Saguenay
Quick Facts
Province: Québec
Population: 145 089
Seventh most important city in Québec by its socio-demographic position, Saguenay, born of the merging of seven municipalities in 2005, is divided in 3 districts and populated by 145 089 inhabitants which represent around 53% of Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean's total population. Saguenay is situated in an area so vast that it is often referred to as “le royaume” (the Kingdom). It is located 200 kilometres north of Québec City, in the central region of La Belle Province, known for its majestic landscapes. It is therefore not surprising that tourism has become one of its leading industries. People come from far and wide to admire the beauty of its fjord, which stretches almost 100 kilometres, making it one of the world’s longest. Nor is the region’s economic potential limited to tourism. Giants in the metallurgy (Rio Tinto Alcan), forestry and pulp and paper industries (Cascades – Abitibi Consolidated) have long been established in what was once a fur trading centre.
Key Advantages
- Nearly half of Québec’s aluminum production—close to 5% of total world production—comes from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
- 90% of the region is forest. Annual timber harvesting yields 9 million cubic metres, accounting for 20% of the province’s entire forest biomass.
- 258 companies harvest an average of 15 million kilos of blueberries per year.
- The bio-food industry employs one out of nine of the region’s workers and generates $380 million in GDP.
- The region has numerous research centres, including the Centre for Research on the Boreal Forest at the University of Québec in Chicoutimi (French) and the National Research Council’s Aluminum Technology Centre
- Saguenay can be reached from Montréal and the City of Québec by air from the Bagotville airport. The city and region are also accessible by water.
Main industry sectors
- Pulp and paper
- Metal products/processing
- Wood
- Agri-food
- Tourism
- Eco-tourism
