Mauricie / Bois-Francs

History Demography Economy

The Mauricie / Bois-Francs region is strategically located between Montreal and Quebec, making it a very important place in Quebec's history.

The first ironworks in Canada was in the Maurice Bois-Francs.

Three different indigenous nations inhabited the region before colonization. The Algonquins stayed in the north shore, the Abenaki lived in the south shore, while the Attikameks were in the Upper Saint-Maurice portion.

In 1634, Champlain sent Sieur de Laviolette to settle the region. Trois-Rivières was the first spot settled making it the second oldest city in Quebec. The seigniorial system caused a relatively quick expansion of the region, and in 1730, iron deposits at Les Forges du Saint-Maurice led to the first ironworks in Canada.

99% of the population live on 29% of the territory.

The total population of Maurice Bois-Francs is 453,813, living in 46,804 sq. km of territory. There are ten MRC, one-hundred-and-seventy-eight municipalities, and five Indian reserves. Most of the population is concentrated along the Saint-Lawrence plains or the Appalachians.

Seventy percent of the population is urban, with seventy-seven percent of them living in Drummondville, Shawinigan, or Victoriaville. Hence, most of the region is uninhabited. Ninety-nine percent of the people live on twenty-nine percent of the land..

Saint-Maurice and Becancour have the most industries.

With respect to the primary sector of the economy: pulp and paper mills can be found in La Tuque, Mauricie, Grand-mere, Trois-Rivières, and Cap-de-la-Madeleine; farming is well known around Bois-Francs; and Saint-Maurice has its own hydro-electric facility. The service industry is also worth mentioning.

Shawinigan manufactures chemicals and metallurgical products. Furniture, textiles, and clothing manufacturers are located in Drummondville and Victoriaville. However, Saint-Maurice and Becancour have the most industries.

Related Web Sites

Mauricie-Bois-Francs