Sorel-Tracy

Sorel - Tracy is a city in the southwest of the Canadian province of Quebec. It is located in the Montérégie region, about 80 kilometers north of Montreal. Sorel - Tracy is the capital of the municipality of Pierre- De Saurel Regional, has an area of ​​66.70 km ² and has 34,600 inhabitants ( 2011). The town was founded in 2000 by the merger of the previously independent cities Sorel and Tracy.

Geography

Sorel - Tracy is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, on both sides of the mouth of the significant influx Rivière Richelieu. Sorel is the eastern ( right bank ) part of the city, Tracy the western ( left bank ) part. To the north and northeast of the city is in the middle of the St. Lawrence, the archipelago du Lac Saint- Pierre, one consisting of 103 islands archipelago off the Lac Saint- Pierre.

Neighboring communities are Saint -Joseph -de- Sorel in the northwest. Sainte -Anne -de- Sorel in the northeast, Yamaska ​​and Saint -Robert in the East, Sainte- Victoire -de- Sorel in the south, Saint- Roch- de -Richelieu and Contrecœur the southwest, Lanoraie in the west and Sainte -Geneviève -de- Berthier in the northwest.

History

Sorel is the fourth oldest city in Canada. Charles de Montmagny, Governor of New France had, on August 13, 1642 to build the Fort Richelieu, to secure the strategically important estuary. In particular, settlers and travelers should be protected on the river from attacks by the Iroquois. These destroyed the fort in 1647, but the Carignan Regiment Salières built in 1665 at the same location a new fortress.

The name Sorel comes from Pierre de Saurel, an officer of the regiment. In 1672, he received from King Louis XIV a fief, and thus became the first Seigneur in this area. Quickly developed around the fort a settlement, when numerous soldiers with their families settled here, instead of going back to Europe. Founded in 1721 by the Bishop of Quebec, the parish of Saint- Pierre de Saurel. In the fall of 1760 the inhabitants of Sorel tried in vain to stop the British troops on their march to Montreal.

1777 was the place according to a contemporary account of

1781 acquired the British government the Seigneurie of Sorel to settle there loyalists. After a visit by William Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1787, the place in William Henry renamed, but returned in 1860 back to the ancestral name.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the forestry and shipbuilding displaced the traditional fur trade. Above all, the ship was of great importance; he pulled the construction of a river port after and eventually led to the establishment metalworking industry. Sorel in 1848 and received its charter. During the two world wars shipyards produced numerous warships. Opened in 1962, the Shawinigan Water and Power Company, the thermal power plant Tracy. A year later took over the Hydro-Québec system that produced a performance of up to 660 MW. Due to the high levels of pollution, the power plant was shut down in 2011; until the end of 2013 it should be dismantled.

The name is derived from Alexandre de Tracy Prouville, sieur de Tracy, the commander of the Carignan - Salières Regiment. The area of this municipality was separated in 1875 by Sorel and was first called Saint -Joseph -de- Sorel, until 1954 also received the city status and renamed in Tracy. In 2000, Sorel and Tracy merged to Sorel - Tracy City.

Population

According to the 2011 census counted 34,600 inhabitants Sorel - Tracy, which corresponds to a population density of 518.7 inh. / Km ². 97.5 % of the population reported French as the main language, the proportion of English was 1.0 %. As a bilingual ( French and English) is designated 0.4 %, to other languages ​​and multiple responses accounted for 1.1%. Only 74.6 % spoke French. In 2001, 96.6 % of the population were Roman Catholic, 1.1% Protestant, and 2.0% non-denominational.

Attractions

There are two National Historic Sites of Canada in Sorel - Tracy. This is on the one hand to the site of the former Fort Richelieu, on the other hand, around the Castle of the Governor. Built in 1781 on behalf of Frederick Haldimand house served until 1860 as the summer residence of governors-general and military commander.

Economy and Transport

The city has traditionally been a major center of the steel industry. Most important is the company Rio Tinto Group, the steel plant RTFT (Rio Tinto Fer et Titan ) operates here. Also of great importance is the river port on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which (especially petroleum) used primarily for handling mass. No longer present is the traditional shipbuilding industry; the yard of the Marine Industries was closed in 1986.

Sorel - Tracy is joined by the Auto Route 30 with Longueuil and the agglomeration of Montreal. Significant main roads are Route 132 and Route 133 Both parts of the city are connected by the Pont Turcotte and by the motorway bridge. From Sorel from a ferry across the St. Lawrence River to the island Dupas, can be from where Berthierville achieved. Responsible for public transport is the company CIT de Sorel -Varennes.

Sports

Sorel - Tracy is a hockey hotbed. Built in 1954 the stadium Colisee Cardin has a capacity of 3,037 spectators. Since 2010 it is the home stadium of the HC Carvena de Sorel - Tracy in the Ligue Nord - Americaine de Hockey. Previous teams were the Eperviers de Sorel (1969-1977, 1980-1981), the Royaux de Sorel (1999-2004) and the Mission de Sorel - Tracy (2004-2008).

Personalities

  • François Beauchemin ( born 1980 ), ice hockey player
  • Victoria Cartier (1867-1955), organist
  • Frédéric Cassivi ( born 1975 ), ice hockey player
  • Marc -André Fleury ( born 1984 ), ice hockey player
Postal codes in Canada Lake Saint Pierre Loyalist (American Revolution) Shawinigan Water & Power Company Sorel Mission Statistics Canada
739298
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