Arthabaska

Arthabaska Regional County Municipality is located in Central Quebec. The capital of the Arthabaska county is Victoriaville, ranked among the 30 largest cities in Quebec.

Located in the heart of a dairy and lumber manufacturing region, Arthabaska was known as the "Capitale des Bois-Francs.".

The Central Quebec area was once inhabited by the native Abenaki peoples and Arthabaska or Awabaska means place where bulrushes and reeds abound.

The founder of Arthabaska, Charles Beauchesne, arrived in 1834 and was impressed by the size of the trees and quality of the soil. The first industries here were potash and maple-sugar production. Establishment of the Arthabaska Convent (1870), the Arthabaska Commercial College (1872) and Collège St-Joseph (1905) made the town a popular centre of culture and education.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier began his law career here in 1867. The home he had built in the beginning of his career is now a national historic site and has been converted into a museum.

Arthabaska is also the birthplace of painter Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté (Wilfrid Laurier helped Suzor-Coté establish his career).

By 1882 cigar manufacturing, tanneries, flour mills and sawmills had been established. Furniture manufacturing was introduced around 1948.

The weekly newspaper La Nouvelle, with a circulation of over 42,000, is a major source of the town's local news.