Lanaudiere

History Demography Economy

Lanaudiere is located between the Mauricie and the Laurentides regions. It is well known as a good destination for going 'back to nature'.

The region originally belonged to the Lords of Lanaudiere.

Originally the region belonged to the Lords of Lanaudiere from 1665-1926. They were well known for protecting and developing the region as a French colony in North America. On February, 20, 1962, the name Lanaudiere was officially applied to the region by the Chamber of Congress.

The region is mostly urban.

The region of Lanaudiere is comprised of six MRC, seventy-two municipalities, and one Indian reserve. There are 279,014 people living in a 13,458 sq. km expanse. L'Assomption and Les Moulins are the most populated and urbanized MRC. In addition, half of the region is not municipalized.

800 manufacturers employ over 16,000 workers.

The agricultural sector is extremely strong in Lanaudiere. The major portion of the agricultural sector is concentrated on growing cereals and animal feed; raising cattle, pigs, and chickens; and dairy farming. Secondary agricultural industries include: tobacco, potatoes, sunflower, peas, lentils, mushrooms, and various fruits. The most agricultural regions are L'Assomption and Les Moulins. La Matawinie is the least agricultural region.

There are two kinds of forest ownership in Lanaudiere. The first is public (75%), and most of the land is located in the north. The second is private (25%), located to the south. In total there are about 250 entrepreneurs exploiting the forests in the center or the south.

Eight-hundred manufacturers employ over sixteen thousand workers. Some of the industries include: food and beverages, clothing, wood, electric products, electronic products, rubber, paper, chemicals, plastics, and non-metallic minerals. Firestone Canada, Papiers Scott, Amsco, and Ciment St. Laurent are just of few of the companies in the area.

Tourists are mainly attracted to the natural scenery of the area. The most frequented destinations are Lakes Archambault, Maskinonge, Taureau, or Rivers l'Assomption, Ouareau, Achigan, Noire, Rouge, and Saint-Esprit.

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