La Tuque, Quebec

Infobox City
official_name = Ville de La Tuque
motto = Industriis et labore cresco
"(Industry and work to grow)"


image_shield = Blason ville ca La Tuque (Québec).svg
shield_size =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = CAN
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = QC
subdivision_type2 = Region
subdivision_name2 = Mauricie
subdivision_type3 = Census division
subdivision_name3 = La Tuque
government_footnotes = [ [http://www.mamr.gouv.qc.ca/cgi-bin/repert1.pl?region=&mrc=&geo=90012&muni= Municipalité: La Tuque - Répertoire des municipalités du Québec] - MAMR, retrieved september 23 2007]
government_type = City
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Réjean Gaudreault
unit_pref = Metric
area_footnotes = [ [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=302&SR=76&S=3&O=D&RPP=25&PR=24&CMA=0 Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data] - Statistics Canada, retrieved september 23 2007]
area_land_km2 = 25104.59
area_metro_km2 = 25431.76
area_urban_km2 = 25.84
population_footnotes = [ [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=302&SR=76&S=3&O=D&RPP=25&PR=24&CMA=0 Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data] - Statistics Canada, retrieved september 23 2007]
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 11821
population_density_km2 = 0.5
population_metro = 15293
population_density_metro_km2 = 0.6
population_urban = 9716
population_density_urban_km2 = 376.0
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd=47 |latm=27 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=72 |longm=47 |longs= |longEW=W
area_code =819

La Tuque is a city in northeastern Quebec, Canada on the Saint-Maurice River, between Trois-Rivières and Chambord. In 1960 it had a population of just over 11,000 ("Latuquois").

La Tuque became the largest municipality in land area in Quebec, and second largest in Canada (38,000 km²) after it was merged with the village of Parent, the municipalities of La Bostonnais, La Croche, and Lac-Édouard, and the unorganized territories of Kiskissink, Lac-Berlinguet, Lac-des-Moires, Lac-Pellerin, Lac-Tourlay, Obedjiwan, Petit-Lac-Wayagamac, and Rivière-Windigo on March 26, 2003. The former city of La Tuque had itself been formed from the merger of La Tuque and La Tuque Falls in 1911.

The name, which dates to the eighteenth century, originates from a nearby rock formation which resembles the well-known French-Canadian hat known as the tuque. In 1823-24, the explorer François Verreault described the location as

:"un Portage nommé Ushabatshuan (le courant trop fort pour le sauter). Les Voyageurs le nomment la Tuque, à cause d'une Montagne haute, dont le pic resemble à une Tuque. Ce portage est d'une lieue, avec des fortes côtes à monter." :("a portage named Ushabatshuan ('the rapids too strong to shoot'). The voyageurs call it La Tuque, due to a tall mountain whose peak resembles a tuque. The portage is a league long, and climbs steep slopes.")

The local economy centres on pulp and paper; the city has a pulp-milling centre as well as a major hydroelectric station. The local scenery offers tourism opportunities as well; the city is known as the Queen of Haute-Mauricie and the "Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie" canoeing race begins at La Tuque.

Famous residents

*Félix Leclerc
*Thérèse Dion, mother of world renowned Canadian French singer Céline Dion, grew up in La Tuque.

ee also

* Municipal reorganization in Quebec

References

External links

* [http://www.mrchsm.org/ville-la-tuque.html La Tuque (Tourisme Haut-Saint-Maurice)]
* [http://www.cldhsm.qc.ca/municipalites.html Ville de La Tuque (Haut-Saint-Maurice)]
* [http://www.eauquai.com Eau Quai Saint-Maurice (Kayaking on St. Maurice River)]
* [http://www.tourismemauricie.com Tourisme Mauricie] Regional tourist office