Hérouxville

Hérouxville is a picturesque locality of the Moyen-Mauricie at the southeastern limit of the Laurentian shield, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, in the regional county municipality of Mékinac, in Mauricie. This municipality comprises a territory of where about 1,300 inhabitants reside.

As you travel through the rural roads and through the village, visitors can admire many old houses dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries that are generally well restored, as well as old buildings from closed.

Economy
The main economic activities in history have been mainly forestry, agriculture, recreational and tourist activities (vacation, Tavibois, Val Notre-Dame family camp), certain public services (primary school) and local businesses.

Route 153 linking Grand-Mère to Saint-Tite generates significant traffic, especially during the Saint-Tite Western Festival. The village of Hérouxville is centered around the old railway station.

History
The Catholic service of Hérouxville was founded in 1897. The registers of civil acts (baptisms, marriages and deaths) immediately began under the charge of Father Joseph-Euchariste Héroux following the erection of the chapel on the Butte-à-Veillet, at the intersection of the Lefebvre roads and the railway line. Civil erection occurred in 1904.

Geography
Most of the territory of Hérouxville is part of the Batiscanie (hydrographic basin), being crossed by the rivière des Envies, a tributary of the Batiscan River. Residents of this municipality have the advantage of being near Shawinigan to receive services and the Saint-Maurice River which was a vector of economic development at the end of the 19th century.

Taking its source at Lac de la Traverse in Sainte-Thècle, the rivière des Envies flows on while crossing Sainte-Thècle, Saint-Tite, Hérouxville, Saint-Séverin and Saint-Stanislas. It flows into the Batiscan River at Saint-Stanislas. The Rivière des Envies passes through the northwestern part of the territory of Saint-Séverin. This river has been a vector of regional economic development, in particular through its ice roads in winter, transport in light boats, mills (flour, saw and card) and for fishing activities. The great floods have washed away many bridges and created great floods throughout history.

The rivière à la Tortue has its source at Lac à la Tortue in Hérouxville. It flows over especially in agricultural area crossing Hérouxville, Saint-Séverin and Saint-Stanislas. Finally, it flows into the Rivière des Envies in Saint-Stanislas.

The Noire River has its source north of the village of Hérouxville, in a marsh area. It flows over especially in agricultural or forest areas. Finally, it empties into a long bay which forms an appendix to the artificial reservoir generated by the hydroelectric dam erected on the Saint-Maurice River near Grand-Mère.

Get in
The village of Hérouxville is accessible by road, snowmobile, all terrain vehicles.

By car

 * From Montreal (. Time: 2 hr 18 min. Take highway 40 (north shore) eastbound, to Trois-Rivières; take highway 55 (northbound) to Grand-Mère, which becomes route 155 and cross the Saint-Maurice river bridge; take route 153 to the village of Hérouxville.
 * From Quebec City (. Time: 1 hr 36 min. Take highway 40 west; take road 359 (northbound) passing through the village of Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes, then Lac-à-la-Tortue; then take route 153 (eastbound) to the village of Hérouxville.

Trails

 * The Quad trail (www.quadmekinac2011.com) passes through Hérouxville.
 * The equestrian trail (www.tourismemauricie.com) passes to the Val Notre-Dame d'Hérouxville family camp.