Chicoutimi, Quebec
Encyclopedia
Chicoutimi is one of the three boroughs of Saguenay
, Quebec
, Canada
, and was a separate city in its own right until 2002. Chicoutimi had a population of 59,764 in the Canada 2001 Census
, the last census in which Chicoutimi was counted as a separate city.
It is situated at the confluence
of the Chicoutimi and Saguenay River
s. Located 225 kilometres north of Quebec City
, it is home to a branch of the Université du Québec
.
trading post
in the fur trade
.
The city of Chicoutimi was founded in 1842 by Peter McLeod. Following the completion of a railway line to Roberval
in 1893, Chicoutimi especially developed at the beginning of the 20th century as an industrial city based on pulp production.
Since the Great Depression
, the city became an administrative and commercial center. The Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay
was founded in Chicoutimi in 1967, and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
was founded in 1969. The city also played host to the Quebec Summer Games in 1972.
In the municipal amalgamations of 1976, Chicoutimi annexed the neighbouring towns of Chicoutimi-Nord and Rivière-du-Moulin. In a later round of amalgamations of 2002
, the cities of Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie
were consolidated into the current city of Saguenay
. After the merger, Chicoutimi is now considered a borough of Saguenay.
During the summer of 1996 a record rainfall in the region caused major flooding
in the downtown, as well as outlying areas. The total cost of the disaster was recorded to be 1.5 billion Canadian dollars. It also claimed seven lives and destroyed many bridges.
Chicoutimi's sister city
was Camrose
in Alberta
, which then became Saguenay's sister city.
Chicoutimi is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi
.
Two bridges cross the Saguenay river in Chicoutimi:
Once a larger river, draining of the land for agriculture left it as a creek
. It was causing problems because it was swelling swiftly and flooded the downtown. That, coupled with the fact that it had become an open sewer, forced the city to canalize it partly in 1928.
Separates the two neighbourhoods of what used to be the town of Rivière-du-Moulin, lower (St-Nom-de-Jésus) and upper (St-Isidore) which are now parts of Chicoutimi.
Surrounded by Rivière-du-Moulin park.
Crossed through three minor bridges.
. At the end of the 19th century, the Compagnie de pulpe de Chicoutimi (Chicoutimi pulp company) was created by French-Canadian investors.
They chose the Chicoutimi river to transport the logs from the Laurentian Highlands to the Pulperie.
Today, the Pulperie is a museum and the city of Chicoutimi obtains its drinkable water from this river.
in San Francisco or Baldwin Street in Dunedin
, New Zealand
.
since 1973. They play at the Centre Georges-Vézina
.
According to the website of the Phoenix Coyotes
, an NHL hockey
team in the United States
, the team's mascot, Pierre the Fanatic Hockey Snowman, comes from Chicoutimi. In October 2008, Pierre announced his candicacy for the office of President of the United States
, but he was ruled ineligible to hold the office as he was not a native-born citizen of the United States.
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and was a separate city in its own right until 2002. Chicoutimi had a population of 59,764 in the Canada 2001 Census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
, the last census in which Chicoutimi was counted as a separate city.
It is situated at the confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the Chicoutimi and Saguenay River
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
s. Located 225 kilometres north of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, it is home to a branch of the Université du Québec
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi is a branch of the Université du Québec founded in 1969 and based in the Chicoutimi borough of Saguenay, Quebec. UQAC has secondary study centers in La Malbaie, Saint-Félicien, Alma and Sept-Îles...
.
History
The site of Chicoutimi was first settled in 1676 as a FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
trading post
French colonization of the Americas
The French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America...
in the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
.
The city of Chicoutimi was founded in 1842 by Peter McLeod. Following the completion of a railway line to Roberval
Roberval, Quebec
Roberval is a city on the south-western shore of Lac Saint-Jean in the Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada. With a population of 10,544 in the Canada 2006 Census, it is the third largest city on this lake after Alma and Dolbeau-Mistassini.It is the seat of the...
in 1893, Chicoutimi especially developed at the beginning of the 20th century as an industrial city based on pulp production.
Since the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the city became an administrative and commercial center. The Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay
Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay
The Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Saguenay is a music conservatory located in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada. The conservatory was opened in 1967 and is part of a network of 9 conservatories in Quebec, the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec , and was the seventh school in...
was founded in Chicoutimi in 1967, and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
The Université du Québec à Chicoutimi is a branch of the Université du Québec founded in 1969 and based in the Chicoutimi borough of Saguenay, Quebec. UQAC has secondary study centers in La Malbaie, Saint-Félicien, Alma and Sept-Îles...
was founded in 1969. The city also played host to the Quebec Summer Games in 1972.
In the municipal amalgamations of 1976, Chicoutimi annexed the neighbouring towns of Chicoutimi-Nord and Rivière-du-Moulin. In a later round of amalgamations of 2002
Municipal reorganization in Quebec
The most recent episode of municipal reorganization in Quebec, Canada, was undertaken in 2002 by the Parti Québécois Government of Quebec, headed by Premier Lucien Bouchard and his successor Bernard Landry....
, the cities of Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie
La Baie, Quebec
La Baie is a borough of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, located where the Rivière à Mars flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha!, a bay of the Saguenay River. Formerly an independent city, its population in 2006 was 19,639....
were consolidated into the current city of Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
. After the merger, Chicoutimi is now considered a borough of Saguenay.
During the summer of 1996 a record rainfall in the region caused major flooding
Saguenay Flood
The Saguenay Flood was a series of flash floods that hit the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on July 19 and 20, 1996. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th century Canadian history....
in the downtown, as well as outlying areas. The total cost of the disaster was recorded to be 1.5 billion Canadian dollars. It also claimed seven lives and destroyed many bridges.
Chicoutimi's sister city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
was Camrose
Camrose, Alberta
Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, which then became Saguenay's sister city.
Chicoutimi is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi
The Diocese of Chicoutimi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Quebec, centered around the borough of Chicoutimi in the city of Saguenay. It is part of the ecclesiastical province of Quebec.-References:...
.
Neighbourhoods of the old city of Chicoutimi
| Chicoutimi | Chicoutimi-Nord | Rivière-du-Moulin |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Hydrography
Saguenay River
The Saguenay river tide is present in Chicoutimi.Two bridges cross the Saguenay river in Chicoutimi:
- St-Anne (footbridgeFootbridgeA footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
) - Dubuc bridge
Rivière-aux-rats
The seven-mile river crosses the Rosaire-Gautier park and passes under downtown Chicoutimi.Once a larger river, draining of the land for agriculture left it as a creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
. It was causing problems because it was swelling swiftly and flooded the downtown. That, coupled with the fact that it had become an open sewer, forced the city to canalize it partly in 1928.
Langevin River
Also known as Rivière-du-Moulin.Separates the two neighbourhoods of what used to be the town of Rivière-du-Moulin, lower (St-Nom-de-Jésus) and upper (St-Isidore) which are now parts of Chicoutimi.
Surrounded by Rivière-du-Moulin park.
Crossed through three minor bridges.
Chicoutimi River
Important industrial river that originates from the Kenogami LakeKenogami Lake
Kénogami Lake is a long lake in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of south-central Quebec, Canada. It is 21 miles long and has an average width of 3/4 of a mile. Its area is 57 km² and it is 11 to 102 meters deep. "Kénogami" means "long lake" in the Montagnais dialect and was originally...
. At the end of the 19th century, the Compagnie de pulpe de Chicoutimi (Chicoutimi pulp company) was created by French-Canadian investors.
They chose the Chicoutimi river to transport the logs from the Laurentian Highlands to the Pulperie.
Today, the Pulperie is a museum and the city of Chicoutimi obtains its drinkable water from this river.
Steep roads
Chicoutimi contains one of the steepest roads in Canada, if not all of North America. Côte-St-Ange, which connects the centre of the city with the Cote de la Reserve neighbourhood above La Pulperie Museum, has an 18 degree grade. This is comparable to Filbert StreetFilbert Street (San Francisco)
thumb|Looking up the stepsFilbert Street in San Francisco, California starts at Lyon Street on the east edge of The Presidio and runs east, crossing Van Ness Avenue and Columbus Avenue...
in San Francisco or Baldwin Street in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Sports
The city has been home to the QMJHL's Chicoutimi SaguenéensChicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Chicoutimi, Quebec . The team plays its home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina.-History:...
since 1973. They play at the Centre Georges-Vézina
Centre Georges-Vézina
The Centre Georges-Vézina, formerly the Colisée de Chicoutimi, is a 4,651 capacity multi-purpose arena in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada...
.
Notable people
- Johnny GagnonJohnny GagnonJean "Black Cat" Gagnon was a Canadian ice hockey forward.Johnny played in the National Hockey League from 1930 to 1940. During this time, he played for the New York Americans, Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens. He also played for the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League...
- John KricfalusiJohn KricfalusiMichael John Kricfalusi , better known as John K., is a Canadian animator. He is creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, its adults-only spin-off Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", The Ripping Friends animated series, and Weekend Pussy Hunt, which was billed as "the world's first interactive web-based...
- Charles SiroisCharles SiroisCharles Sirois, is a Canadian businessman. He is the founder, controlling shareholder, Chairman and CEO of Telesystem Ltd., a Canadian private equity company....
- Georges VézinaGeorges VézinaJoseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens...
- Arthur VilleneuveArthur VilleneuveArthur Villeneuve, C.M. was a Québécois painter and member of the Order of Canada.-Life before painting:...
According to the website of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, an NHL hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
team in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the team's mascot, Pierre the Fanatic Hockey Snowman, comes from Chicoutimi. In October 2008, Pierre announced his candicacy for the office of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, but he was ruled ineligible to hold the office as he was not a native-born citizen of the United States.