Victoriaville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victoriaville
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City
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| Ville de Victoriaville | ||
Victoriaville Town Hall
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| Motto(s):
Santé urbaine
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Location within Arthabaska RCM.
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 Victoriaville
Location in Southern Quebec
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Quebec |
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| Region | Centre-du-Québec | |
| RCM | Arthabaska | |
| Constituted | June 23, 1993 | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 86.20 km2 (33.28 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 84.20 km2 (32.51 sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 35.27 km2 (13.62 sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 153.29 km2 (59.19 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 148 m (486 ft) | |
| Population
(2016)
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| • City | 45,309 | |
| • Density | 516.2/km2 (1,337/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 46,322 | |
| • Urban density | 1,313.4/km2 (3,402/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 46,354 | |
| • Metro density | 302.4/km2 (783/sq mi) | |
| • Pop 2011-2016 |  7.25% |
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| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Postal code(s) |
G6P to G6T
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| Area code(s) | 819 | |
| Highways |  Route 116 Route 122 Route 161 Route 162 Route 263 |
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Victoriaville is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada. It sits along the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the main town of the Arthabaska Regional County Municipality. It is also part of the Centre-du-Québec region. The town was formed in 1993. This happened when Arthabaska, Saint-Victoire-d'Arthabaska, and Victoriaville merged. The new town kept the name Victoriaville.
Contents
About Victoriaville
Victoriaville is known as the Capital of Bois-Francs. This name comes from its important size and location in the Bois-Francs area of Quebec. The town makes many products from hardwood, like furniture and hockey sticks. A famous hockey stick company, Victoriaville Hockey, used to be here.
The Parc-Linéaire Des Bois-Francs is a bike trail that goes through Victoriaville. There are many other bike paths in town. Some even lead to the top of Mont Arthabaska. This mountain is at the southern edge of the town. You can also visit the Laurier Museum. It is in the home of former Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. This home is a National Historic Site.
Many fun festivals happen in Victoriaville each year. These include the Week-end En Blues concerts. The Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) takes place in the spring. In the summer, there is the Exposition Agricole.
Local Businesses and Education
New businesses and homes have grown thanks to investments in the industrial park. Victoriaville is home to a large Lactantia dairy factory. This factory makes milk products. There are also two shopping malls: "La Grande Place des Bois-Francs" and "le Centre de Victoriaville". The Cégep de Victoriaville is a college located here. The downtown area on Rue Notre-Dame is also a lively place for shopping.
The Victoriaville Airport is at the north end of town, near Route 116. It is a regional airport that handles business flights and small private planes.
The current mayor of Victoriaville is Antoine Tardif. He was elected in the 2021 mayoral election. Victoriaville is also the main judicial center for the Arthabaska area.
History of Victoriaville
The Abenaki people, who are native to the area, called it Arthabaska or Awabaska. This means "place of bulrushes and reeds." The first person to claim the area was John Gregory in 1802. Settlers started to arrive around 1825. Early colonists came slowly from the Saint Lawrence River banks. They made trails as they went. The first provincial road was built in 1844.
The parish of Saint-Christophe d'Arthabaska was created in 1851. Many people see this as the real start of the town. In 1854, a train station was built for the Grand Trunk Railway. This connected the region to Montreal and Quebec City. The municipality of Victoriaville was officially created on May 8, 1861. It was named after Queen Victoria, who was the queen at that time. Victoriaville became a full town in 1890. By then, its population had reached 1,000 people.
Many important things happened as Victoriaville grew.
- A hospital, Hôtel-Dieu d'Arthabaska, opened in 1931.
- A seminary, the Collège du Sacré-Coeur, opened in 1942.
- A school for making furniture and working with wood, the École Québécoise du Meuble et du Bois Ouvré (ÉQMBO), started in 1965.
- The Cégep de Victoriaville college opened in 1969. It used the building where the Collège du Sacré-Coeur used to be.
Train service in Victoriaville stopped in 1960. The old train tracks were removed and turned into bicycle paths. This area is now called Parc Linéaire. The old train station became a "Vélogare" for cyclists. From 1941 to 1944, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) had a training school here. It was at the Collège du Sacré-Coeur. The school trained future pilots and navigators.
In June 1993, the towns of Sainte-Victoire-D'Arthabaska, Arthabaska, and Victoriaville merged. They became the single town of Victoriaville. The original name "Arthabaska" is still used in many ways. For example, it is in the name of the regional county municipality. It is also the name of the highest mountain overlooking the town. In 2004, the part of Route 116 that goes through Victoriaville was renamed boulevard Arthabaska.
Economy
For a long time, the economy of Victoriaville was based on textiles, wood products, and furniture. While these industries have become smaller, a large Lactantia factory is still a major employer. It makes butter, cheeses, and other dairy products. The water from Réservoir Beaudet is filtered and is known for being very good quality.
Arts and Culture
The Carré 150 is the main place in Victoriaville for arts. It hosts professional artists for performances and exhibitions. Each year, there are over 250 shows. These include music, theater, comedy, and dance. The building has a large auditorium with 855 seats. There is also a smaller cabaret space for 260 people. It has a rehearsal studio and an art exhibition center. The large lobby, called Grand foyer Victoriaville-et-sa-région, is used for many events.
Media
The local news for Victoriaville comes mainly from the weekly newspaper La Nouvelle-Union. This is because bigger news organizations focus on larger cities.
Victoriaville has two radio stations: CFJO ("O97,3") and CFDA ("Passion-Rock 101,9"). Both stations broadcast some shows from Victoriaville and some from Thetford Mines. CKYQ ("KYQ FM"), which is licensed to Plessisville, also has a studio and transmitter in Victoriaville.
Population Information
In the 2021 Census, Victoriaville had a population of 47,760 people. This was a 3.5% increase from its 2016 population of 46,130. The town covers a land area of 84.33 square kilometers. This means about 566 people live in each square kilometer.
| Year | Population | Variation (%) |
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| 2011 | 43,462 | 7.4% |
| 2006 | 40,486 | 4.2% |
| 2001 | 38,841 | 1.7% |
| 1996 | 38,174 | 4.9% |
| 1991 | 36,392 | 4.4% |
| 1986 | 34,869 | – |
Sports
Jean Béliveau (1931–2014) was a famous hockey player. He won the Stanley Cup ten times with the Montreal Canadiens. He grew up in Victoriaville after moving there as a child.
The town is home to the Victoriaville Tigres junior hockey team. They have played in the QMJHL league since 1987. Their home arena is the Colisée Desjardins.
Famous People from Victoriaville
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- Léokim Beaumier-Lépine, actor
- Jean Béliveau, hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens (retired, Hall of Famer)
- Matthew Bergeron, professional American football player for the Atlanta Falcons
- Sylvie Boucher, former Member of Parliament
- William Cloutier, pop singer and actor
- René Corbet, hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche
- Phillip Danault, hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings
- Dumas, singer
- Jonathan Goulet, professional mixed martial artist
- Stu Grayson, professional wrestler
- Alex Labbé, professional Nascar driver
- François Labbé, businessman
- Martin Laroche, film director
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canadian Prime Minister (1896–1911)
- Gilbert Perreault, hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres (retired, Hall of Famer)
- Édouard Richard, former Member of Parliament
- Marc Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté, Impressionist painter and sculptor (1869–1937)
- Esther Valiquette (1962 - 1994), documentary film director
See also
In Spanish: Victoriaville para niños
