Centre-du-Québec travel guide

The Centre-du-Québec is a region halfway between Québec City and Montréal, on the south side of the St. Lawrence River. The Centre-du-Québec is a primarily agricultural region known as the breadbasket of Quebec.

Cities

• Bécancour — located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River at the confluence of the Bécancour River, opposite Trois-Rivières
• Drummondville — "Quebec's Capital of Expression and Traditions", with attractions focusing on culture, past and present
• Victoriaville — famous as a producer of hardwood products, including furniture, caskets, and hockey sticks
• Plessisville — the self-declared maple syrup capital of the world

Understand

"Centre-du-Quebec" literally means the "Centre of Quebec". This is a historic term that has not been geographically accurate since 1912, when a large amount of northern territory was added to the Province of Quebec. However, since the vast majority of Quebec's population lives in the southernmost area of the province (along the St.Lawrence River) and most of Quebec's northern territory is relatively inaccessible, the "Centre-du-Quebec" remains the "centre" of the province for most people's purposes.

Its major agricultural products include livestock and poultry, dairy products, as well as food crops such as cereals, vegetables, and fruits such as apples and cranberries. Forestry is also a major industry; there is a high density of hardwood forests in the area. Other major industries of the area include transportation, recycling, woodworking and cabinetmaking.

In 1993, the town of Plessisville trademarked itself as the maple capital of the world (Capitale mondiale de l’Érable). Citadelle is a producers’ cooperative located in the town that exports maple syrup to more than 45 countries. The town produces 23.7 million pounds of syrup per year and has a warehouse containing up to 95,000 barrels or 52 million pounds of the product. However, another Quebec town, Mirabel, makes a rival claim of being the international maple capital (Capitale internationale de l’Érable).

Tourisme Centre-du-Québec information centres (Aug 2019):

• Princeville: 25 St-Jacques Est, ☏ +1 819-364-7177 ext 300
• Nicolet: 20 rue Notre-Dame, ☏ +1-866-279-0444, early Sept to late June: M-F 08:30-16:30; late June to early Sept: daily 09:00-18:00.
• Plessisville: 1280 avenue Trudelle, ☏ +1-800-360-2989 ext 1285, mid-June to end of Aug: daily 09:00-19:00; Sept to Mid-June: W F 11:00-17:00, Th 11:00-20:00, Sa Su 09:00-17:00
• Saint-Léonard-d'Aston: 180 rang du Moulin Rouge, tourist information terminal at Madrid 2.0 Esso gas station and highway rest stop (24 hr)
• Drummondville: 1350 rue J.-B. Michaud, toll-free: ☏ +1-877-235-9569. Sep to early Jun: M-F 08:30-16:30; mid-Jun to mid-Aug: daily 08:30-18:00; mid-Aug to early Sep: daily 08:30-16:30.
• Bécancour: 1005 boulevard de Port-Royal, ☏ +1-888-233-4676, daily 08:30-17:30.
• Victoriaville: 20 rue de Bigarré, ☏ +1-888-758-9451, mid-Apr to May: daily 10:00-19:00: Jun to early Sep: daily 09:00-21:00; early Sep to early Oct: daily 10:00-19:00

Get in

The Centre-du-Québec region lies on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River roughly halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. The Trans-Canada Highway/Autoroute 20, Intercity highway coach service (provided by Orléans Express and Groupe La Québécoise), and Via Rail passenger services run between those two cities through the region.

It is also easily accessible from Trois-Rivières on Highway 55.

Get around

By car

There are two scenic driving routes through the area: Route des Jardins and the Route des antiquaires.

See

The Laurier Museum in Victoriaville commemorates the summer home of Canadian former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier and is a National Historic Site of Canada.

Le Village Québécois d'Antan in Drummondville is a re-creation of village life in the 19th century; it an old farm, period costumes, a restaurant and several festivals throughout the year.

The Centre de la Biodiversité du Québec in Bécancour just outside of Trois-Rivières, is a science museum that educates about and promotes the conservation of Quebec's native species.

Do

Poutine (Photo: Yuri Long from Arlington, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0)

The Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) takes place in the spring.

In late August, the Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville offers concerts, and celebrates poutine, a Canadian dish of Quebecois origin. The basic dish is a mess of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds.

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