City in Quebec, Canada
Rimouski
(
rim-
OO
-skee
RIM
-oo-
SKEE
) is a city in
Quebec
, Canada. Rimouski is located in the
Bas-Saint-Laurent
region, at the mouth of the
Rimouski River
. It has a population of 48,664 (as of
2016
).
[3]
Rimouski is the site of
Universite du Quebec a Rimouski
(UQAR), the
Cegep de Rimouski
(which includes the
Institut maritime du Quebec
) and the
Music Conservatory
. It is also the home of some ocean sciences research centres (
see below
).
History
[
edit
]
The name Rimouski most likely derived from a
Micmac
word meaning "land of the moose".
[6]
The city was founded by Sir
Rene Lepage de Ste-Claire
in 1696. Originally from
Ouanne
in the
Burgundy
region, he exchanged property he owned on the
Ile d'Orleans
with Augustin Rouer de la Cardonniere for the
Seigneurie
of Rimouski, which extended along the St. Lawrence River from the Hatee River at Le Bic to the Metis River. De la Cardonniere had been the owner of Rimouski since 1688, but had never lived there. Rene Lepage moved his family to Rimouski, where it held the seigneurie until 1790, when it was sold to the Quebec City businessman
Joseph Drapeau
.
The "Maison Lamontagne" was built in 1750 per Marie-Agnes Lepage, granddaughter of
Rene Lepage de Ste-Claire
. It carries now the surname of the family that resided at it in 1844. It is one of the oldest half-timbered houses in Quebec and is within what is now called the District of Rimouski-Est.
Today, a boulevard, park and monument at the western entrance of Rimouski bear the name of Rene Lepage.
The "Red Night"
[
edit
]
On May 6, 1950, Rimouski suffered a severe fire, in which 319 houses burned to the ground. This event is known as
La nuit rouge
(
French
for
Red Night
). The fire originated in the
Price Brothers and Company
[
fr
]
yard on the left shore of the Rimouski River and quickly crossed the river and spread throughout the city pushed by strong winds, destroying half of the city. No one died in the blaze. Legend has it that a priest sprinkled holy water around the city's cathedral and that the fire would not cross the line.
Geography
[
edit
]
Climate
[
edit
]
Rimouski has a
humid continental climate
(
Koppen
Dfb
) with cold, snowy winters and warm, rainy summers.
Climate data for Rimouski (1981?2010)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
14.5
(58.1)
|
12.5
(54.5)
|
21.1
(70.0)
|
29.0
(84.2)
|
32.8
(91.0)
|
35.0
(95.0)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
33.9
(93.0)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
26.5
(79.7)
|
21.5
(70.7)
|
15.0
(59.0)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
?7.4
(18.7)
|
?5.3
(22.5)
|
0.0
(32.0)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
14.8
(58.6)
|
20.6
(69.1)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
22.1
(71.8)
|
17.2
(63.0)
|
10.0
(50.0)
|
3.2
(37.8)
|
?3.3
(26.1)
|
8.5
(47.3)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?11.4
(11.5)
|
?9.4
(15.1)
|
?4.1
(24.6)
|
3.3
(37.9)
|
9.9
(49.8)
|
15.4
(59.7)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
17.3
(63.1)
|
12.9
(55.2)
|
6.6
(43.9)
|
0.3
(32.5)
|
?6.7
(19.9)
|
4.4
(39.9)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?15.4
(4.3)
|
?13.5
(7.7)
|
?8.1
(17.4)
|
?0.8
(30.6)
|
4.9
(40.8)
|
10.2
(50.4)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
12.6
(54.7)
|
8.5
(47.3)
|
3.1
(37.6)
|
?2.6
(27.3)
|
?10
(14)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?33
(?27)
|
?32
(?26)
|
?25.5
(?13.9)
|
?22
(?8)
|
?7.2
(19.0)
|
0.0
(32.0)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
0.0
(32.0)
|
?1.1
(30.0)
|
?7.8
(18.0)
|
?16.5
(2.3)
|
?30.6
(?23.1)
|
?33
(?27)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
71.1
(2.80)
|
64.7
(2.55)
|
60.4
(2.38)
|
65.4
(2.57)
|
84.8
(3.34)
|
84.9
(3.34)
|
91.3
(3.59)
|
85.5
(3.37)
|
87.9
(3.46)
|
91.5
(3.60)
|
83.5
(3.29)
|
87.6
(3.45)
|
958.5
(37.74)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
8.0
(0.31)
|
8.2
(0.32)
|
14.6
(0.57)
|
50.8
(2.00)
|
83.5
(3.29)
|
84.9
(3.34)
|
91.3
(3.59)
|
85.5
(3.37)
|
87.9
(3.46)
|
89.7
(3.53)
|
56.7
(2.23)
|
25.4
(1.00)
|
686.5
(27.03)
|
Average snowfall cm (inches)
|
63.1
(24.8)
|
56.4
(22.2)
|
45.8
(18.0)
|
16.1
(6.3)
|
1.3
(0.5)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
1.8
(0.7)
|
26.8
(10.6)
|
62.2
(24.5)
|
273.5
(107.7)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
15.1
|
12.3
|
11.5
|
12.7
|
14.4
|
14.6
|
15.3
|
13.8
|
14.2
|
15.4
|
13.3
|
14.2
|
166.7
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
1.4
|
1.6
|
3.4
|
10.1
|
14.3
|
14.6
|
15.3
|
13.8
|
14.2
|
15.3
|
8.6
|
3.0
|
115.6
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.2 cm)
|
14.2
|
11.2
|
8.4
|
3.4
|
0.46
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.43
|
6.0
|
11.9
|
56.0
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
52.8
|
89.3
|
134.3
|
155.4
|
192.2
|
217.2
|
231.5
|
221.1
|
157.7
|
95.8
|
55.3
|
51.9
|
1,654.5
|
Percent
possible sunshine
|
19.4
|
31.3
|
36.5
|
38.0
|
40.8
|
45.1
|
47.7
|
49.8
|
41.6
|
28.5
|
19.9
|
19.9
|
34.9
|
Source:
Environment Canada
[7]
[8]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
In the
2021 Census of Population
conducted by
Statistics Canada
, Rimouski had a population of
48,935
living in
23,470
of its
24,849
total private dwellings, a change of
0.6% from its 2016 population of
48,664
. With a land area of 339.13 km
2
(130.94 sq mi), it had a population density of
144.3/km
2
(373.7/sq mi) in 2021.
[9]
[
failed verification
]
The 2021 census found that French was the mother tongue of 97.8% of the population. The next most common mother tongues were English (1.2%), Arabic (0.3%), Spanish (0.3%), and Swahili (0.1%).
[10]
[
failed verification
]
Economy
[
edit
]
Maritime sector
[
edit
]
One of Rimouski's primary economic fields is its maritime sector. Around 1900, the port was important for operating
mail tenders
such as
HMCS Lady Evelyn
for transatlantic liners. These could take mail from an arriving ship in the mouth of the St Lawrence, then speed it by rail to Quebec, arriving long before the ship. The town welcomes students at the Institut Maritime du Quebec, which offers exclusively marine-related programs of studies. Rimouski is also the home of many marine research centres, such as the
Institut des sciences de la mer
(ISMER), the
Centre de recherche sur les biotechnologies marines
and the
Centre interdisciplinaire de developpement en cartographie des oceans
.
Rimouski is also home to the headquarters of the
St. Lawrence Global Observatory
,
[2]
an inter-institutional group seeking to provide, through its Internet portal, an integrated and rapid access to data and information concerning the global ecosystem of the St. Lawrence, in order to promote sustainable management.
A ferry used to cross over from
Forestville
twice daily from May to September, but it is not currently running.
[11]
[12]
[13]
The port operates five berths ranging from 130 to 213 metres in length, with a water depth of 7.3 metres, and is mainly used for the
transshipment
of salt.
[14]
The tide station located at Pointe-au-Pere serves as the reference point for measuring mean sea level for the
North American Vertical Datum of 1988
, which is the reference point for determining altitude in North America.
[15]
Arts and culture
[
edit
]
Rimouski has an active cultural life, being host of festivals like
Festi Jazz International
since 1982, the
Grandes Fetes du Saint-Laurent
[
fr
]
, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and an international film festival, the
Carrousel international du film de Rimouski
.
In November, the town is the host of the yearly Salon du Livre de Rimouski, the oldest event of its kind in the province of Quebec. It was created in 1964 by a group of women with a passion for literature, who wished to make literature more accessible to young readers. Every year, more than 125 authors from the region and its surroundings participate in the event, and over 300 Quebec Publishers distribute about 75 stands among themselves. Supported by Canada Heritage, the Canada Council of the Arts, the Society of development of the cultural companies of Quebec and the city of Rimouski, the event attracts more than 8000 visitors per year.
The Music Conservatory of Quebec at Rimouski, founded in 1973, is one of musical institutions that form the network of the
Conservatoire of Music and Drama in Quebec
.
Several renowned musicians, among others
Andre Laplante
,
Marcelle Deschenes
, Stephane Lemelin,
[16]
Gaston Brisson,
[17]
David Jalbert
,
Josee and Martin Caron
, Gilles Rioux and
Joseph Rouleau
, were born in the city or in the surrounding area.
[18]
Attractions
[
edit
]
One of the town's main tourist attractions is the
Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Pere
, which features an exhibit on the
RMS
Empress of Ireland
disaster and the
Pointe-au-Pere lighthouse
. The museum's exhibit on the RMS Empress of Ireland disaster commemorates the loss of 1,012 persons in the most fatal peacetime shipwreck in the 20th century, after the infamous
Titanic
tragedy.
Sports
[
edit
]
The town is also enthusiastic about sporting events. The town hosted the
Jeux du Quebec
in 2001 and was the host of the
Memorial Cup
Tournament in 2009.
Since 1995, the town has been home to a
QMJHL
team, the
Rimouski Oceanic
. Former Oceanic players include
Sidney Crosby
,
Vincent Lecavalier
,
Michel Ouellet
,
Brad Richards
and
Alexis Lafreniere
.
Government
[
edit
]
The city is divided into 11 districts. Six of those districts (Pointe-au-Pere, Sainte-Blandine, Rimouski-Est, Sainte-Odile-sur-Rimouski and Le Bic) were small communities but were
merged
within Rimouski in 2002, except for Le Bic, which was merged in 2009. The municipal council is composed of the
mayor
and eleven councillors, each one representing a district.
mandate
|
fonctions
|
name(s)
|
2021-2025
|
Mayor
|
Guy Caron
|
Districts
|
|
#1 Sacre-Coeur
|
Sebastien Bolduc
|
#2 Nazareth
|
Rodrigue Joncas
|
#3 Saint-Germain
|
Philippe Cousineau Morin
|
#4 Rimouski-Est
|
Cecilia Michaud
|
#5 Pointe-au-Pere
|
Julie Carre
|
#6 Sainte-Odile
|
Gregory Thorez
|
#7 Saint-Robert
|
Jocelyn Pelletier
|
#8 Terrasse Arthur-Buies
|
Rejean Savard
|
#9 Saint-Pie X
|
Melanie Bernier
|
#10 Sainte-Blandine/Mont-Lebel
|
Dave Dumas
|
#11 Le Bic
|
Melanie Beaulieu
|
Source: Ville de Rimouski
[19]
Infrastructure
[
edit
]
Transportation
[
edit
]
The city is served by the municipal
Rimouski Airport
(
IATA airport code
YXK), which caters to general aviation and cargo aircraft, and by the regional
Mont-Joli Airport
(YYY), 35 km to the east of Rimouski, which caters to commercial passenger aircraft. There are daily passenger flights to destinations in Quebec (Quebec City, Montreal, and others) and
Newfoundland and Labrador
.
Between April and October, the CNM Evolution, a
ferry
service, operates across the
Saint Lawrence River
between Rimouski and
Forestville, Quebec
. This ferry is the fastest in the province of
Quebec
, crossing the river in only 55 minutes.
[
citation needed
]
One end of the
Nordik-Express
line is in Rimouski; other stops (on the North Shore) of this weekly 1150 km-long line are in
Sept-Iles
,
Port-Menier
,
Havre-Saint-Pierre
,
Natashquan
,
Kegaska
,
La Romaine
,
Harrington Harbour
,
Tete-a-la-Baleine
,
La Tabatiere
,
Pointe-a-la-truite
,
Blanc Sablon
and
St. Barbe
.
[20]
All stops are in the Quebec, except St. Barbe, which is in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The
Canadian National
south shore railway passes through town, and there is a
VIA Rail
service
three times weekly in each direction, which heads westbound toward Quebec City (Sainte-Foy) and Montreal and eastbound toward Moncton and Halifax.
[21]
The
Orleans Express
bus service also serves Rimouski;
Rimouski station
is on the main thoroughfare from Quebec City to the maritime provinces.
Health
[
edit
]
The largest employer in Rimouski and the region is the Regional Hospital of Rimouski with 2200 employees and 170 doctors. It handles a budget of more than 150 million dollars. Since 2004 the hospital is known as CSSS Rimouski-Neigette. The hospital serves the large majority of patients in the region as far as
Gaspe
. Several medical specialties are present at the hospital such as cardiology, endocrinology, fertility, gastroenterology, hematology, obstetric-gynecology, neurology, oncology, otorhinolaryngology, orthopedic, pediatric, rheumatology, surgery, and urology. The hospital also has several departments such as emergency, intensive care, and pharmacy. Several medical clinics surround the hospital located on Rouleau Avenue. The CLSC however is located in front of the obstetrics and gynecology clinic on du Gouverneur Street.
Sister cities
[
edit
]
Rimouski is
twinned
with:
Notable people
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"
Banque de noms de lieux du Quebec
: Reference number 98682"
.
toponymie.gouv.qc.ca
(in French).
Commission de toponymie du Quebec
.
- ^
a
b
"
Repertoire des municipalites
: Geographic code 10043"
.
www.mamh.gouv.qc.ca
(in French). Ministere des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Census Profile, 2021 Census: Rimouski, Ville [Census subdivision], Quebec and Rimouski [Population centre], Quebec"
. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017
. Retrieved
December 28,
2019
.
- ^
"Rimouski Quebec (Census agglomeration)"
.
Canada 2011 Census
.
Statistics Canada
. 8 February 2012
. Retrieved
2012-05-26
.
. The census agglomeration consists of Rimouski,
Saint-Anaclet-de-Lessard
,
Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski
. In the 2006 census, the census agglomeration had also included
Saint-Valerien
.
- ^
"Census Profile, 2021 Census: Rimouski, Ville [Census subdivision], Quebec and Rimouski [Census agglomeration], Quebec"
. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017
. Retrieved
December 28,
2019
.
- ^
https://www.britannica.com/place/Rimouski
- ^
"Rimouski, Quebec"
.
Canadian Climate Normals 1981?2010
.
Environment Canada
. 31 October 2011
. Retrieved
May 14,
2014
.
- ^
"Rimouski, Quebec"
.
Canadian Climate Normals 1981?2010
.
Environment Canada
. Archived from
the original
on 2020-07-17
. Retrieved
November 25,
2013
.
- ^
"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Quebec"
.
Statistics Canada
. February 9, 2022
. Retrieved
August 29,
2022
.
- ^
"Mother tongue by single and multiple mother tongue responses: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions"
. Statistics Canada. 17 August 2022.
- ^
speciale, Johanne Fournier, Collaboration (2023-03-22).
"Pas de traversier entre Rimouski et Forestville cet ete?"
.
Le Soleil
(in French)
. Retrieved
2023-08-02
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
"Rimouski?Forestville Ferry : transportation"
.
Quebec maritime
.
- ^
"Traverse Rimouski-Forestville: "Accueil"
"
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-12-07
. Retrieved
2014-01-14
.
- ^
"Arrimage Quebec: "Port of Rimouski"
"
.
- ^
"North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)"
.
National Geodetic Survey
. Retrieved
11 June
2021
.
- ^
"Stephane Lemelin, pianist"
. Retrieved
2023-04-05
.
- ^
"Gaston Brisson"
.
The Canadian Encyclopedia
. Retrieved
2023-04-05
.
- ^
"Music in Rimouski"
.
The Canadian Encyclopedia
. Retrieved
2019-03-20
.
- ^
"Conseil municipal: Membres du conseil"
. Ville de Rimouski
. Retrieved
December 28,
2019
.
- ^
gouv.qc.ca: "Traverses et dessertes maritimes du Quebec"
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Arrivals and departures"
.
VIA Rail
.
- ^
"A View of Their Own: The Story of Westmount"
(PDF)
. Price-Patterson Ltd. 1998. p. 142
. Retrieved
2022-11-28
.
- ^
"Philomene Belliveau"
(in French). Societe Culturelle de la Vallee de Memramcook.
Sources
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Rimouski
.
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