the two major cities of Quebec: the metropolis of Montreal and the capital of Quebec City. It does, however, remain one of the principal medium-sized cities of Quebec, along with Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Gatineau.
On January 1, 2002, the former city of Trois-Rivières along with its neighbouring towns of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Sainte-Marthe-du-Cap, Saint-Louis-de-France, Trois-Rivières-Ouest, and the municipality of Pointe-du-Lac, were combined to form the new city of Trois-Rivières.
The city's main street is Boulevard des Forges, an area several blocks long in the heart of the Old City 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 a pedestrian mall.
Notable landmarks include the Forges du Saint-Maurice, a foundry dating back to the 1730s, the Ursulines Monastery, and Notre-Dame-du-Cap Basilica.
Trois-Rivières is Canada's oldest industrial city, with its first foundry established in 1738.[7] The forge produced iron and cast for 150 years, much of it being shipped to France to be used in Royal Navy ships.[8] The first port facility was built in 1818 near rue Saint-Antoine, and today handles 2.5 million tonnes of cargo annually.[9] The first railway was built in 1879 to support the growing lumber industry.[10]
The city was known as the pulp and paper industry capital of the world from the late 1920s until the early 1960s.[11] The city once had four mills in operation. Today, there are only two mills left operating (Kruger Trois-Rivières and Kruger Wayagamack), the closures due largely to a decline in newsprint demand and globalization. The closures were not limited to just the pulp and paper industry; Trois-Rivières experienced an industrial decline in the 1980s and 1990s, with unemployment rising to 14 percent in the 1990s.[12]
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 manufactures wind turbine towers and employs 1,000 people between its operations in Trois-Rivières and Matane.
The city's other prominent industries include metal transformation, electronics, thermoplastics, as well as cabinet making and the production of food crops. An industrial park adjoining Trois-Rivières Airport serves also as a major centre for the aeronautical industry.
The area has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfb). Winters are long, cold, and snowy: the January high is −7.3 °C (18.9 °F), with lows dropping to −20 °C (−4 °F) on 30 nights per year and to −30 °C (−22 °F) on 3.5 nights.[13] Snowfall averages 241 centimetres (95 in), with reliable snow cover from December to March.[13] Summers are warm, with a July high of 25.5 °C (77.9 °F), though highs reach 30 °C (86 °F) on 4.8 days per summer.[13] Spring and autumn are short and crisp. Precipitation averages 1,100 millimetres (43.3 in), and is the greatest during summer.
| Climate data for Trois-Rivières | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
10 (50) |
17 (63) |
31.5 (88.7) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.5 (94.1) |
34 (93) |
36.1 (97.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
20 (68) |
12.5 (54.5) |
36.1 (97.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −7.3 (18.9) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
23.2 (73.8) |
25.5 (77.9) |
24.1 (75.4) |
18.3 (64.9) |
11.5 (52.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −17.6 (0.3) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
6.2 (43.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
13 (55) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.1 (−42.0) |
−35.6 (−32.1) |
−35 (−31) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
3.5 (38.3) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−25.6 (−14.1) |
−35.5 (−31.9) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 85.6 (3.37) |
59.8 (2.354) |
74.9 (2.949) |
80.2 (3.157) |
92.3 (3.634) |
101.3 (3.988) |
108.6 (4.276) |
107.7 (4.24) |
104.7 (4.122) |
94 (3.7) |
101.6 (4) |
89.1 (3.508) |
1,099.8 (43.299) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 61.7 (24.29) |
42.7 (16.81) |
37.2 (14.65) |
12.7 (5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.1 (0.83) |
25.9 (10.2) |
59.0 (23.23) |
241.3 (95) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 13.5 | 11.0 | 10.8 | 11.6 | 13.5 | 14.4 | 13.7 | 12.9 | 13.5 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 156.7 |
| Avg. rainy days | 2.8 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 10.0 | 13.5 | 14.4 | 13.7 | 12.9 | 13.5 | 13.8 | 10.1 | 3.8 | 116.6 |
| Avg. snowy days | 12.2 | 9.6 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 5.9 | 11.0 | 48.7 |
| Source: Environment Canada[13] | |||||||||||||
Trois-Rivières hosts the FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières, a 10-day summer music festival which attracts in excess of 300,000 visitors annually.[14] The city also hosts the Festival International de la Poésie – an international poetry festival – as well as the Festival International Danse Encore,[15] and the MetalFest de Trois-Rivières every November. In 2009, Trois-Rivières was designated as the 2009 Cultural Capital of Canada for cities having a population of 125,000 or more.[16]
Trois-Rivières is officially the "Poetry Capital of Quebec"; numerous plaques displaying poetic verses are installed throughout the centre of the city, and its International Festival of Poetry (held each year in the first week of October) honours this title.
Population trend[17]
| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 130,407 | 0.4% |
| 2010 | 129,886 | 1.4% |
| 2009 | 128,082 | 0.7% |
| 2008 | 128,941 | 1.8% |
| 2007 | 126,603 | 0.5% |
| 2006 | 125,711 | 0.9% |
| 2005 | 125,086 | 0.4% |
| 2004 | 124,537 | 1.2% |
| 2003 | 125,983 | 0.4% |
| 2002 | 126,438 | 0.0% |
| Mergers | 126,454 | 261.9% |
| 2001 | 48,285 | N/A |
Prior to amalgamation in 2001, the new city of Trois-Rivières was divided among six municipalities. The largest visible minority groups in Trois-Rivières are Blacks (2.2%) and Asians (1.4%).
Municipal population, pre-amalgamation (December 14, 2000)[18]
| 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 |
Age structure
Religious groups
Trois-Rivières has an internationally known racetrack named Circuit Trois-Rivières. The track hosts American Le Mans Series, SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and the Star Mazda Series events.[19]
Local bus service is provided by the Société de transport de Trois-Rivières. The Laviolette Bridge links Trois-Rivières to Bécancour of the Centre-du-Québec administrative region on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
| Saint-Étienne-des-Grès | Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Saint-Maurice | Champlain | ||
| Yamachiche | ||||
| Trois-Rivières | ||||
| Lac Saint-Pierre | Saint Lawrence River / Nicolet | Saint Lawrence River, bridge to Bécancour |
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