La Tuque
Named after a nearby rock formation that resembles the famous French Canadian hat, La Tuque is a city of in the Mauricie. It's best known as the birthplace of Québécois singer Felix Leclerc.
Understand
A town of over 11,000 people (2011), its local economy is based on pulp and paper; the city has a pulp-milling centre and a major hydroelectric station. As the gateway to the upper Mauricie, La Tuque's economy also offers outdoor tourism opportunities and caters to hunting and fishing trips in its large hinterland; the city is known as the Queen of Haute-Mauricie and the Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie canoeing race begins at La Tuque.
History
The territory of La Tuque was first inhabited by Atikamekw indigenous people. In the early 1850s, settlers were drawn to the area to exploit the forest resources. The La Tuque Post Office opened in 1887, but the area remained isolated from the rest of the Mauricie until the early 1900s when the National Transcontinental Railway was built, prompting industrial development and the growth of a community on the east bank of the Saint-Maurice River where there was a large set of falls.
In the 1940s, the hydro-electric generating station on the Saint-Maurice River was built, resulting in the partial destruction of the rock formation that gave the town its name.
In May 2010, some 120 forest fires broke out around La Tuque, burning until June. Smoke from these fires reached portions of Eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, including the cities of Ottawa and Montreal, as well as the northern US states.
Get in
La Tuque is accessible by air, road and rail.
By plane
La Tuque Airport (YLQ) is directly south of the town's centre on Route 155. It has no commercial flights, but is available to those with a private airplane or who wish to charter a flight.
By car
La Tuque is on Quebec Route 155. From Trois-Rivières, you take route 55, which becomes Route 155 north of Shawinigan. Route 155 connects La Tuque with Shawinigan to the south and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region to the north. Numerous forest roads provide access to remote hunting and fishing camps, and the village of Parent is accessible by a 175-km-long (109 mi) gravel road from Mont-Saint-Michel in the Laurentides region.
By bus
Orléans Express has a daily bus service that connects Trois-Rivières with La Tuque. It departs Trois-Rivières at 18:00 and arrives La Tuque at 08:45. On Sundays, there is an additional service that departs Trois-Rivières at 13:00 and arrives La Tuque at 15:39.
In the other directions, the daily and Sunday-only services depart La Tuque at 07:15 and 17:99, respectively, and arrive Trois-Rivières 10:02 and 19:47. From Trois-Rivières there are bus connections on to Quebec City and Montreal.
By train
Via Rail Canada has a thrice-weekly service that connects La Tuque to Montreal by train. It departs Montreal on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 08:15, arriving La Tuque at 13:18. On the return it departs La Tuque Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:53, or 14:53 on Sundays, arriving back from Montreal at 17:15 and 20:15, respectively.
Get around
See
You can watch the cars go by on the highway, but there isn't anything else to see in La Tuque.
Do
- Parc des Chutes de la Petite Riviere Bostonnais (Falls-of-the-Petite-Rivière-Bostonnais Park), 3701, Blvd Ducharme, ☎ +1 819-523-5930, toll-free: +1-877-424-8476. May to October. Regional park. See the 30-m waterfalls. Walk to the observation tower to take a look at the panorama of the Saint-Maurice River. Kids' playground.
- Centre Municipal de Ski La Tuque, 700, Rue Desbiens. Winter only. A drop of 166 m a few steps from the city centre. An exceptional amount of snow on its 13 slopes, 9 of which are illuminated for evening skiing. Also a snowpark, a slope-school, and a descent in tubes.
Buy
- Galeries La Tuque, 1200 Boulevard Ducharme. Small shopping mall with a Canadian Tire store and a liquor store.
Eat
- Le Boke, 556 Commercial, ☎ +1 819-523-2991. W-F 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00, Sa 17:00-21:00. Steaks, fish, poke bowls, burgers, stir fry, salads.
- Restaurant Le Parasol, 359 St-Francois Street, ☎ +1 819-523-7551. Tu 11:00-14:00, W-F 11:00-14:00 and 16:45-close, Sa 17:00-close. Sandwiches, seafood, ribs, grills, pasta, pizza.
- Pizzeria Italia, 371 Rue St-Francois, ☎ +1 819-523-9517. Su-Th 11:00-22:00, F Su 11:00-23:00, Sa 11:00-00:00. Pizzas, pastas, fries, salads and Ricco chicken.
Drink
- Brassette du Coin, 276 Rue St-Joseph, ☎ +1 819-523-9460. Daily 08:00-03:00. A small bar on the corner
- La Pecheresse Microbrasserie, 355 Rue Saint Zéphirin. W-Sa 16:00-02:00. You can accompany your tasting with a quick or full meal from the restaurant Le Boké. Order at the pub or on the terrace and your meal will be delivered quickly. Improv evenings some Sundays (in French). Musical events some evenings.
Sleep
- Two units are available for day or weekly rental on the second floor of the Pizzeria Italia, listed above (double $115).
- Hotel Marineau Centre La Tuque, 1100 Boulevard Ducharme, toll-free: +1-888-323-9501. Free coffee, office in the room, individual air conditioning/heating, mini fridge, free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi. From $91.
- Hotel Marineau La Tuque, 3250 Boulevard Ducharme, ☎ +1 819-709-4551, toll-free: +1-888-333-5717. Coffee maker, small fridge, adequate work area and plug-ins, good internet service and a very big, bathroom. On-site restaurant/lounge. From $116.
- Gite aux Trois Pignons, 643 Rue Roy, ☎ +1 819-523-3042. Non-smoking rooms with shared bathroom. Free Wi-Fi. From $94.
Go next
| Routes through La Tuque |
Ends at  |
N  |
→ Shawinigan → Trois-Rivières |