Every spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds stop off by landing on Lac Saint-Pierre (and its tributaries) and on the surrounding land, many of which are flooded during the snowmelt period.
Understand
[edit]History
[edit]In the fall of 1665, Charles Du Jay, Vicomte de Manereuil, settled in the company of soldiers and officers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment at the mouth of the large Rivière du Loup, on the north shore of Lac Saint-Rock. Some of these soldiers decide to settle permanently in the territory of the Seigneurie de la Rivière du Loup.
In 1721, the Parish of Saint-Antoine-de-la-Rivière-du-Loup was incorporated. The village grew slowly, thanks to the construction of Chemin du Roy on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. It was later named the Town of Louiseville, in honour of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (1848-1939), who was the sixth of Queen Victoria's children and wife of the Governor General of Canada.
The Ferron family name includes several personalities from Louiseville: Jacques (1921-1985), doctor, writer, journalist and politician; Madeleine (1922-2010), writer and Marcelle (1924-2001), artist. Municipal authorities designated a street in honor of Marcelle Ferron.
Geography
[edit]Located on the edge of the north shore of Lake Saint-Pierre, the village of Louiseville is crossed by the course of the Petite rivière du Loup and the rivière du Loup. The village is also crossed by the Quebec-Gatineau rail section.
Economy
[edit]A riparian municipality of Lac Saint-Pierre, Louiseville's economy is based on agriculture, commerce, industry, public or parapublic services (e.g., schools, municipality, MRC office, retirement homes) and recreational tourism activities (vacation, swimming, hunting, fishing, boating, marinas). Throughout its history, recreational, commercial and fishing boating has been an economic vector. Boating is possible on the Loup river. The area bordering the Rivière du Loup is densified by vacationing and permanent residences. And each side of the river has an access road to serve residents.
Throughout history, industrial development has been significant in Louiseville and Saint-Antoine-de-la-Rivière-du-Loup, in particular through the establishment of the Empire Shirt which still operates.
Get in
[edit]Quebec Autoroute 40 provides access to Yamachiche with 3 interchanges.
The Express Bleu bus leaves from the Cégep in Trois-Rivières M-F at 07:55, 11:55, and 17:55, and stops 30-40 min later in Yamachiche at Porte de la Mauricie, Hôtel de Ville, and the Shell Station Service Shell (871, rue Ste-Anne). The fare is $6, children under 6 free (Apr 2019).
By car
[edit]- From Montreal (110 km (68 mi). Time: 1 hr 23 min. Take highway 40 (north shore) heading east; take Chemin Caron (northbound); take route 138 (eastbound) to the village of Louiseville.
- From Quebec City. (129 km (80 mi). Time: 1 hr 39 min. Take highway 40 westbound to the Brûlé road exit (northbound); take route 138 (westbound) to the village of Louiseville.
Collective transport by bus
[edit]The Express Bleu bus leaves from Cégep de Trois-Rivières (science pavilion) MF at 08:00, 12:00, 15:45 and 18:00, and later from Louiseville (at the corner of Boulevard Comtois, at the town hall and at the shopping center).
Get around
[edit]
The village of Louiseville is accessible by road, boat (via the St. Lawrence River), seaplane, plane (via the local airport), snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles. The town is crossed by Chemin du Roy, Route 138 and Autoroute 40.
Louiseville Airport sits north of Highway 40 and on the east side of the Rivière du Loup.
Gas stations
[edit]- 1 Station-service Shell, 154, boul. St-Laurent Est, ☏ +1 819-228-5155. Open 24 hr
Bus transportation
[edit]- (Express shuttles), ☏ +1 819-840-0603, [email protected]. A service from Monday to Saturday. The Maskinongé MRC's collective transport service offers three bus routes, two of which link the Maskinongé MRC with Trois-Rivières and one linking Saint-Alexis-des-Monts to Louiseville. Mandatory reservation.
See
[edit]- 1 Pointe-à-Caron, Avenue Saint-Pierre-Est (point attached to the east bank of the Loup River, at the confluence of the latter with the St. Lawrence River.). This point constitutes a magnificent observation point on Lake Saint-Pierre. The water level may reduce accessibility to this observation deck.
Heritage tour
[edit]- 2 Hôtel de ville (City Hall), 105, avenue St-Laurent Ouest. Building built around 1917, with a pinched green sheet metal roof. A ridge terrace is fitted there. This building served as a post office until 1967.
- 3 Maison J.L.L. Hamelin (J.L.L. Hamelin House), 11, avenue St-Laurent Ouest. Built in 1925 by Mr. Joseph-Édouard Béland, this large two-storey house has red brick walls. The hipped roof is decorated with a cornice and a ridge terrace, in Victorian style.
- 4 Calvaire (Calvary), rue Notre-Dame Nord (Located next to 180, rue Notre-Dame Nord). Calvaire construit à la demande de la voisine d'en face, Madame Gabrielle Caron.
- 5 Maison Plante, 71, rue Notre-Dame Nord. House built at the end of the 19th century for Doctor Louis Adolphe Plante. It has a Victorian style four-sided butterfly roof with large dormers.
- Cénotaphe (Cenotaph), Parc des Ursulines, avenue Saint-Laurent. Monument sculpted in 1994 by Mr. Jean Chevalier to pay homage to veterans.
- 6 Église Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue (Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Church), 50 avenue Saint-Laurent. The church of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue is considered one of the most important in Quebec as much for its exterior architecture as its interior decorations.
- Monument Charles du Jay, Parc du Tricentenaire, avenue Saint-Jacques. Monument for the founder of Louiseville, Charles du Jay de Manereuil who was an officer de la Compagnie de la Fouille du Régiment de Carignan-Salières. After his military service, he settled, with other ex-soldiers, in the area of the Rivière du Loup.
- 7 Maison du sacristain (Sacristan's house). One-and-a-half-storey house with a gable roof, built around 1910. Its architecture is associated with the neo-Gothic trend. It is often referred to as the "beadle's" house. It was inhabited by Mr. Edmond Paul, father of Mr. Rémi Paul, Member of Parliament and minister.
- 8 Maison Jutras, 31, rue Rémi-Paul. Built circa 1918, this house has several architectural ornamentations with a pinched tin roof, of Victorian style. It was inhabited by the Jutras family. Rue Rémi-Paul was built on the site of the old Louiseville cemetery
- 9 Maison Latourelle, 100, avenue Saint-Laurent. Built around 1925 by Mr. Joseph-Édouard Béland, this two-storey stone house has a hipped roof. This house is adorned with a cornice and a ridge terrace, Victorian style.
- 10 Chemise Empire (Empire shirt), 451, avenue Saint-Laurent. Founded by Joseph-Édouard Béland around 1903, this company is established on the current site for the manufacture of clothing on an industrial basis. Around 1920-1921, he served as alderman and mayor of the city.
- 11 Maison Desaulniers, 211, avenue Saint-Laurent. Built circa 1895, this Canadian-style roofed house was enlarged from the front to accommodate a business. In 1906, Mr. Edmond Clément acquired it to turn it into a butcher's shop.
- 12 Maison Giguère, 121, avenue Saint-Laurent. Built around 1910, this large brick house has a false roof that adorns the side walls, lining up from the gable to the roof of the large front porch.
- 13 Maison du Commis-Voyageur, 115, avenue Saint-Laurent.
- 14 Statue du Père Sarrasin, Village de Louiseville. Roland Bellemare was the initiator of the Buckwheat Galette Festival in Louiseville, which he launched in 1978. This folk festival has greatly contributed to the promotion of buckwheat culture and local products. The village has a Saracen street.
Do
[edit]- (Yachting). Boating is possible on the Loup River depending on the water level and is very popular on Lake Saint-Pierre. The lower part of the Rivière du Loup has several docks used by residents or riparian vacationers, mainly downstream from the confluence of the Petite Rivière du Loup and the Rivière du Loup.
- 1 Aréna de Louiseville (Louiseville Arena), 360, avenue du Parc, ☏ +1 819-228-9437.
Events
[edit]- Festival de la galette de sarrasin (Buckwheat pancake festival), ☏ +1 819-228-9993. Annual event in early October to highlight buckwheat cultivation and associated products. The first Galette Festival was held in 1978. The Galette Festival's program of activities includes activities for the whole family, including musical performances of all kinds, tastings of local products, a parade and the coronation. of the Reine-Meunière. Several thousand visitors participate.
Buy
[edit]Foods
[edit]- 1 IGA Supermarché Clément Louiseville inc, 714, boulevard Saint-Laurent-ouest, ☏ +1 819-228-5818. General grocery store.
- 2 Épicerie Maxi, 550, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-2715. General grocery store.
- 3 Dépanneur du Coin - Supérette.
- 4 Dépanneur Couche-Tard, 731, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-5892.
- 5 Jardins Ricard Inc, 771, 2nd avenue, ☏ +1 819-228-5393. Horticultural farm founded in 1992; Pierre Ricard is part of the 6th generation on this farm. Diversified market garden production, with its specialties of sweet corn, buckwheat and squash of all kinds. Vegetable kiosk, near the gardens and mini-farm for young and old. Their farm products are also offered at Pousse-Santé in Louiseville.
- 6 La Pousse-Santé, ☏ +1 819-228-8629. Store selling local products since 1989. Catering service offering hot and cold buffets from the ready-to-eat counter. Wide selection of salads, sandwiches and hot meals (lunch, Monday to Friday).
Recreational tourism activities
[edit]- 7 Domaine du Lac St-Pierre, 1450, boulevard Saintt-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-8819. Fishing and hunting gear store.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Restaurant Bar Le Bayou.
- 2 Restaurant Ben et Filles pizzeria, 161, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-8485. Large dining room, 2 large reception rooms, delivery, take-out orders. Breakfast service.
- 3 Stratos pizzeria, 420, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-7777.
- 4 Pignon Rouge Louiseville, 491, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-3811.
- 5 Restaurant S-Kim-O, 590, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Est, ☏ +1 819-228-8352. Takeaway.
- 6 Chocolat Arvisais Enr., 749, rue Picotte, ☏ +1 819-228-8488. In-store shopping.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Bar JM, 121, rue Saint-Aimé, ☏ +1 819-228-2909. Inclined plane on the left side of the establishment for handicaps people. Brasserie with blues, country and classic rock music atmosphere. Snooker table. Snacks.
Sleep
[edit]Chalet, gîte, inn
[edit]- 1 Motel Normandie, 1111, boulevard Saint-Laurent-Ouest, ☏ +1 819-228-5541. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00.
Camping
[edit]- 2 Camping et Marina Louiseville, 209a, avenue Lac Saint-Pierre Est, ☏ +1 819-228-3861. Campsite located on the banks of the Loup river a few meters from its confluence with Lake Saint-Pierre. Recreational and tourist activities: navigation, hunting, fishing, observation, cylco-tourism, golf, catering, Festival de la Galette, Sorel Islands, Baluchon de St-Paulin, St-Ursule falls, airport, footbridge for observing migratory birds on a kim sur pillotis, the richest church in America for its interior decoration. Take the trail to Pointe-à-Caron located at the confluence of the Loup River and Lac Saint-Pierre.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]
- 1 Maskinongé This municipality of 2319 inhabitants covers 74 km2 (29 sq mi). The main economic vocation of the territory is agriculture.
- 2 Sainte-Ursule This municipality of 1330 inhabitants covers 68 km2 (26 sq mi). The main economic vocation of the territory is agriculture. The Sainte-Ursule Falls Park on the Maskinongé River is a tourist attraction.
- 3 Saint-Léon-le-Grand (Maskinongé) This municipality of 928 inhabitants covers 756 km2 (292 sq mi). The main economic vocation of the territory is agriculture.
- 4 Saint-Sévère This municipality of 302 inhabitants covers 32 km2 (12 sq mi). The main economic activity of the territory is agriculture. A locality with a heritage character. Tourists are particularly drawn to two food processing areas and a clothing and accessories store.
- 5 Yamachiche Municipality bordering Lac Saint-Pierre, Yamachiche has a great agricultural and recreational tourism activities (vacationing, swimming, hunting, fishing, boating). Every spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds stop off by landing on Lac Saint-Pierre (and its tributaries) and the surrounding land.
| Routes through Louiseville |
| Montreal ← Lavaltrie ← | W  E
|
→ Trois-Rivières → Quebec City |
| Montréal ← Louiseville ← | W  E
|
→ Trois-Rivières |
| Saint-Didace ← Saint-Alexis-des-Monts ← | N  N
|
→ Terminus |
| Rawdon ← Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon ← | N  S
|
→ Terminus |