Chicoutimi, Quebec

Chicoutimi is one of the three boroughs of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, and was a separate city in its own right until 2002.

Situated at the confluence of Chicoutimi and Saguenay Rivers, the placename is derived from "Shkoutimeou", meaning "the end of the deep water" in the Montagnais dialect.

Located 225 kilometres north of Quebec City, it is home to a branch of the Université du Québec.

History

The site of the actual Chicoutimi was established in 1676 as a French trading post in the fur trade.

Founded in 1842, by Peter McLeod, Chicoutimi especially developed at the beginning of the 20th century as an industrial city based on pulp production.

Since the 1930's economic crisis, the city became an administrative and commercial center. The Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay was founded in Chicoutimi in 1967.

In 2002 the neighbouring cities of Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie consolidated into a new city of Saguenay. After the merger, Chicoutimi is considered a borough of Saguenay. (See also: Municipal reorganization in Quebec) Chicoutimi's sister city was Camrose in Alberta, which then became Saguenay's sister city.

Timeline

*1676 - Establishment of a trading post and catholic mission
*August 24th 1842 - Foundation of Chicoutimi
*1893 - Roberval-Chicoutimi railroad is finished
*1967 - Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay founded
*1969 - UQAC founded.
*1972 - Host city for the Québec summer games
*1976 - Chicoutimi annexes the towns of Chicoutimi-Nord (founded 1954) and Rivière-du-Moulin (founded 1963)
*1992 - 150th anniversary
*1996 - Saguenay Flood

Demographics

Population (2001): 65,450 (2001 statistics)

Most spoken language: French

Most practiced religion: Roman Catholic (It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi)

Political Geography

Cities which surround Chicoutimi :
* La Baie ("15 kilometers east")
* Jonquière ("5 kilometers west")
* Laterrière ("12 kilometers south")
* Canton-Tremblay ("10 kilometers north")
* Shipshaw
* Kénogami
* Saint-Honoré-de-Chicoutimi
* Saint-Ambroise-de-Chicoutimi
* Saint-David-de-Falardeau
* Saint-Fulgence-de-l'Anse-aux-Foins

Neighbourhoods

* Bassin
* St-Joachim
* Côte de la réserve
* St-Antoine
* St-Paul
* Murdock
* Val-de-Grâce
* Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay
* Des Oiseaux
* Des Écrivains
* Jardins Talbot
* Plateau des Saguenéens
* Hamel et Fradette
* St-Anne (Chicoutimi-Nord)
* Sainte-Claire (Chicoutimi-Nord)
* St-Luc (Chicoutimi-Nord)
* Ste-Geneviève (Chicoutimi-Nord)
* Saint-Nom-de-Jésus (Rivière-du-Moulin)
* St-Isidore (Rivière-du-Moulin)
* Vanier (Chicoutimi-Nord)

Physical Geography

Hydrography

Saguenay River

The Saguenay river tide is present in Chicoutimi.

Two bridges cross the Saguenay river in Chicoutimi:

* St-Anne (footbridge)
* 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. 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 Lake. 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 neighborhood above La Pulperie Museum, has an 18 degree grade. This is comparable to Filbert Street in San Francisco or Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New ZealandFact|date=September 2007.

ports Teams

The city has been home to the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Saguenéens since 1973. They play at the Centre Georges-Vézina.

Famous Residents

*Arthur Villeneuve

References

External links

* [http://www.ville.saguenay.qc.ca/portail/wps/portal/maville/plan_site?lang=fr Official site]