Maskinongé Region

Maskinongé Regional County Municipality (MRC de Maskinongé) is a region west of Trois-Rivières on the Saint Lawrence River in Mauricie. Louiseville is the region's largest town.

Cities

• 1 Charette — Built at the foot of the Laurentians, Charette has developed through agriculture and forestry. Its railway station was once a vector of economic development.
• 2 Louiseville — A town on the north shore of Lake Saint-Pierre which bears the title of "hostess of the Mauricie" thanks to the hospitality of its residents. Chief town of the Maskinongé MRC, it is particularly known for its Galette Festival. It includes one of the most beautiful churches in Canada. The annual stopover for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds in spring and fall attracts many visitors.
• 3 Maskinongé (municipality) — A mainly agricultural community with recreational and tourism activities (e.g. vacationing, boating, fishing, marinas, observation and hunting of migratory birds) along the Maskinongé River and the shores of Lake Saint-Pierre (particularly in the Îles de Sorel).
• 4 Saint-Alexis-des-Monts — Being the last stopover before the Mastigouche wildlife reserve, Saint-Alexis-des-Monts is an important centre of recreational and tourist activities.
• 5 Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont — A small town with an economy focused on agriculture and forestry.
• 6 Saint-Barnabé — Peaceful locality with an economy centred on agriculture.
• 7 Saint-Boniface, Quebec — A residential community in the suburbs of Shawinigan, whose economy is based on forestry, agriculture, certain businesses, certain public services and recreational tourism activities.
• 8 Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé — A recreational tourism centre focused on camping and the famous Zoo Animalia.
• 9 Saint-Élie-de-Caxton — Saint-Élie-de-Caxton is a land of nature and culture. The main recreational tourism activities are: vacationing, camping, hiking trails, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cycling, hunting and fishing.
• 10 Saint-Étienne-des-Grès — Well located between Shawinigan and Trois-Rivières, and on the edge of Saint-Maurice, this locality offers several recreational and tourist attractions: La Gabelle hydroelectric power station and its nature park, its seaplane tours, its campsites, the seven municipal parks, and leisure activities.
• 11 Saint-Justin — Locality focused on agriculture, forestry and recreational tourism activities related to forestry.
• 12 Saint-Léon-le-Grand — The main economic vocation of the territory is agriculture.
• 13 Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc — Last village-relay before the southwest entrance to La Mauricie National Park. This locality has great recreational tourism (La Mauricie national park, resort, camping, hiking trails, observation of flora and fauna, maple groves, mountain biking, snowmobiles, cycling, hunting and fishing).
• 14 Saint-Paulin — A locality of leisure, culture and community life. The offer of recreational tourism services is centred around forestry, through various activities in nature. The Baluchon Eco-resort, established along the Loup River, is the main attraction.
• 15 Saint-Sévère — A locality with a heritage character and a mainly agricultural vocation. Tourists are particularly drawn to two food processing areas and a clothing and accessories store.
• 16 Sainte-Ursule — The Parc des chutes de Saint-Ursule is a major attraction in this locality where the economy is based on forestry and agriculture.
• 17 Yamachiche — A small town settled by Acadians deported from the Maritimes, and by Loyalists fleeing the U.S.

Other destinations

• 1 Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve (Réserve faunique Mastigouche) — Park administered by Sépaq on the west bank of the Saint-Maurice river, south of the Mattawin river and west of La Mauricie National Park. This park offers more than 135 fishing lakes spread over 10 accommodation sectors. It offers chalet rental, small game hunting, fishing, camping and hiking services. Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve straddles the administrative regions of Mauricie and Lanaudière.
• 2 Réserve de biodiversité projetée des Basses-Collines-du-Lac-au-Sorcier — This biodiversity reserve has the following main lakes: Lac Régis, Lac de la Rencontre, Lac Oudiette, Grand lac des Îles, Lac Bigorne and Lac au Sorcier. The latter is crossed by the Rivière des Îles. The Lac au Sorcier is about the middle of this reserve.
• 3 Réserve écologique Marie-Jean-Eudes — This protected area is home to a stand of sugar maple and yellow birch trees, an ecosystem representative of the middle Laurentians of Mauricie. Reserved established on April 15, 1992.

Get in

Autoroutes A-40, and highways Route 132 and Route 153.

The Express Bleu bus leaves from Trois-Rivières for Louiseville.

Get around

Les navettes Express are the Maskinongé MRC's collective transport service, with three bus routes. Two of them link the Maskinongé MRC with Trois-Rivières and one links Saint-Alexis-des-Monts to Louiseville.

See

Pont de broche (pont Branlant) is an historic spindle pedestrian bridge in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts.

Saint-Élie-de-Caxton has a botanical garden and the "Garage de la Culture", a cultural hub.

Do

The Festival de la galette de sarrasin (Buckwheat pancake festival) in Louiseville in early October has musical performance, tastings of local products, and a parade.

Boating is possible on the Loup River depending on the water level and is very popular on Lake Saint-Pierre near the town of Maskinongé, and Charette.

There is a scuba diving training centre in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts.

Ranch Ohana, in Saint-Barnabé, is a Guinea pig and miniature horse breeding farm that offers zootherapy.

Saint-Boniface is home to two tourist ranches.

The Parc nature La Gabelle in Saint-Étienne-des-Grès offers sport fishing, hiking, and cross-country skiing.