The administrative capital of the Lower St. Lawrence region and a bustling maritime community, Rimouski is also a genuine “student city” that hums with the activities of over 15,000 students every year (all levels considered). The label is no exaggeration when you stop to consider that students represent nearly one in three people living in this town of 50,000.
With a view to promoting academic success and work-study balance, several regional employers have committed to taking into consideration the school schedule and to offering flexibility during exam time.
Rimouski’s educational institutions collaborate with partners in the cultural, sporting, and social fields with a view to offering a wide range of services and leisure activities to students who choose Rimouski as their study destination.
See also: Programs offered at the Rimouski campus >>> (in French)
Quebec maritime technocity
Located on the shores of the largest estuary in the world, the St. Lawrence, Rimouski offers an exceptional natural environment for the development of marine sciences.
The region brings together a unique concentration of researchers within four world renowned organisations:
- Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER)(Marine science institute), created by UQAR
- Research centre on marine biotechnologies (CRBM), one of the most versatile research centres in Quebec and in Canada, affiliated with UQAR
- Institut maritime du Québec (Quebec maritime institute), one of Canada’s most important maritime training centres
- Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, one of the world’s major research centres in marine science
- St. Lawrence Global Observatory, the first integrated ocean observing system in Canada
- Interdisciplinary Centre for the Development of Ocean Mapping (CIDCO), a marine geomatics R&D organization
Outdoor activities in the heart of downtown Rimouski
A place of choice for outdoor enthusiasts, Rimouski has parks, hiking trails, and bike paths, offering a variety of local sporting activities:
- Parc national du Bic with its breathtaking panoramic views, plus bike paths in the summer, and cross-country ski trails in the winter
- Canyon des Portes de l’Enfer, where Quebec’s highest suspended walkway can be found
- Excursions to Saint-Barnabé Island, offering a panoramic view of the city
- Lawrence River, a paradise for kayak, surf, and kitesurf enthusiasts
- Club de Hockey L’Océanic, which has welcomed dozens of NHL players, including the famous Sidney Crosby
- Tour de la relève internationale de Rimouski, a cycling race that brings together athletes from Canada, the United States, and many other countries
- Hiking in the forest, ice fishing, indoor and outdoor sports, and so on
Recreation contributes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Local residents have access to numerous facilities, including
- gymnasiums and playing fields
- Two indoor pools and three outdoor pools
- Three arenas, two skating paths, and 10 outdoor skating rinks
- Six indoor tennis courts and eight outdoor tennis courts
- Seven ball fields and three baseball fields
- 16 soccer fields and three skateboard parks
- Four golf clubs, five cross-country ski trails, and two alpine ski centres
- 12 community centres, six cinemas, and four municipal libraries
An ice and pool complex, including a North-American-standard and an international-standard skating surface, a semi-Olympic size pool, and a recreational pool will open in the winter of 2019, a stone’s throw away from UQAR.
Eastern Quebec cultural crossroads
Every week, Rimouski features encounters and activities: movies, shows, cafés, plays, museums, art galleries, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, and much more. The region hosts numerous artistic events, creating a varied and lively cultural environment.
Rimouski offers a variety of distinctive sociocultural activities:
- Pointe-au-Père maritime historical site, where visitors can visit the only submarine that is accessible to the public in Quebec, the Onondaga, and discover the history of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland
- Carrousel international du film de Rimouski film festival
- FestiJazz international
- Musée régional de Rimouski (Rimouski regional museum), housed in the oldest stone church in eastern Quebec
- Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire symphony orchestra
- Spect'Art Rimouskiand Théâtre du Bic, which feature major performances throughout the year
- Centre d’accès en arts médiatiques Paraloeil media arts centre
- Coopérative de solidarité le Paradis, a space for work, creation, and cultural dissemination
- Promenades historiques de Rimouski: these historic walks are a pleasant way to discover the built heritage and history of Rimouski
- Rimouski RikiFest winter festival, featuring an ice canoe race, electro evenings in the snow, winter market, and ice sculptures
Transport
The Société des transports de Rimouski offers a service combining the advantages of two complementary modes of transportation, the CITÉBUS (fixed schedule urban minibus) and the TAXIBUS (shared taxis concentrated on the city outskirts). UQAR is one of the major institutional partners involved in this initiative, offering students passes at affordable prices.