Rimouski
Rimouski is a city of just under 50,000 people (2016) in Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Rimouski can be considered the university city of eastern Quebec. Travellers often view Rimouski merely as a stop on the way to the Gaspé Peninsula, but there are many interesting things to see in the region.
Understand
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.
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
- 1 Tourisme Rimouski, 50 rue Saint-Germain Ouest, ☏ +1 418-723-2322, toll-free: +1-800-746-6875 (Canada-US). Early May to mid-Jun: M-F 09:00-16:30; mid-June to early Sep: daily 08:30-19:30; early Sep-early Oct: M-F 08:30-17:30, Sa Su 11:00-16:00; early Oct-early May: M-F 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:30.
Get in
By plane
- Aéroport régional de Mont-Joli (YYY IATA) 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
- 1 Rimouski Airport (YXK IATA). General 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. It takes about 3 hours by car from Quebec City to Rimouski.
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: Service from Montreal, Quebec City, and Rivière-du-Loup.
- Maritime Bus: Service from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI, via Rivière-du-Loup. As of 2021, this service terminates at Edmundston and does not cross into Quebec.
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.
Get around
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, ☏ +1 418-723-3344. There is one taxi company in Rimouski; they are very clean and easy to call.
- Société des transports de Rimouski., ☏ +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.
See
- 1 Site historique maritime, 1000 Rue du Phare. 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 HMCS Onondaga, a submarine in Canadian military service from 1967-2000, can be visited; an overnight stay on the ship is available by advance reservation.
- 2 Canyon de la Porte de l'Enfer, 1280 Chemin Duchénier, Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski, ☏ +1 418-735-6063. A canyon in the mountains south of Rimouski.
- 3 (French only) Musée régional de Rimouski, 35 Rue Saint-Germain Ouest, ☏ +1 418-724-2272. Regional museum in old stone church.
- Maison Lamontagne, 707, boulevard du Rivage, ☏ +1 418-722-4038. 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.
Do
- 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, Colisée Financière Sun Life, 111 2e Rue Ouest, ☏ +1 418-723-4444, toll-free: +1-800-463-4450. Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team. 2014-15 champions. Adult $17.50, senior $14.50, student $9.50, child $6.50, standing $10.
- Salon du livre de Rimouski, Conference Center, 225 Boul. René-Lepage Est. Th-Su in early November. 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. $4, 17 and under free.
- Festi Jazz International. Five days in late Aug/early Sep. Jazz passport $160, prices for individual shows vary.
- 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.
- 1 Parc national du Bic (Bic National Park) (access to the park is from Route 132 between Saint-Fabien and Rimouski, southwest of Rimouski), toll-free: +1-800-665-6527. A 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). Camping $30-36, RV $24, yurt $104-117, chalet $144-158.
Learn
- 2 Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), 300 Allée des Ursulines. The university is renowned for its courses in oceanography and in marine biology.
- 3 Institut Maritime Du Québec, 53 Rue Saint Germain O, ☏ +1 418-724-2822.
Buy
- 1 SmartCentres Rimouski, 415 Montée Industrielle-et-Commerciale. A shopping mall with Best Buy, supermarket, Winners, furniture store, gas station and other stores.
Eat
- Cafe-Bistro Le Bercail - Coop de Solidarite, 166a, Avenue de la Cathedrale, ☏ +1 418-730-6565. Su Tu 11:00-16:00, W-F 11:00-22:00, Sa 10:00-22:00 (kitchen closes at 21:00 W-Sa). 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, 150 Ave de la Cathedrale, ☏ +1 418-730-6525. Tu-F 11:00-22:00, Sa 17:00-22:00. Local produce, fish, oysters, red meats, homemade pudding, tartars, private import wines, microbrewery beers. 2-course lunch $16-23, dinner mains $24-39.
- Cantine de la gare, 2 rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste Est, ☏ +1 418-723-3748. Su-Tu 08:00-01:00, W-F 08:00-04:00, Sa 08:00-04:30. 19 different poutines from $4.50 to $27. Hamburgers, hot dogs, submarines and sandwiches.
- La Maison du Spaghetti,, 35 rue St-Germain Est, ☏ +1 418-723-6010. Daily 11:00-22:00. Pasta $15-23 (+$2 for gluten-free), pizzas $15-22, mains $20-25, lunch $13-17.
Drink
- Le Bien, Le Malt, 141, Belzile avenue. Su-W 14:00–00:00, Th-Sa 14:00-02:00. Artisanal brewery.
Sleep
- 1 Gouverneur Hotel Rimouski, 155 Boulevard René Lepage E, toll-free: +1-888-910-1111. Free parking and Wi-Fi. Restaurant, pool, bar/lounge, air conditioning, accessible rooms. From $105.
- 2 Hôtel Rimouski, 225 Boulevard René Lepage E, ☏ +1 418-725-5000. Pool, free parking and Wi-Fi, restaurant, fitness centre, bar/lounge, spa, air conditioning, family rooms. From $129.
- Motel Colonial, 438 Saint Germain Blvd, ☏ +1 418-723-8960, toll-free: +1-800-463-1274. Economy rooms with fridge and air conditioning. Pets welcome. From $87.
Connect
Go next
| Routes through Rimouski |
| Sainte-Foy ← Trois-Pistoles ← | W  E |
→ Mont-Joli → Moncton |
| Rivière-du-Loup ← Trois-Pistoles ← | W  E |
→ Mont-Joli → Gaspé |