Victoriaville

Victoriaville
Ville de Victoriaville
Nickname(s): Victo
Victoriaville Location in Quebec, Canada
Coordinates: 46°03′N 71°57′W / 46.05°N 71.95°W / 46.05; -71.95
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Centre-du-Québec
Municipality	Arthabaska Regional County Municipality
Established	June 23, 1993
Government
- Mayor	Roger Richard 2006-2009
- Governing Body	Victoriaville City Council
- MPs	André Bellavance
- MNAs	Claude Bachand
Area
- Total	84.20 km2 (32.5 sq mi)
Elevation	148 m (486 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	40,486 (ranked 111th)
- Density	480.8/km2 (1,245.3/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code span	G6P-G6T
Area code(s)	819
Website	Ville de Victoriaville

Victoriaville (nicknamed "Victo") is a city in central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region.

Description

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Museum

Victoriaville's size and location have earned it the title Capitale des Bois-Francs, referring to the Bois-Francs region of the province. Victoriaville is noted for many of its high-quality hardwood products, including furniture, coffins, and perhaps most notably, hockey sticks.

The Parc-Linéaire Des Bois-Francs bike trail traverses Victoriaville. There are many paths for cyclists throughout the city, including ones leading to the summit of Mont Arthabaska, at the southern limits of the city. The Laurier Museum commemorates the summer home of former Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

Many festivals are held throughout the year including the Week-end En Blues series of concerts, the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) in the spring, and the Exposition Agricole in the summer.

Investment in the industrial park has buoyed the town and spurred new residential and commercial development. It is the home of a prominent Lactantia dairy factory, two shopping malls ("La Grande Place des Bois-Francs" and "Le Carrefour des Bois-Francs", this one has been renamed and became "le Centre de Victoriaville"), the Cégep de Victoriaville, and a quaint yet vibrant downtown core/shopping area on Rue Notre-Dame. Victoriaville Airport, located at the town's northern limits close to Route 116, is a regional airport that receives business flights and light private planes.

The current mayor of Victoriaville is Roger Richard, whose term expires in 2009.

History

Victoriaville railway station in 1909

Arthabaska cross

The Victoriaville area was known to the native Abenaki peoples as Arthabaska or Awabaska, meaning "place of bulrushes and reeds". The area was first claimed in 1802 by a fur trader named John Gregory; the first settlers began arriving several decades later, beginning around 1825. Early colonists from the banks of the Saint Lawrence River arrived slowly, blazing trails as they went; the first provincial road would be built in 1844. The parish of Saint-Christophe d'Arthabaska was established in 1851, an event that many see as marking the town's true foundation. In 1854 a train station was erected to serve the Grand Trunk Railway line from Richmond to Lévis, uniting the region with Montreal and Quebec City. The municipality of Victoriaville itself was created on May 8, 1861, named to honour Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at the time. Victoriaville became a full-fledged town in 1890, having reached a population of 1,000.^[1]

Among the many milestones in the growth of Victoriaville are the establishment of a hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu d'Arthabaska, in 1931; the opening of a seminary, the Collège du Sacré-Coeur, in 1942; the creation of a school specialized in cabinet making and woodworking, the École Québécoise du Meuble et du Bois Ouvré (ÉQMBO), in 1965; and the inauguration of the Cégep de Victoriaville in the space previously occupied by the Collège du Sacré-Coeur, in 1969. Train service through Victoriaville was discontinued in 1960; the disused train tracks were eventually removed and the space was transformed into bicycle paths, forming the Parc Linéaire — with a "Vélogare" replacing the old station.

In June 1993, after a referendum on amalgamation, the municipalities of Sainte-Victoire-D'Arthabaska, Arthabaska and Victoriaville merged to form the city of Victoriaville. The aboriginal name "Arthabaska", unique and well-appreciated by residents, was retained in several ways, notably in the name of the regional county municipality and in the name of the highest mountain that overlooks the city; as well, in 2004, the section of Route 116 that passes through Victoriaville was renamed boulevard Arthabaska.

Media

The weekly newspaper La Nouvelle-Union, is a major source of the town's local news, since national news organisations tend to run larger stories affecting larger areas or cities.

Two radio stations, CFJO ("O97,3") and CFDA ("Passion-Rock 101,9") serve Victoriaville. Both stations air programming produced partially in Victoriaville and partially in Thetford Mines. CKYQ ("KYQ FM"), a station licensed to Plessisville, also has a studio and a transmitter in Victoriaville.

Demographics

• 2001 Population: 38,841
• 2006 Population: 40,486
• Latitude: 46°03′17″ N
• Longitude: 71°57′36″ W
• Area: 81,96 km²
• Density: 489.3 people/km²

Most residents speak French as their first language.

Sports

Jean Béliveau, ten-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens, was raised in Victoriaville after moving there from Trois-Rivières at a young age.

The city is currently home to the Victoriaville Tigres junior hockey team, who have played in the QMJHL since 1987. They play at the Colisée Desjardins.

Notable Victoriaville residents

• Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian Prime Minister (1896–1911)
• Édouard Richard, member of the Canadian House of Commons
• Jean Béliveau, hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens (retired, Hall of Famer)
• André Bellavance, Bloc Québécois MP for the Canadian House of Commons
• Sylvie Boucher, Conservative MP for the Canadian House of Commons
• René Corbet, hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche
• Philippe DeRouville, hockey player
• Dumas, singer
• François Labbé, businessman
• Marc Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, painter and sculptor
• Isabelle Mercier, professional poker player
• Gilbert Perreault, hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres (retired, Hall of Famer)
• Les Chick'n Swell, comedy group
• Jonathan Goulet, professional mixed martial artist
• Eric Brule, professional hockey player

See also

• Monarchy in Quebec

References

External links

• (French) City of Victoriaville

v • d • e  Administrative divisions of Centre-du-Québec  (Region 17) Small caps indicate municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants (2006 census). Regional county municipalities and equivalent territories L'Érable · Bécancour · Arthabaska · Drummond · Nicolet-Yamaska Major1 municipalities Princeville · Plessisville (V) · Bécancour · Victoriaville · Warwick · Kingsey Falls · Daveluyville · Drummondville · Nicolet Administrative divisions of Quebec

Coordinates: 46°03′N 71°58′W / 46.05°N 71.967°W / 46.05; -71.967