Rimouski

Rimouski is a small city on the coast of the St. Lawrence River. It can be considered the university city of eastern Quebec. Unfortunately, travellers often view Rimouski merely as a stop on the way to the Gaspé Peninsula. However, there are many interesting things to see in the region.
The Regional Hospital of Rimouski is the largest employer in Rimouski and the region is with 2200 employees and 170 doctors. One of Rimouski's primary economic fields is its maritime sector. Around 1900 the port was important for operating mail tenders such as HMCS Lady Evelyn for transatlantic liners. These could take mail from an arriving ship in the mouth of the St Lawrence, then speed it by rail to Quebec, arriving long before the ship. Rimouski is the home of the Institut Maritime du Québec, a college, and to many marine research centres, such as the Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER), the Centre de recherche sur les biotechnologies marines and the Centre interdisciplinaire de développement en cartographie des océans.

• Tourisme Rimouski

  phone: +1 418-723-2322
  address: 50 rue Saint-Germain Ouest

History

The city was founded in 1696 by Sir René Lepage de Ste-Claire from Ouanne in the Burgundy region. He exchanged property he owned on the Île d'Orléans with Augustin Rouer de la Cardonnière for the Seigneurie of Rimouski, which extended along the St. Lawrence River from the Hâtée River at Le Bic to the Métis River. De la Cardonnière had been the owner of Rimouski since 1688, but had never lived there. René Lepage moved his family to Rimouski, where it held the seigneurie until 1790, when it was sold to the Quebec City businessman Joseph Drapeau.
On May 6, 1950 Rimouski suffered a severe fire, in which 319 houses burned to the ground. This event is known as La nuit rouge (French for Red Night). The fire originated in the Price Brothers Company yard on the left shore of the Rimouski River and quickly crossed the river and spread throughout the city pushed by strong winds, destroying half of the city. No one died in the blaze. Legend has it that a priest sprinkled holy water around the city's cathedral and that the fire would not cross the line.

Talk

The Bas-Saint-Laurent region is not as touristic as the Gaspé Peninsula, so speaking a bit of French can help you very much.

Visitor information

• Bureau d'information touristique de Rimouski

  phone: +1 418-723-2322
  address: 50 Rue St Germain O, Rimouski

By plane

• Aéroport régional de Mont-Joli (YYY) is the closest airport with scheduled flights, 35 km to the east of Rimouski.

• Air Canada makes daily flights to Baie-Comeau and Montréal; that is, two flights daily, except Saturdays, when there is one morning flight
• Pascan Aviation makes daily flights to Quebec City, Montréal, Baie-Comeau/Sept-Îles and Bonaventure/Îles de la Madeleine throughout the year, 5 days a week, from Monday through Friday

Rimouski AirportGeneral aviation and cargo flights.

By train

The Via Rail train station is near downtown. Eastbound train arrives at 01:30 and the westbound train arrives at 01:50, three times weekly, which transits just after midnight to Quebec City.

By car

Route 132 leads westward to Quebec City and Montreal. There are two disconnected segments of Autoroute 20 which bypass portions of this road; one is a local bypass around Rimouski, the other is the main freeway from Rivière-du-Loup westward to Ontario.
Route 132 east forks at Ste-Flavie near Mont-Joli, becoming a coastal road which circles the entire Gaspé Peninsula.
From New Brunswick, bridges at Campbellton-Pointe-à-la-Croix and at Matapédia lead to Route 132; follow 132 through Matapédia to Ste-Flavie.

By bus

Orléans Express has many daily runs to Rivière-du-Loup. Onward connections are available to Quebec City and Montreal. Maritime Bus has taken over the former Acadian Lines run from Rivière-du-Loup to Moncton with connections to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI.

By boat

• Rimouski-Forestville Ferry Between April and October, ferry service to Forestville on the CNN Evolution. A catamaran ferry that holds the title of fastest ferry in the province of Quebec, crossing the river in only 55 minutes.

• Rivière-du-Loup/Saint-Siméon Ferry The MV Trans-St-Laurent provides seasonal ferry service from April to January. Travellers are advised to contact the ferry agency directly for more accurate schedule details.

• Matane/Baie-Comeau-Godbout The MV Camille-Marcoux is a government run ferry providing service to Baie-Comeau and Godbout on the north shore of the St-Lawrence River with 4-6 departures daily year round. Vehicle reservations are required.

Downtown Rimouski is rather small and walkable. However, you will need a car to get into or out of this area. Parking is easily found in this city.

• Taxi

  phone: +1 418-723-3344
  There is one taxi company in Rimouski; they are very clean and easy to call.

• Société des transports de Rimouski.

  phone: +1 418-723-5555
  Public transit in Rimouski is minimal and serves only the central portion of the city. Taxi-Bus is a taxi that picks up and stops at designated stops (like a city bus) but must be reserves an hour in advance with a membership card. CitéBus is the public bus system of the city.

• Site historique maritime

  address: 1000 Rue du Phare, Rimouski
  At Point-au-Père, a small town near Rimouski which marks the official dividing point between the St. Lawrence River and the open Gulf. The lighthouse is the second-tallest in Canada; the buildings which once housed lighthouse keepers may be visited. There is a marine museum with extensive coverage of the "Empress of Ireland" ocean liner collision and sinking; a "Hangar 14" historic museum recounts life in 1914. The Onondaga, a submarine in Canadian military service from 1967-2000, can be visited; an overnight stay on the ship is available by advance reservation.

• Canyon de la Porte de l'Enfer

  phone: +1 418-735-6063
  address: 1280 Chemin Duchénier, Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski
  A canyon in the mountains south of Rimouski.

• Musée régional de Rimouski

  address: 35 Rue Saint-Germain Ouest, Rimouski
  Regional museum in old stone church.

• Maison Lamontagne

  address: 707, boulevard du Rivage
  Built in 1750 per Marie-Agnès Lepage, granddaughter of René Lepage de Ste-Claire. It is one of the oldest half-timbered houses in Quebec.

• Île Saint-Barnabé. From the marina, take the boat ($16.50, every 30 minutes) to the island in front or Rimouski. You can walk in nature.

• Rimouski Océanic

  phone: +1 418-723-4444
  address: Colisée Financière Sun Life, 111 2e Rue Ouest
  Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team. 2014-15 champions.

• Salon du livre de Rimouski

  address: Conference Center, 225 René-Lepage Boulevard East
  The yearly salon is the oldest event of the kind in the province of Quebec. It was created in 1964 by a group of women with a passion for literature, who wished to make literature more accessible to young readers. Every year, more than 125 authors from the region and its surroundings participate in the event, and over 300 Quebec Publishers distribute about 75 stands among themselves. The event attracts more than 8000 visitors per year.

• Festi Jazz International

• Other festivals include: the Grandes fêtes du St-Laurent, a familial musical event taking place the first week-end of July and the Carrousel international du film de Rimouski, an international films festival.

• Parc national du BicA 33.2 km² (8,200 acres) national park of Quebec. It is home to large populations of harbour seals and gray seals. Slightly less than half of the park is a coastal marine environment. 11 easy to difficult hikes stretching 25 km, 4 easy to intermediate biking trails covering 15 km. It is typical of the southern coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, containing several characteristics low-flow rivers, salt marshes, rocky hills with a very steep northern slope and a relatively gentle southern slope. Bike and fat-bike rental available ($14/20 per hour).

Learn

• Université du Québec à Rimouski

  address: 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski
  The university is renowned for its courses in oceanography and in marine biology.

• Institut Maritime Du Québec

  phone: +1 418-724-2822
  address: 53 Rue Saint Germain O, Rimouski, QC G5L 4B4

• SmartCentres Rimouski

  address: 415 Montée Industrielle-et-Commerciale, Rimouski
  A shopping mall with Best Buy, supermarket, Winners, furniture store, gas station and other stores.

• Cafe-Bistro Le Bercail - Coop de Solidarite

  phone: +1 418-730-6565
  address: 166a, Avenue de la Cathedrale
  A solidarity co-op serving vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, socially committed and constantly renewed food. It is a health restaurant that encourages the local economy by highlighting the work of our artisans and local producers. It offers a diversified cultural offer to enhance your evenings: a comforting coffee, a healthy and affordable meal, or a good beer from microbreweries.

• La Reserve Bistro

  phone: +1 418-730-6525
  address: 150 Ave de la Cathedrale
  Local produce, fish, oysters, red meats, homemade pudding, tartars, private import wines, microbrewery beers.

• Cantine de la gare

  address: 2 rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste Est
  19 different poutines from $4.50 to $27. Hamburgers, hot dogs, submarines and sandwiches.

• La Maison du Spaghetti,

  address: 35 rue St-Germain Est Rimouski

• Le Bien, Le Malt

  address: 141, Belzile avenue
  Artisanal brewery.

• Gouverneur Hotel Rimouski

  address: 155 Boulevard René Lepage E, Rimouski
  Free parking and Wi-Fi. Restaurant, pool, bar/lounge, air conditioning, accessible rooms.

• Hôtel Rimouski

  phone: +1 418-725-5000
  address: 225 Boulevard René Lepage E, Rimouski
  Pool, free parking and Wi-Fi, restaurant, fitness centre, bar/lounge, spa, air conditioning, family rooms.

• Motel Colonial

  phone: +1 418-723-8960
  address: 438 Saint Germain Blvd
  Economy rooms with fridge and air conditioning. Pets welcome.

• Gaspé Peninsula