Boucherville is a picturesque and modern town of approximately 42,000 inhabitants (2016) in the Longueuil agglomeration in the suburbs of Montreal, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, in Montérégie, Quebec.
Boucherville is becoming an increasingly popular destination for its recreational tourism offer. The main attractions of Boucherville are:
- the Îles de Boucherville, which are administered mainly by the Parc national des Îles de Boucherville,
- Old Boucherville (Vieux-Boucherville), in particular: place of the Sainte-Famille church, marina, community gardens,
Understand
[edit]Geography
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The territory of Boucherville stretches over 9.1 km (5.7 mi) on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. This shore faces the Îles de Boucherville and partly the Îles de Varennes. In the summer season, boaters do a lot of boating in the channels between these islands: barbecue on the water, overnight stopover, swimming, fishing, sailing, water skiing, etc. In winter, many ice fishing enthusiasts pierce the ice to indulge in this favourite activity. In all seasons, the river is a theatrical scene where maritime life is hectic: passage of large ships, sailboats, pleasure craft, storms, waves, migratory birds.
Besides the St. Lawrence River, the two other main rivers in the territory of Boucherville are the Rivière aux Pins and the Rivière Sabrevois.
Climate
[edit]The average annual temperature in Boucherville is 6.2°C.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average of 20.9°C while January has the lowest average temperature of the year with an average of -10.1°C. Rainfall is about 975 mm.
- Climate Data. Climate in Boucherville
History
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Founded in 1667 by Pierre Boucher and remained a seigneury for several decades, Boucherville is one of the oldest towns in Quebec. In 1843, a tragic fire destroyed almost the entire village. A few years after this incident, in 1856, Boucherville was divided into two distinct municipalities: village and parish.
Today, the city is mainly residential, but nevertheless has a very interesting shoreline with a beautiful view of the Boucherville islands and its old historic centre has retained its charm.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]Boucherville is located at the intersection of highway no 20 and road no 132, directly at the exit of the "Louis-H.-Lafontaine" bridge-tunnel. Several exits serve the city.
By boat
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- Montreal (Mercier)-Boucherville river shuttle, Shuttle quay and street shelter which along boulevard Marie-Victorin, ☏ +1 514 871-8356, [email protected]. The river shuttle connects downtown Montreal and Old Boucherville.
By bus
[edit]- Réseau de transport de Longueuil.
Get around
[edit]
Map of Boucherville
Old Boucherville can be visited on foot. The rest of the city, especially residential areas, requires a car or a bicycle.
Public transportation
[edit]The Boucherville terminus is accessible via the roundabout at the corner of Boulevard De Montarville and Route 132. It has 308 free parking spaces, a landing stage, two boarding platforms and heated shelters.
Not very dense and therefore difficult to use for travel within the city. Lines 62, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87.
By water
[edit]There is a service rental of personal watercraft and pontoons on the St. Lawrence River, in Boucherville. The company's mission is to make you enjoy the pleasures of navigation on the river in a safe and controlled environment. We can be introduced to nautical activities by renting the boat of your choice.
Bike
[edit]Several cycle paths along all less important streets. Pleasant and safe way to get around. With plenty of places to rent bikes too, biking around Boucherville is a great way to see the city.
By car
[edit]Many attractions (such as the many museums, parks, and art galleries) in Boucherville have free parking, making it easy to get your car there.
See
[edit]- 1 Place de l'Église Sainte-Famille (Square of the Holy Family Church), 560, boulevard Marie-Victorin (facing the St. Lawrence River). The Sainte-Famille Church, this Catholic cultural place, was built between 1801 and 1802. Made almost entirely of stone, it demonstrates the unique style of construction of the buildings that were used before. This square includes the church, the former convent, the presbytery and the monuments of Pierre Boucher, founder, and Jeanne Crevier, co-founder of Boucherville.
-Maison_Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine,_vue_de_face,_en_bordure_du_boul._Marie-Victorin.jpg)
- 2 Maison Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine, 314, boul. Marie-Victorin, ☏ +1 450 449-8347, +1 450-449-8651, [email protected]. early May to mid-October: F-Su 13:00-17:00; early June to early September: Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. A historic French-style house, built in 1766. Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine was the first Canadian-born Premier of the United Province of Canada. In 1964 the house was moved from its original location to where it remains today.
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- The different districts of the city:
- The Harmonie district: A new district with many beautiful large houses.
- The district of cities and provinces of France: All streets and parks in this district are named for provinces in France.
- The Old Boucherville district: There are many old buildings in this area that remind us of the influence of France and Europe.
Art galleries
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- 3 Art au Café, 536, boulevard Marie Victorin, ☏ +1 450-449-8300, . M-F 08:30-22:00, Sa 09:00-16:00, Su 10:00-16:00. Art au Café is an exhibition space showcasing the works of Boucherville artists. Each month, the works of different artists are exhibited there. Free.
- 4 Galerie Jean-Letarte, 536, boulevard Marie Victorin (in the café centre d’art). The mission of Galerie Jean-Letarte exhibits artistic works that pose a new reflection on art: especially the latest trends in evolving, conceptual and media art. This gallery also aims to democratize art through cultural mediation and to stimulate the curiosity of its visitors.
- 5 Galerie Vincent d’Indy, 1075, rue Lionel-Daunais (Gallery facing Lake Vincent d'Indy), ☏ +1 450-449-8651, [email protected]. Tu-F 13:00-16:00, 18:00-21:00; Sa Su 13:00-16:00; closed Mondays and public holidays. An art gallery that serves a diverse clientele and presents more than 10 exhibitions per year.
- 6 Galerie 500, Centre administratif Clovis-Langlois, 500, rue de la Rivière-aux-Pins (in the heart of Boucherville), ☏ +1 450-449-8651, [email protected]. Galerie 500 exhibits the works of Boucherville artists participating in the main visual arts disciplines. This gallery exhibits the works of six artists with varied inspirations, styles and techniques.
- 7 Galerie Lez’arts, Bibliothèque Monville-Boucher-de la Bruère, 501, chemin du Lac (in the youth section of the library), ☏ +1 450-449-8651, [email protected]. Throughout the year. The mission of this art gallery is to provide a professional artistic exhibition experience to young people aged 5 to 12 in Boucherville. This gallery offers different exhibition spaces to present two- and three-dimensional works to the public.
- Espace A, Bibliothèque Montarville-Boucher-De La Bruère, 501, chemin du Lac (in the youth section of the library), ☏ +1 450-449-8651. Throughout the year. The mission of this art gallery is to provide a professional artistic exhibition experience to young people aged 12 and over in Boucherville. This gallery offers different exhibition spaces to present works of all kinds to the public.
Do
[edit]Tourism circuits
[edit]- Boucherville heritage circuit, [email protected]. This walking tour in Old Boucherville will make you relive 350 years of history. This circuit covers in particular: place of the Sainte-Famille church, walk in the narrow streets of Vieux-Boucherville, the Parc De La Broquerie (vestique of La Broquerie, house called Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine, statue of Louis-Hippolyte La Fountain). Free.
- 1 City tour by bus, [email protected]. Guided city tour organized by the Société d'histoire des Îles-Percées, Boucherville (SHIP). Free.
Outside activities
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Boucherville has about fifty docks (private or public) on the east shore of the St. Lawrence River, between the Parc-des-Voiles (at the edge of Varennes) and the "Boucherville Rowing Club". In addition, boaters benefit from several launching ramps.
- 2 Marina de Boucherville, 535, boulevard Marie-Victorin (near the Sainte-Famille church, in Vieux-Boucherville), ☏ +1 450-655-9247. Access, launching and landing services for motorboats, pontoons, personal watercraft. The marina has a capacity of 99 berths and offers a mechanical repair service. A restaurant is in operation on site. Free.
- 3 Nautical access to the Des Voiles park (Accès nautique du parc Des Voiles), 210, rue Sainte-Anne (at the water's edge, at the foot of a Hydro-Québec high-voltage tower). Landing stage. Magnificent view of the St. Lawrence River. Free.
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- 4 Boucherville municipal wharf (Quai municipal de Boucherville), 445, boulevard Marie-Victorin. Shuttle service linking the islands of Boucherville. Magnificent view of the St. Lawrence River. Free.
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- Ride a bike. Many cycle paths criss-cross the city. The most interesting is undoubtedly the one that runs along the edge of the St. Lawrence River and connects Longueuil and Varennes. This 2.2-km track, including 1.7 km of structure on piles, offers a beautiful view of the Boucherville islands and the heritage houses along the route. The cycle path map is available online. Free.
- Trails: the trails of the Boucherville islands, the bike path along the shore of the river, the trail at Boisé Du Tremblay,
Inside activities
[edit]- 5 Cache à l’eau, 1235, rue Ampère, suite 300, ☏ +1 450-641-0312, [email protected]. Family fun centre. Are you travelling with children? You can't miss the Cache à l'eau, it's the funniest family entertainment centre in Boucherville! It's open 7 days a week and you can slide, jump, climb, crawl, exercise your agility, expend energy. Free.
Îles-de-Boucherville National Park
[edit]- 6 Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville, 55, Île Sainte-Marguerite, ☏ +1 450-928-5088. Located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River (though, closer to Boucherville than Montreal), this park has plenty of green space for taking walks and canoeing. The main islands are: Charron, Sainte-Marguerite, Saint-Jean, à Pinard, de la Commune, Grosbois, Dufault, Lafontaine and Grandes battures Tailhandier. The park has pedestrian bridges connecting each of the islands. Free.
- 7 Bike, canoe and kayak rental service. Bike, canoe and kayak rental service. Free.
- Take a Barbarossa Tour. Free.
- Hiking. In winter, the park offers hiking on snow with two marked trails: Île Sainte-Marguerite (7 km) and Île de la Commune (5 km). Free.
- Cross Country Skiing, toll-free: +1-800-665-6527. In winter, the park offers cross-country skiing on Île de la Commune (7.7 km marked trail). Cross-country ski rental (full equipment) for adults or children is available upon reservation by phone only. Free.
- Snowshoes (Raquette à neige). In winter, the park offers snowshoeing on 17 km of trails: Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île aux Reasons. The four marked trails are: the Grand-Duc (1.5 km), the Petite-Rivière (2.5 km), the Grande-Rivière (4 km) and the Île aux Reasons (9 km). Snowshoe rental is only available by telephone reservation at 1-800-665-6527. Free.
Buy
[edit]There are small shops in Vieux-Boucherville.
Shopping centres
[edit]- 1 Carrefour de la Rive-Sud, Carrefour de la Rive-Sud, chemin de Touraine, ☏ +1 514-935-9200. Shopping centre with the following main stores: Ikea, Costco, Rona, Winners, Bureau en Gros, Super C etc.
- 2 Promenades Montarville, 1001, boul. Montarville. Neighbourhood shopping centre.
Public markets
[edit]- 3 Marché public Lionel-Daunais, 1020, rue Lionel-Daunais, ☏ +1 450-482-0642, [email protected]. Fresh produce market. Meeting with the producers.
- 4 Samedis Gourmands, 1020, rue Lionel-Daunais, ☏ +1 450-482-0642. Gourmet Saturdays take place in September. They are organized by producers and agri-food traders in the region.
- 5 Marché public de la rue De Montbrun, 500, rue de la Rivière-aux-Pins (Near Route 132), ☏ +1 450-449-8100, , [email protected]. Offer of market garden products from the end of June, by agri-food producers in the region.
Eat
[edit]Italian food
[edit]- 1 Restaurant Trattoria L’Unico, 540 Rue D'Avaugour, ☏ +1 450-641-8641. Pizzeria with contemporary decor serving pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven, sandwiches and salads.
- 2 Milan Pizza, 64 Rue de la Perrière Sud, ☏ +1 450-655-4912. A simple and pleasant pizzeria where you will feel at home.
- 3 Novello, 1052 Rue Lionel-Daunais Suite 401, ☏ +1 450-449-7227. Contemporary restaurant with wines by the glass and fine Italian dishes, plus a buzzing summer patio.
- 4 Orlando Le Roi Du Sous-Marin, 475, boulevard de Mortagne, ☏ +1 450-665-2333. Dining room and take-out. Relaxing place with modern decor serving comfort food including pizza, Italian subs and burgers.
Other
[edit]- 5 Restaurant Kewi, 684 Chemin du Lac, ☏ +1 450-655-0550. Cheerful staff, breakfast classics, great option for a casual, family-style breakfast.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Brasserie New Deal Brewing Co., 1500 rue Nobel, Local J, ☏ +1 514-312-3055. Tu W 12:00-00:00, Th 11:00-00:00, F 11:00-03:00, Sa 12:00-03:00, Su 12:00-21:00.
- 2 Folklore Brasserie Ludique, 540, boulevard Marie-Victorin, ☏ +1 450-906-9996.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Comfort Inn Boucherville, 96 Boulevard de Mortagne, ☏ +1 450-641-2880. The Comfort Inn Boucherville offers different styles of bedrooms, some on the ground floor and others on the second floor. They have a good google ranking of 3.8 out of 5 stars. They are pet-friendly, offer free breakfast, and if you book a room for two or more nights, you can get a 10% discount.
- 2 Hotel WelcomInns, 1195 Rue Ampère, ☏ +1 450-449-1011. This magnificent hotel, the Welcominns Hotel, has 116 different rooms with various styles. They feature wonderful amenities, such as an indoor pool, exercise room, complimentary breakfast, and business centre. For every dollar spent with Hotel Welcominns, you earn 10 points. Once you reach ten thousand points, you get a free room for the night! They have a google ranking of 4.2/5 stars.
- 3 Hotel Mortagne, 1228 Rue Nobel, ☏ +1 450-655-9966. Hotel Mortagne is a luxury hotel in Boucherville with a very nice rating of 4.8/5 stars on google. This hotel offers Norwegian baths, a very nice gym, a business centre and a high quality restaurant in the building. It's very modern, although expensive.
- 4 Imperia Hôtel and Suites, 1550 Boulevard de Montarville, ☏ +1 450-857-3336. Imperia is another high-end hotel branch. They offer swimming pools, saunas and a wonderful gymnasium. They hold an excellent google rating of 4.7/5. They also have reception rooms and terraces, in order to organize high-end events.
Cope
[edit]- 1 Bibliothèque Montarville-Boucher-De La Bruère (Montarville-Boucher-De La Bruère Library), 501, chemin du lac, ☏ +1 450-449-8650, [email protected].
- 2 Centre des glaces Gilles-Chabot (Gilles-Chabot Ice Centre), 565, boulevard de Mortagne, ☏ +1 450-641-1695, [email protected]. This sports complex includes: the arena: four skating rinks, an infirmary, a ticket office, sports shop, bar and snack bar with giant screen, large hall with a panoramic view of the skating rinks; curling (September to May); five curling rinks, changing rooms with showers and toilets, equipment available on site and free of charge, sports shop, air-conditioned reception room with view of the slopes, bar, snack and catering service, and entertainer service.
- 3 Complexe aquatique Laurie-Ève-Cormier, 535, boulevard Marie-Victorin. This centre is equipped with: a recreational pool, two new indoor pools (a total of 18 swimming lanes) in addition to the outdoor pool, an infirmary, a dojo for judo lessons and competitions, and a training room. Main services offered: open swim, sports shop, judo and swimming.
Go next
[edit]- 1 Boucherville Islands National Park — This National Park is a protected area open all year round. Its territory covers the islands: Grosbois, Sainte-Marguerite, de la Commune, Grande-Rivière, aux-Raisins, La Petite Rivière and the Grand Duc. This park includes the Île Sainte-Marguerite Discovery and Visitors Centre, the Île Sainte-Marguerite Group Pavilion and the Grosbois Visitors Centre.
- 2 Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park — It offers a Boutique Nature, an equipment rental service, a cross-country ski school, food services, a transportation service common (RTL summer shuttles and RTL SkiBus shuttle). The park includes many trails, the Jean-Guy Gaudette relay, an orchard, a Le Vieux-Moulin tea room, and a boat rental service.
- 3 Montreal — Montreal is the economic, commercial and financial heart of Quebec. It is a large, diverse city, with many festivals, museums, and lively neighbourhoods that attract visitors.
- 4 Longueuil — Longueuil has a network of 168 km of cycle paths. This city has various recreational parks with several hiking trails: Michel-Chartrand and de la Cité parks. Longueuil offers a host of recreational and tourist activities: hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, municipal parks, etc.
- 5 Varennes — Pré-Vert Park is a place of celebration and outdoor activities in the heart of the city. The Polydôme houses a covered ice rink with open walls in winter. The Parc de la Commune provides good access to the river. Sugar shack enthusiasts are well served on the Chemin des Sucreries.
- 6 Sainte-Julie, Quebec — Sainte-Julie offers a pedestrian heritage circuit to discover the Old Village under the historical aspect with 26 information panels; a mobile, self-guided version is available on the city's website.
- 7 Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville — A city surrounded by nature with the Mont Saint-Bruno national park, its urban forest, its parks and its recreational infrastructure. In all seasons, Saint-Bruno offers a variety of recreational activities, including: hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing.
| Routes through Boucherville |
Montreal ← Jct  ← Longueuil ←
|
W   E
|
→ Sainte-Julie → Quebec City (Lévis) |
| Vaudreuil-Dorion ← Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville ← | W  E
|
→ Sainte-Julie → Sorel-Tracy |
| Salaberry-de-Valleyfield ← Longueuil ← | W  E
|
→ Varennes → Sorel-Tracy |