Urban Saguenay – Exploring the Tri-Cities of Chicoutimi, La Baie and Jonquières

July 29, 2023 by admin

The rugged Saguenay region is a breathtaking natural area and a refuge for those who love the outdoors. Escaping the summer heat in their sweltering cities, thousands of Quebecers (Québécois) make a pilgrimage north to enjoy the fresh air and landscapes.

Geography
History
What to do in Saguenay
Conclusion

Geography

The urban metro of the Saguenay is actually composed of three distinct cities on the Saguanay River, a formation that has Fjord like qualities but carries fresh water.

La Baie – The industrial seaport built around the Ha! Ha! Bay.
Chicoutimi – The main urban center, and once an important pulp and paper town. Today it is home to much of Saguenay’s cultural clout and museums.
Jonquière – The second city of Saguenay it is an important pulp and paper and aluminum smelting hub.

History

Humble Beginnings

The region would take off slowly, beginning with the fur trade in Chicoutimi (starting in 1676). It was a natural junction for trade, however, and poised for greater things. In fact the Innu, indigenous to the area, used the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers for centuries. The name Chicoutimi itself is a reference to the importance of the site. The word means ‘the end of the deepwater’, making it an ideal junction for commerce.

Industrial Might

Yet the region would not truly hit its stride until the 19th century when it became a center for industry. Both this new industrial might and pressure from the Charlevoix drove the settlement of the land. This was a process that would last from the 19th century until the early 20th century, centering on a few key industries the most important of which were logging and farming (especially in the the Lac St. Jean region). Saguenay’s industry peaked in the 20th century, when pulp and paper mills became the norm, and northern Quebec with its ample supply of lumber, lakes and rivers was the perfect place to build these plants. This was supplemented by aluminum smelting and the construction of hydroelectric dams such as the one found in Alma. It is this industrialization that would help lay the groundwork for the creation of the city of Jonquière in 1847.

The process of industrialization only expanded when Canadian National Railway reached the Chicoutimi (thus the Saguenay) in 1893, particularly the mechanical pulp production. Unlike some parts of Quebec, namely Montreal, investments and wealth were derived from French Canadians owners rather then English ones. The Chicoutimi Pulp Co. was founded in 1896 and was rapidly followed by Jonquière in 1899-1901. By 1910 the Chicoutimi Pulp Mill was the mechanical pulp in Canada. This led to the development of a deep water port in the Bay of Ha! Ha! in what we call La Baie today to help ship this material along. Jonquière for its part founded he world’s largest aluminum plant, built between 1925 and 1928.

The Great Depression and Decline

The entire region was brought to a halt by the economic decline brought on by the Great Depression. The region would never truly recovered it tremendous momentum and began to stagnate. Although there were some successes. Namely, in Jonquière during 1942 the world’s largest hydroelectric station was built (at Shipshaw) to supply power to the Alcan plant.

Yet the decline continued and reflects a trend seen across North America. Chicoutimi shifted its economy to administration commercial services and doubled down on new pursuits. The Conservatoire de musique de Saguenay (Music conservatory) was founded in 1967 and a branch of the Université du Québec opened in 1969. While Chicoutimi played host to the Quebec Summer Games in 1972, Jonquière hosted the winter games in 1976 and the Canoe/Kayak World Championships in slalom and whitewater racing, in 1979

The biggest blow to the city came over summer of 1996, when a massive flood hit the region due to an record excess in rainfalls. Not only were dams were overrun but many bridges were swept away throughout the region. Chicoutimi’s downtown, especially the lower lying areas is still recovering. The overall cost of the disaster was pegged at 1.5 billion Canadian dollars and killed seven people.

What to do in Saguenay

La Baie

This port on the Ha! Ha! bay (Baie des Ha! Ha!), has a funny name. It took me a while to find out its meaning but it comes from the old french Ha! Ha! meaning ending of a path, such as a cul-de-sac. This arm of the Saguenay River Fjord is a 6.8 miles (11km’s) long cove and is nearly three miles wide (5km’s). You will find the Ha! Ha! river nearby.

Today what we call La Baie consists of three adjoining towns, Grande-Baie, Port-Alfred, and Bagotville.

Source: Adqproductions – Own work (Wikipedia)

Visit the Fjord Museum

If you enjoy sea life, this small museum and aquarium may be worth your time.

Watch the Ships Enter the Bay at the Seaport

The area where La Baie is now located was largely uninhabited for most of its history, with the exception of occasional stops by nomadic Innu people. This tranquility would be broken 1838 when a sawmill was constructed. This may seem trite but it is hard to believe that this was the case when you see a tanker or cruise ship pull in. Speaking of which my favourite thing to do in La Baie is too sit on the waterfront rocks and enjoy a few pints while watching the ships roll in and out. Not only is the bay beautiful but

For more information on the development of the ports next section

Drive Around The Industrial Areas

This area has a proud industrial heritage. Growth was very limited when the land was under the control Hudson’s Bay Company (1821 – 1842). The arrival of the railways in Chicoutimi in 1893 precipitated a new massive wave of development. The Compagnie de Pulpe de Chicoutimi (The Chicoutimi Pulp Co.) would build a massive terminal at this location to ship their product as they had outgrown Chicoutimi’s port. This in turn precipitated the construction of the The Ha! Ha! Bay railway to Bagotville in 1909. The Chicoutimi pulp company were prepared to build a chemical pulp plant here but this was foiled by war and economic recession. Instead two hydro and a Sulfite plant were constructed, the latter in the village of Port-Alfred.

The dirty twenties saw the loss of the Sulfite plant and the Chicoutimi pulp company. The Sulfite was converted to a pulp and paper plant in 1925, but that too closed by 1928. Port-Alfred’s facilities began to load aluminum instead. The great depression would force the town to turn to agriculture and public works projects. In the later years industry would rebound unevenly, but reform the backbone of the town.

So this being said there is a lot of this industrial landscape left to see in town if you wish to seek it.

Spend an afternoon at Saguenay Beach

A nice little beach, with views of the bay.

Hike up to the Croix du centenaire (Century Cross)

One of the large rocks jutting our into the bay is home to a worthwhile hike up where you will be privy to great views of the bay.

Be Weirded out by the Pyramide Des Ha! Ha!

Commemorating the devastating 1996 flood is a strange sight… a strange red pyramid composed of 3000 stacked, triangular “yield” road signs. Built by the Ha! Ha! river it features an observation deck. This is a weird one!

Watch the planes take off and land at the Bagotville Airbase (+ Air Defence Museum)

As strange as it sounds this local military base is a popular hangout spot for locals, flight watchers who sit back and enjoy a cool summer evening to watch the planes, and after visiting I can see why.

The military base was established during the Second World War and was a training base for Canadian and Allied pilots during the war. It was also meant to protect the Arvida aluminum smelter and the regions’ dams during the war. Like many of its contemporaries it was shut down in 1945 and used as a civilian airport. It was reopened as a military base in July 1951, at the height of the Cold War. A museum on site commemorates this history but the real star is the military craft themselves!

Chicoutimi

The principal settlement of the Saguenay, it is built in the center of the three cities featured in this post. The city sits on a prominent location on the Saguenay river, and is considered to be the cultural heart of the region.

Poste-de-traite-de-Chicoutimi (Trading Post)

Part of the Basin Quarter, the oldest in the city, these ruins once belonged to the fur trading post that was set up in Chicoutimi. It is a small stone foundation, little else but still cool!

Pont de Sainte-Anne (St. Anne Bridge)

Linking both sides of the Saguenay river, from the old port out, this 1930’s streel truss bridge has been transformed into a pedestrian paradise.

La Pulperie de Chicoutimi – Regional Museum

One of the two must see attractions in Chicoutimi (along with the White House), this complex of stone pulp mills on the Chicoutimi river is rather impressive. The Old Chicoutimi Pulp Mill, is a sublime example of an an early 20th-century industrial complex. It was in operation from 1898 to 1930.

Today the it is Chicoutimi’s regional museum and features exhibits both in and outdoors on the history of the region and its economic ans well as cultural development.

Le Musée de la Petite Maison Blanche and le Quartier du Bassin (White House Museum and Basin Quarter)

A lonesome survivor of the fabled 1996 flood and a 1947 one as well, this small while house was built on Gédéon street around the year 1890. It was part of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Chicoutimi, le quartier du Bassin, that was never rebuilt after 1996. The flood tore apart the area, yet against all odds this little ancient home unexpetadly resisted being swept away even when surrounded. Now a museum to the flood, it is considered a symbol of the city’s resilience.

Vieux-port de Chicoutimi (The Old Port)

Built along the saguenay river, the old port has turned into quite a nice place to be. Filled with grandiose water features including fountains. One of these is shaped like a whale and is quite recognizable.

Lower Racine Street

This section of the city was the hardest hit by the Saguenay flood, and has yet to recover. It is filled with empty storefronts, yet looks like it was once a great place to be. The iconic building on this stretch is the old city hall. This strange stone and Art Deco combo, with a distinctive clocktower is by far one of the most handsome structures in town.

Upper Racine Street

Home to the city’s bars and restaurants this Upper Town is the liveliest part of town and features some of its most urban streets.

Saint-François-Xavier Cathedral

Overlooking the oldest part of the city, at its highest point, is a beautiful stone building in Renaissance Revival style. The first cathedral on this site opened in 1878 abut was destroyed in 1912. It was replaced in 1915, but also burned down in 1919. The current sanctuary opened in 1922. It features a beautiful interior that is painted in beautiful white in contrast with its austere exterior. It is worth a look!

North Shore / St Anne’s Cross (Parc Historique de la Croix de Sainte-Anne)

The north shore of the Saguenay river is rather short on attractions. One nice thing is the view of the Chicoutimi river from St Anne’s Cross (Parc Historique de la Croix de Sainte-Anne)

Jonquière

The westernmost city of the three, Jonquière is unique in that it is built inland from the Saguenay River. It is possibly the least interesting of the three cities but can be worth a stop none-the-less.

Sir William Price History Centre

It is strange to think that in such a francophone part of the country that an anglophone would be remembered as well as he is, but this man was a builder and loved by his people. Once of the main builders of Jonquiere, he established a pulp and paper mill of wide renowned in the city. To service it he founded he town of Kénogami (now part of Jonquiere).

The site is built around a small church and open air space that commemorates his life and the history of the city. Educated at Bishops College in Lennoxville, he was an active community member he founded multiple companies for the Second Boer War. During the First World War he helped build the famed Valcartier camp. He would become an honorary lieutenant-colonel and eventually knighted (hence “Sir”). He was also a conservative MP for the Québec-Ouest riding at the federal level from 1908-1911. He would die in a 1924 landslide while inspecting his pulp mill.

Much of Jonquière’s development owed its strength to the Price family and clearly he was a respected figure

Belvédère sentiers du Mont Jacob

Mt Jacob is a large round bump along the urban landscape. Its lookout offers great views of the city especially in the fall!

Parc Price

This linear park located off Price Street, commemorates the important mill owner of Kénogami. The twin lion gate offers an impressive gateway in. The road in leads to a lookout with views of the Shipshaw Power Station.

Shipshaw Power Station

Once one of the largest hydro plants in the world (the largest actually), this 1,145MW hydro pant is located north of the city on Saguenay river. It features a visitors center.

Conclusion

A visit to the Saguenay guarantees another, and as you will see return visits to the region are commonplace even transcending generations. This post covers the more urban sections of the region but its true charm lies out in the wilderness. Nevertheless, these cities are underrated places to check out if you are in the region.

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