The Rivière-du-Loup region is located at the crossroads of the main communication routes that link Montreal to the Gaspé Peninsula and New Brunswick. What is more, the Rivière-du-Loup/Saint-Siméon ferry connects the region to the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, giving it direct access to the counties of Charlevoix, the North Shore and Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean.

This region, which is divided into 14 municipalities, covers an area of 1,270 square kilometres and is inhabited by some 32,386 people (January 2004). Named “Cultural Capital of Canada” in 2003 and Québec’s “City of the Year” in 2004, the city of Rivière-du-Loup is the second largest service centre in the Lower St. Lawrence. The Rivière-du-Loup RCMs desire to see its territory occupied in a dynamic way has placed it at the heart of the action. It is home to educational institutions at all levels, a regional health centre that offers several areas of specialization, complete social, community and professional services, as well as businesses of all kinds. Culturally, the Rivière-du-Loup region is equipped with a 1000-seat cultural centre, a community arts centre, a movie theatre, a museum, art galleries and libraries. In addition, the region has a wide range of recreational equipment, which enables it to satisfy fans of any sport.

Thanks to its status as the most industrialized RCM in the Lower St. Lawrence as far as the number of jobs and companies are concerned, the Rivière-du-Loup RCM has a diversified, dynamic economic base. The region seeks to attract and generate job-creating companies. In fact, the presence of industry leaders in several sectors including peat moss, glass, pulp and paper, agri-food, woodworking, machinery, and land and sea transportation thanks to the presence of a deep-water port, has ensured that the region’s labour market remains one of the most active.

Apart from these dominant industrial groups, there are companies operating in most all modern economy industry sectors. This is without counting the many community services and the vitality of the tourism industry with its various infrastructures and institutions (thalassotherapy, fine cuisine, ecotourism, whale watching tours, heritage trails, etc.).

Name origins: It is believed that Rivière-du-Loup owes its name to the large numbers of seals that used to gather at the mouth of the river. In French, another name for seal is “loup-marin” (sea wolf); Rivière-du-Loup means “Wolf River”.

Last Update : 2005-02-25 | Printable version