Rimouski

Rimouski is a city of just under 50,000 people (2016) in Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Rimouski can be considered the university city of eastern Quebec. Travellers often view Rimouski merely as a stop on the way to the Gaspé Peninsula, but there are many interesting things to see in the region.

Understand
The Regional Hospital of Rimouski is the largest employer in Rimouski and the region is with 2200 employees and 170 doctors. One of Rimouski's primary economic fields is its maritime sector. Around 1900 the port was important for operating mail tenders such as HMCS Lady Evelyn for transatlantic liners. These could take mail from an arriving ship in the mouth of the St Lawrence, then speed it by rail to Quebec, arriving long before the ship. Rimouski is the home of the Institut Maritime du Québec, a college, and to many marine research centres, such as the Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER), the Centre de recherche sur les biotechnologies marines and the Centre interdisciplinaire de développement en cartographie des océans.

History
The city was founded in 1696 by Sir René Lepage de Ste-Claire from Ouanne in the Burgundy region. He exchanged property he owned on the Île d'Orléans with Augustin Rouer de la Cardonnière for the Seigneurie of Rimouski, which extended along the St. Lawrence River from the Hâtée River at Le Bic to the Métis River. De la Cardonnière had been the owner of Rimouski since 1688, but had never lived there. René Lepage moved his family to Rimouski, where it held the seigneurie until 1790, when it was sold to the Quebec City businessman Joseph Drapeau.

On May 6, 1950 Rimouski suffered a severe fire, in which 319 houses burned to the ground. This event is known as La nuit rouge (French for Red Night). The fire originated in the Price Brothers Company yard on the left shore of the Rimouski River and quickly crossed the river and spread throughout the city pushed by strong winds, destroying half of the city. No one died in the blaze. Legend has it that a priest sprinkled holy water around the city's cathedral and that the fire would not cross the line.

Talk
The Bas-Saint-Laurent region is not as touristic as the Gaspé Peninsula, so speaking a bit of French can help you very much.

By plane

 * Aéroport régional de Mont-Joli is the closest airport with scheduled flights, 35 km to the east of Rimouski.
 * Air Canada makes daily flights from Baie-Comeau and Montréal; that is, two flights daily, except Saturdays, when there is one morning flight
 * Pascan Aviation makes daily flights from Quebec City, Montréal, Baie-Comeau/Sept-Îles and Bonaventure/Îles de la Madeleine throughout the year, 5 days a week, from Monday to Friday

By train

 * Train operator:
 * Operates The Ocean route between Halifax and Montreal, including stops in Moncton and Sainte-Foy (near Quebec City). Travel time to Rimouski from Montreal is 8 hours, from Sainte-Foy is 4 hours, from Moncton is 9.5 hours, and from Halifax is 14 hours. Operates three trips per direction per week. A shuttle between train stations in Sainte-Foy and in Quebec City is available for The Ocean trains, but must be reserved in advance. Eastbound train arrives at 01:30 and the westbound train arrives at 01:50, three times weekly, which transits just after midnight to Quebec City.

By car
Route 132 leads westward to Quebec City and Montreal. There are two disconnected segments of Autoroute 20 which bypass portions of this road; one is a local bypass around Rimouski, the other is the main freeway from Rivière-du-Loup westward to Ontario. It takes about 3 hours by car from Quebec City to Rimouski.

Route 132 east forks at Ste-Flavie near Mont-Joli, becoming a coastal road which circles the entire Gaspé Peninsula.

From New Brunswick, bridges at Campbellton-Pointe-à-la-Croix and at Matapédia lead to Route 132; follow 132 through Matapédia to Ste-Flavie.

By bus

 * Routes operating to Rimouski
 * Between Quebec City and Rimouski including stops in Rivière-du-Loup and Trois-Pistoles. Same day travel to and from Montreal available with a transfer at Quebec City. Travel time to Rimouski from Montreal is 7-7.75 hours, from Quebec City is 4.25-4.75 hours, and from Rivière-du-Loup is 1.5 hours.
 * Between Gaspé and Rimouski including stops in Grande-Vallée, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Matane, and Mont-Joli. Travel time to Rimouski from Gaspé is 6.75 hours, from Matane is 1.25 hours, from Mont-Joli is 25 minutes. Route follows the St. Lawrence River along the north side of Gaspé Peninsula.
 * Between Gaspé and Rimouski including stops in Percé, Chandler, Bonaventure, Pointe-à-la-Croix, Amqui, and Mont-Joli. Travel time to Rimouski from Gaspé is 8.5 hours, from Percé is 7.5 hours, from Bonaventure is 5.5 hours, from Pointe-à-la-Croix is 2.75 hours, and from Mont-Joli is 25 minutes. Route follows the south side of the Gaspé Peninsula, travels near the provincial border with New Brunswick, and travels inland to and from the St. Lawrence River.
 * Maritime Bus operates buses in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Maritime Bus and Orléans Express operate from the following locations:
 * Pointe-à-la-Croix, QC / Campbellton, NB (2 km taxi ride between these communities)
 * Pointe-à-la-Croix, QC / Campbellton, NB (2 km taxi ride between these communities)

By boat

 * For other ferries crossing the St. Lawrence River, see Matane (year round service), Rivière-du-Loup (seasonal service), and Trois-Pistoles (seasonal service), which like Rimouski, are also located on the south side of the river.
 * For other ferries crossing the St. Lawrence River, see Matane (year round service), Rivière-du-Loup (seasonal service), and Trois-Pistoles (seasonal service), which like Rimouski, are also located on the south side of the river.
 * For other ferries crossing the St. Lawrence River, see Matane (year round service), Rivière-du-Loup (seasonal service), and Trois-Pistoles (seasonal service), which like Rimouski, are also located on the south side of the river.

Get around
Downtown Rimouski is rather small and walkable. However, you will need a car to get into or out of this area. Parking is easily found in this city.



See



 * Maison Lamontagne.jpg
 * Maison Lamontagne.jpg
 * Maison Lamontagne.jpg
 * Maison Lamontagne.jpg

Do

 * Île Saint-Barnabé. From the marina, take the boat ($16.50, every 30 minutes) to the island in front or Rimouski. You can walk in nature.
 * Other festivals include: the Grandes fêtes du St-Laurent, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski, an international films festival.
 * Other festivals include: the Grandes fêtes du St-Laurent, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski, an international films festival.
 * Other festivals include: the Grandes fêtes du St-Laurent, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski, an international films festival.
 * Other festivals include: the Grandes fêtes du St-Laurent, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski, an international films festival.

Go next

 * Gaspé Peninsula