Lac-Édouard

Lac-Édouard is a forestry municipality in Haute-Batiscanie and Haute-Mauricie, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, in La Tuque Region, in Mauricie, in Quebec. This picturesque community on the Canadian Shield has an area of where 191 persons reside.

Lac-Édouard is the third largest municipality in the Mauricie area; it is also the smallest in terms of its population.

Its geographical location gives it the privileges of:
 * proximity to La Tuque (only from one village centre to another), for road access to shops and services,
 * environment in the middle of the forest to appreciate nature on all levels (resort, nautical activities, forestry, campsites, outfitters, hunting & fishing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, boating, beaches...), being on the edge of a vast body of water (Lake Edward) with many bays,
 * of its parks focused on nature protection: the proposed Seigneurie-du-Triton biodiversity reserve, the Judith-De Brésoles ecological reserve, Bog-à-Lanières Reserve, and wildlife habitat on Hoffman Island
 * its three outfitters on its territory offering hunting, fishing, mountain biking and snowmobiling services,
 * territory management, with four ZECs (controlled harvesting zones) which provide public access to recreational tourism activities.

Economy
The main economic activities of Lac-Édouard were the forestry industry, health services (sanatorium) and recreational tourism activities (Club Triton Fish and Game Club, today the Seigneurie du Triton). The arrival of the railway in 1885 proved to be the engine of economic development until a forest road linked Lac-Édouard with La Tuque.

History
The railway reached Lac-Édouard in 1885. The first station designated "Lake Edward" was inaugurated in 1886. In 1889, there was the arrival of the first Catholic missionary and the opening of the first post office. In 1891 there was the celebration of the first baptism. In 1894, there was the creation of the "Lake Edward Fish and Game Club". In 1900, there was the fire of the first station, the commissioning of the sawmill of Richard Turner; this was the start of intense logging and logging activities on Lake Edward and the Batiscan River.

In 1902, a major forest fire devastated the Haute-Batiscanie forest that supplied the Lac-Édouard sawmill.

The canonical erection dates from 1904 under the patronage of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil. There was then the construction of the first chapel and the construction of a centre to treat the sick, which will become the sanatorium in 1909. In 1913, there was the construction of the first church. In 1914, the sanatorium was taken over by the federal militia to treat soldiers with lung diseases.

In 1915, there was the development of the first cemetery. In 1919, Mr. Turner's sawmill closed and the buildings and infrastructure were demolished. In 1922, the Belgo company moved to the village and built several houses and outbuildings there.

In 1928, the sanatorium was enlarged to a capacity of 300 beds. In 1929, the Belgo company ceased its operations in Lac-Édouard because of the economic crisis; this departure has a negative impact on the local economy. In 1930, Arthur Côté opened a general store.

In 1936, the presbytery was burnt down; consequently, all documents are destroyed. In 1937, the Catholic parish changed its name to adopt "Notre-Dame-des-Neiges". In 1943, the sanatorium burned down and the Lac-Édouard Sports Association was founded. In 1950, the municipality of Lac-Édouard was created. In 1954, the Canadian National workshop closed and many jobs were lost.

In 1955, there was a fire in the school which had been built in 1935. In 1956, the Fabrique sold land to the School Board to build a new school. In 1957, there was the creation of the League of the citizens of Lac-Édouard in order to arrange an exit road.

In 1960, the Entreprises Giguère sawmill was put into service. In 1968, the sanatorium became the Center de réadaptation de Lac-Édouard inc.

In 1983, the municipality acquired the school. The municipal library opened in 1984.

In 2003, the municipalities of Lac-Édouard, La Bostonnais, La Croche, Parent and Ville de La Tuque were merged by ministerial decree. In 2004, Lac-Édouard became a municipality again with the same territorial limits as before.

Geography
The territory of Lac-Édouard has about 300 lakes including Édouard Lake ( long). The municipality of Lac-Édouard has listed around 500 chalets, including 250 around Lake Édouard.

The Batiscan River flows from north to south over starting from Lake Édouard in Haute-Batiscanie. It flows into the St. Lawrence River at Batiscan, Quebec|.

Get in
The village of Lac-Édouard is accessible by air, road, rail, snowmobile and all terrain vehicles.

By car

 * From Montreal ( (Time: 4 hr 13 min) - take highway 40 (north shore) eastbound, to Trois-Rivières; take Highway 55 (northbound) to Grand-Mère, which becomes Highway 155 and cross the Saint-Maurice River bridge; take road 155, bypass the village of La Tuque, until the Halte du Curé-Normandin; take Chemin du Lac-Édouard (eastbound) to the village of Lac-Édouard.
 * From Quebec (, (Time: 3 hr 42 min) - Take highway 40 west to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, then take route 159 through the villages of Saint-Prosper-de-Champlain, Saint-Stanislas, Saint-Séverin, Saint-Tite and Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac; take road 155, bypass the village of La Tuque, until the Halte du Curé-Normandin; take Chemin du Lac-Édouard (eastbound) to the village of Lac-Édouard.