Rouyn-Noranda

Rouyn-Noranda is a city of 42,000 people (2016) in Abitibi-Témiscamingue in the province of Quebec.


 * Understand

The town is the result of the merger of two cities, Rouyn and Noranda, in 1986. More smaller towns and villages were incorporated into Rouyn-Noranda later.

The Horne smelter is the world's largest processor of electronic scrap containing copper and precious metals. It opened in 1927 at the site of the Horne copper mine. The mine was closed in 1976, but the smelter remained in production.

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue is based in Rouyn-Noranda, with campuses elsewhere.

History
The city of Rouyn (named for Jean-Baptiste Rouyn, a captain in the Royal-Roussillon regiment of Montcalm) appeared after copper was discovered in 1917. Noranda (a contraction of "North Canada") was created later around the Horne mine and foundry. Both were designated cities in 1926, then merged in 1986.

The population tends to increase or decrease dramatically depending on the economic situation. The city's population dropped by 5 per cent between the 1996 and 2001 census, before increasing slightly by 0.8 per cent for the 2006 census. This more closely parallels the demographic patterns of Northern Ontario than those of Quebec during this period. Rouyn-Noranda also has other cultural affiliations with Northern Ontario, being the only municipality in Quebec that holds a membership in the Francophone Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

By car
Two highways pass through Rouyn-Noranda:


 * Route 101 a highway running north and south. It travels south from the village of Macamic, where the highway intersects with Route 111.  Route 101 heading northbound enters Rouyn-Noranda from the west as a combined road with Route 117.  In North Bay, Ontario, travelers can taken Highway 63, which crosses into Quebec and is renumbered Route 101 on its way north up to Rouyn-Noranda.
 * Route 117, a highway running west and south-east. Route 117 is part of a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, that starts from its interchange with Autoroute 40 (Trans-Canada Highway's main route) in Montreal, which becomes Highway 66 in Ontario.  Highway 66 ends as part of the Trans-Canada Highway about 14 km west of Kirkland Lake, where Highway 66 intersects with Highway 11, which is another branch of the Trans-Canada Highway.
 * From Montreal, it is faster to travel starting on Autoroute 15, a freeway, until it combines into Route 117. By taking Autoroute 15, the drive time is reduced to 6 hours. There are several towns along the way where you can stop for food. Don't expect a high culinary experience during the trip. If at all possible, you should try to avoid the overpriced and generally not so great food at La Domaine in the Parc de la Vérendrye (a national park of Quebec, or réserve faunique).

By bus

 * Operates routes including the following to Rouyn-Noranda:
 * Between Amos and Rouyn-Noranda. Travel time Rouyn-Noranda from Amos is 1.25 hours. Operates daily.
 * Between La Sarre and Rouyn-Noranda. Travel time Rouyn-Noranda from La Sarre is 1.25 hours. Operates daily.
 * Between Montreal and Rouyn-Noranda including stops in Laval, Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Mont-Tremblant, Mont-Laurier, Grand-Remous and Val-d'Or. Stops between Montreal and Mont-Laurier are drop off only on the way to Montreal and pick up only on the way to Rouyn-Noranda. Operates daily. Travel time to Rouyn-Noranda from Montreal is 8.75-9.5 hours, from Saint-Jérôme is 8 hours, from Mont-Tremblant is 7-7.25 hours, from Mont-Laurier is 5.5 hours, from Grand-Remous is 5 hours, and from Val-d'Or is 1.5-1.75 hours. From Grand-Remous, there is bus service to Ottawa under the Autobus Gatineau brand.
 * Between North Bay and Rouyn-Noranda. Operates daily. Travel time to Rouyn-Noranda from North Bay is 4.5 hours.

Get around

 * Driving in a small town in northern Quebec is fairly easy. The streets are wide, parking is normally available anywhere and at anytime. Driving is often more practical than the city bus system, which, although generally well suited to the needs of the locals, is not so great for tourists.


 * Cycling is probably one of the easiest way to get around the city. You can ride anywhere in Rouyn-Noranda. It is quite safe given the width of the streets and the sparsity of traffic. Several bike paths have been built, some around the Lac Osisko, which borders the downtown area.


 * In the winter, snow paths are built within the city and it is possible to get around town with a snowmobile.



Poutine
You should try the poutine (French fries, cheese curds and gravy). It is particularly appreciated on Friday and Saturday nights at 03:00 when bars close and all the young people meet there for a late night snack. You should expect to wait 10-15 minutes at that time, and sometimes during lunch and dinner hours.

Drink
Given its size, Rouyn-Noranda has quite a few bars, coffee shops and pubs to choose from, many of them located in the Rouyn downtown area, which spans Perreault Street, Main Street (Rue Principale) and Gamble Street. Several smaller joints are on the adjacent streets.



Nearby

 * Kekeko: Roughly a 20-minute car ride south of the city, this small (unofficial) park offers many adventures. Trails are relatively undeveloped with sections consisting of former, or still used, paths for snowmobiles and other vehicles. The park is not a protected area, although many locals will tell you it should be. It is possible to hike to the so-called first lake in 45 minutes and enjoy an afternoon of swimming. A longer hike to the second lake will fit in an afternoon, possibly a bit more. It is sometimes possible to still find a small booklet detailing trails in the Kekeko mountains. Most likely out of print.
 * Fort Témiscamingue/Obadjiwan National Historic Site, 834, ch. du Vieux-Fort, Duhamel-Ouest, 125 km south of Rouyn-Noranda. This site was used by First Nations people for more than 6500 years before a fur trade was built here in 1679 that became a theatre of the commercial rivalries between fur trade merchants for 200 years. Little of the fort remains, but there is a visitor's centre, exhibits, and reenactments to explain the cultural history of the place.. See the entry at Temiskaming Shores for more information.
 * Enchanted Forest: 2 hours south near Ville-Marie. In this park, you'll be able to enjoy the sight of strangely shaped trees in this park.

Go next
Located in the centre of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda can serve as a good starting point for exploring that part of the Canadian shield. At least two nearby parks are worth visiting:


 * Aiguebelle: This park is a protected area and is quite developed. Trails are well-marked and maintained. Popular trails include one hike to a small mountain top, from where, if weather permits, Val d'Or, Amos, La Sarre and Rouyn-Noranda (the so-called Quadrangle or Quadrilatère in French) can be seen. Also noteworthy is a longer hike, for which you should reserve a day to really enjoy the scenery, that will take you across a suspended bridge that straddles the water divide line. Waters to the north flow into the Hudson Bay, while waters to the south flow to the St. Lawrence river.