Chibougamau

History

The area has long been part of the Cree First Nation (Aboriginal) territory. It was in the early 17th century that French explorers and traders, including Charles Albanel in 1671, came to the Lake Chibougamau area. However, no permanent European settlements were established at that time.
In the late 19th century, the area attracted the interest of mining prospectors. When gold was discovered in 1903, there were periods of intense exploration. Due to difficulty of access, no lasting development took place until 1949 when copper was exploited, with the opening of a multi-metallic mine in the area. A permanent community was established in 1952. Chibougamau started out as a company town but soon after, in 1954, it was incorporated as a municipality. Many mines have exploited the area since. While still thought of as a mining town, Chibougamau is now also the centre of a large logging and sawmill industry.

By car

From southern Québec, the general route to Chibougamau-Chapais is Route 167 from Lac St-Jean, from where it is possible to travel to Trois-Rivières via Shawinigan and Roberval on Route 155. Western Québec and Ontario are connected to Chibougamau by Route 113, connecting to Route 117 at Louvicourt near Val-d'Or. Both routes are paved and have a speed limit of 90 km/h.
The North Road (Route du Nord), an isolated gravel road, connects Chibougamau to the James Bay Road (Route de la Baie-James).

By bus

• Intercar

  phone: +1 418-547-2167
  address: 501 4ième rue
  Intercar (2249, rue St-Hubert, Jonquière) operates a bus service to Chibougamau. Their buses are available through most of the province, including Quebec City (7-7½ hours, $100) and the Saguenay region.

By plane

• Chibougamau/Chapais Airport

  phone: +1 418-748-3764
  Daily flights with Air Creebec from Montréal-Dorval (except Saturday).

There is no public transport in Chibougamau. There are two local taxi services on 3rd Street:

• Taxi Diamond

  phone: +1 418-748-7725
  address: 473 3ième rue

• Taxi Coop

  phone: +1 418-748-7651
  address: 557 3ième rue

• Mining Discovery Centre

  phone: +1 418-748-4209
  address: 924 Route 167 nord
  Museum in former Bruneau mine covering mining history from the ancient Pharaohs' search for gold to modern times, plus a guided tour of the mine.

• Cree communities: Chibougamau is the largest regional centre to visit the aboriginal Cree communities of Oujé-Bougoumou (47 km west) and Mistissini (86 km north). Oujé-Bougoumou was designed by renowned Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal, who designed the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Québec, and has received UNESCO recognition as a model community due to sustainable development practices and cultural preservation.
• Wildlife abounds. Bears are sometimes visible at the municipal dump.

• Festival FolifretsChibougamau celebrates the winter. Ten days at the end of Feb to mid-March. Antique snowmobile rally, endurance run.

• Centre de plein air du Mont Chalco

  phone: +1 418-748-7162
  address: 264 route 167
  Snowboarding, ski rental, 11 slopes, a triple chairlift, a tube run, snowblades, 29 km (18 mi) of cross-country ski trails and a snowshoe trail.

• Club de Golf de Chibougamau

  phone: +1 418-748-4709
  address: 130, rue des Forces-Armées
  Nine-hole golf course, golf cart, club and ball rental, restaurant, conference facilities. Mid-May to mid-Sept.

• Escapade Boréale

  phone: +1 418-770-8351
  address: 1252 route 167, Chapais
  Tent, canoe and parasail rental.

• Paraski Boréal

  phone: +1 418-770-8342
  Kite skiing. Paraski Flex and IKO instruction and equipment.

• Lake GilmanWalking, biking and fishing.

• Mini-Golf

  phone: +1 418-748-2225
  address: 651, 3e Rue
  18 holes. Chess club “Les fous de la tour de glace” on-site.

• Pourvoirie Chibougamau

  phone: +1 418 630-6898
  address: Lac Laganière, route 167 Nord, La Doré
  Outfitter and fishing camp with 2-6 person cottages (kitchen, running water, propane, patio, shower, BBQ).

• Salle de quilles Bolorama

  phone: +1 418-748-7286
  address: 160, avenue Lafontaine
  Eight-lane bowling alley.
• Snowmobile trails lead across the province, from Rouyn-Noranda through Chibougamau to the Saguenay.

• Centre Commercial Place Le Chaînon

  address: 466 3e Rue

All of the following restaurants are located on 3e rue.

• Au Petit Bedon

  phone: +1 418-748-6045
  address: 466 3ième rue

• Casse Croûte Louka

  phone: +1 418-748-2232
  address: 586 3ième rue

• Chateau Chibougamau

  phone: +1 418-748-6447
  address: 966 3ième rue

• Chez Jo-Anne

  phone: +1 418-748-7980
  address: 541 3ième rue

• Chez Julie

  phone: +1 418-748-7444
  address: 541 3ième rue
  Dinner style restaurant serving breakfast, hamburgers, poutine and other rather greasy dishes.

• Le Coq Rôti

  phone: +1 418-748-1144
  address: 453 3ième rue
  Chicken rotisserie belonging to a province wide chain, they serve various chicken dishes as well as pasta and pizza.

• Rendez-Vous Copains

  phone: +1 418-748-3494
  address: 920 3ième rue

All of the below bars are on 3e rue.

• Le Gwillim

  phone: +1 418-748-7533
  address: 560 3ième rue
  Popular local nightclub that attracts a very young crowd, impressive selection of shooters.

• La Ptite Broue

  phone: +1 418-748-4848
  address: 535 3ième rue
  Another fairly popular pub that attracts a good crowd on weekends.

• Pub Royal

  phone: +1 418-748-3643
  address: 502 3ième rue
  Popular local bar/sports bar/pub, with music weekend nights, serving a wide variety of imported and local beers, liqueurs, absinthe, and various dishes.
• Le Rendez-Vous at the Hôtel Chibougamau typically attracts a large aboriginal crowd. Pool table and gaming machines.
• Le CabArrêt is the local strip club.

All of the following accommodations are located on 3e rue (Route 167):

• Éco-Camping

  phone: +1 418-748-7276
  address: 512 Route 167 Sud
  Mid-May to Labour Day, 42 campsites for tents and RVs on Lac Sauvage, sports field and equipment, playground, Wi-Fi, wood, showers, laundry, bicycle rental. Pet-friendly. Just outside the city on Route 167.

• Motel Harricana

  phone: +1 418-748-7771
  address: 1000 3ième rue
  100 rooms, TV/radio, laundry, conference facilities for 175 (restaurant/bar).

• Motel Nordic

  phone: +1 418-748-7686
  address: 966 3ième rue
  52 rooms, a/c, dvd, wi-fi, refrigerators. Resto-Bistro Roméo et Juliette.

• Hôtel Chibougamau

  phone: +1 418-748-2669
  address: 473, 3e rue
  Large hotel in centre of town with Internet, video, minibar, laundry, meeting facilities, «Le Bon Accueil» restaurant, «Le Rendez-vous» and «La Tourelle» bars.