Notre-Dame-du-Lac

Notre-Dame-du-Lac Témiscouata

Notre-Dame-du-Lac is a former city in the regional county municipality of Témiscouata in the province of Quebec, Canada, located in the administrative region du Bas-Saint-Laurent. On 5 May 2010, the cities of Cabano and Notre-Dame-du-Lac combined to form a new city named Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac. "Notre-Dame-du-Lac" was designated as a section of the new city.

The population of Notre-Dame-du-Lac is around 2200. The city is built on an amphitheatre in the middle of the Valley of Témiscouata. Until its joining with Cabano, Notre-Dame-du-Lac was the chef-lieu de la regional county municipality and the hospital, ferry, and police station of Témiscouata were located there. The arena of Notre-Dame-du-Lac is also well known as the largest and best equipped in the region. 

First created as a parish in 1871, with the name «Détour-du-Lac», two years after the parish received its first priest in 1861, Notre-Dame-du-Lac obtained "city" status in 1968 as a result of an adjoining with the homonymous village established in 1949. The name «Détour-du-Lac» was given because of its geographic situation which made the place by excellence were to come alongside it and sink into the earth.

On December 2, 1969, Notre-Dame-du-Lac suffered its worst disaster in history when at least 51 people were killed in an early morning fire at Repos du Viellard, a home for the elderly. Only 22 people survived the blaze, including the rest home's owner, wife and children.

Photo on the Right:

Vue aérienne de Notre-Dame-du-lac, Québec, Canada. Vue vers le nord avec, à droite le lac Témiscouata et, à gauche, la route trancanadienne.


Aerial view of Notre-Dame-du-lac, Quebec, Canada. View to the north with, on the right, Lake Témiscouata and, on the left, the Trans-Canada Highway.

Auteur : Nicolas Gagnon