Have you ever visited Saguenay or the Saguenay area? (living, agriculture)

[tablemtn]

I've been there once, years ago, back when it was still Chicoutimi and Jonquière. It seems like a unique place in some ways (and it is close to the fjords), but its population growth trend over time has become flat to moderately negative.

I can see why - it's fairly remote, it is chilly in the winter (the average HIGH temperature in January is -9.9C, and it can get down toward -40 at night), it has been hit in recent years by slowdowns in the timber/paper market, and it doesn't have a history of luring migrants from outside of its own region. It also just isn't that big - the metro area has slightly over 150,000 people, and it lacks some "urban amenities" as a result.

All the same, it's located in an interesting spot. It sits on a cleft between the hills of the Laurentian Highlands, which means easy access to skiing at resorts like Le Valinouët, on Mount Valin. It sits along the Saguenay River, which flows out into the St. Lawrence via a spectacular slice through the hills (hence, the Saguenay fjords and their beluga whales...), and during the summer, blueberry fields and other farms leaven the countryside. When it's warm, you can drive up to Lac St-Jean and laze around on the beaches.

Also - probably more than any other metro area in Quebec - it is resolutely and relentlessly Francophone. Over 98% of people in Saguenay are native Francophones, and they have their own sort of Saguenay dialect. There is a huge amount of pride in local institutions like the Saguenéens hockey team.

In any case, it seems like the region is trying to make a bigger push for tourists:

Tourisme Saguenay−Lac-St-Jean

Has anyone here lived there, visited there, or live there at the moment? What are your opinions of Saguenay (the city and the region)?

[GeorgeLucasLongLostChin]

I was born and raised in a village in Lac St-Jean. About a 90 minutes drive to Chicoutimi. I've been to Saguenay many times.

It's a very beautiful place to visit. The Monts Valin are a unique experience in the winter (Google "Vallée des fantômes"). The fjord is also gorgeous. One of the great spots in the province of Quebec, along with neighboring Charlevoix.

My opinion it's that region is a great place to visit but no to live in. Great scenery and landscapes is fine for a few days, but a bad economy is just depressing. It is simply too remote and too dependable on lagging economic sectors (forest, agriculture, tourism).

I enjoyed my childhood there but as I grew older, the fact that nothing ever changed made me depressed. And the people living there are also depressing to listen to. Not to mention, not very open-minded. Can't blame them.

Anyway, I'm sure this region will bounce back one day and that it will be a decent place to live in, but in the mean time, it's just a great tourist destination.

[tablemtn]

Interesting. It sounds like a nice place to grow up, especially because of all the outdoors activities. The people I met were very proud of their region, but they also complained about the economy.

I think Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is overlooked by a lot of tourists to Montreal or Québec, especially tourists from the US. They don't realize what the region offers, or that Québec to Saguenay is only three hours by road.

I think other regions of Quebec have larger tourism campaigns (like the Gaspésie). A lot of people don't know about the scenery in Saguenay.

For example, here are the results for a simple image search for "Saguenay:"

Saguenay - Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=saguenay&z=e - broken link)

It's a very scenic area.

[Acajack]

You hear quite a lot about this region as a tourist destination within Quebec itself.

BTW, the highway from Quebec City to the Saguenay is currently being twinned, so perhaps this will open up the region to tourists a bit more.

[tablemtn]

BTW, the highway from Quebec City to the Saguenay is currently being twinned, so perhaps this will open up the region to tourists a bit more.

Yes. That project has been mostly "buttoned-up" for the winter, but it has made a lot of progress.

Also, Autoroute 73 (a north-south route that goes through Québec City) is going to be extended up into the Saguenay region within the next few years.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by tablemtn

I've been there once, years ago, back when it was still Chicoutimi and Jonquière. It seems like a unique place in some ways (and it is close to the fjords), but its population growth trend over time has become flat to moderately negative.
Has anyone here lived there, visited there, or live there at the moment? What are your opinions of Saguenay (the city and the region)?

The Saguenay is not a city its a region bordering the Saguenay River/fjord from Tadoussac to Lac St Jean, Jonquiere and Chicoutimi are still there and are the regions largest cities.I never viewed the area as a major industrial area and from my knowledge the main industries were logging,farming,fishing, mining and tourism.
Agreed its a beautiful area but would be a tough place to settle down if you werent fluent in French,preferably "pur Laine" even then jobs would be scarce..

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jambo101

The Saguenay is not a city its a region bordering the Saguenay River/fjord from Tadoussac to Lac St Jean, Jonquiere and Chicoutimi are still there and are the regions largest cities.

Saguenay is also the name of the city that was created in 2002 with the merger of Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie and a few other municipalities.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Saguenay is also the name of the city that was created in 2002 with the merger of Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie and a few other municipalities.

I stand corrected.

[BigSwede]

I haven't been there,but I would like to come and see a couple of games with the Marquis.

[gosling]

Looks beautiful. How long of a drive from Quebec is it?