Ferry boat returns to Trois Pistoles from Les Escumins
Village of Trois-Pistoles, 1896

Trois-Pistoles (French pronunciation: [tʁwapistɔl]) is a city in Les Basques Regional County Municipality in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, Canada. It is also the county seat. The town is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.

A ferry crosses the river to Les Escoumins on the north shore. The port facilities are also used by fishing boats and scuba divers.

The town is the site of the University of Western Ontario's annual French immersion program, which has existed since 1932. It is the oldest such program in Canada.

Just offshore of the town lies Île aux Basques, an island that was used by Basque whalers in the 16th century. The island, part of the surrounding Municipality of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, is a National Historic Site of Canada and is now a migratory bird sanctuary.

The town has hosted the Festival Échofête de Trois-Pistoles, an environmentalism-themed music festival and fair each July since 2002. It is Quebec's largest environmental festival.

The town can be reached by Via Rail on the named train The Ocean, between Montreal and Halifax.

The town is said to have been named for a silver goblet worth three pistoles, an old French coin equivalent to the Spanish Doubloon, that was lost in the river in the 17th century.

Geography

Climate

Climate data for Trois-Pistoles
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)12 (54)11 (52)17.8 (64.0)27 (81)31.7 (89.1)32 (90)35 (95)33.9 (93.0)31 (88)23.3 (73.9)21 (70)15 (59)35 (95)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−8 (18)−6.4 (20.5)−0.4 (31.3)6.4 (43.5)14.3 (57.7)20.2 (68.4)23 (73)21.4 (70.5)16 (61)9.4 (48.9)2.4 (36.3)−4.7 (23.5)7.8 (46.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)−12 (10)−10.1 (13.8)−4.2 (24.4)2.5 (36.5)9.3 (48.7)15 (59)17.7 (63.9)16.5 (61.7)11.6 (52.9)5.9 (42.6)−0.5 (31.1)−8.1 (17.4)3.6 (38.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−15.8 (3.6)−13.9 (7.0)−8.1 (17.4)−1.4 (29.5)4.2 (39.6)9.7 (49.5)12.5 (54.5)11.5 (52.7)7.2 (45.0)2.4 (36.3)−3.3 (26.1)−11.4 (11.5)−0.6 (30.9)
Record low °C (°F)−34.4 (−29.9)−31.7 (−25.1)−25.5 (−13.9)−18 (0)−7.2 (19.0)0 (32)3.3 (37.9)1.7 (35.1)−2.8 (27.0)−7.8 (18.0)−18 (0)−28.5 (−19.3)−34.4 (−29.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)83.9 (3.30)67.8 (2.67)77.3 (3.04)73.9 (2.91)88.3 (3.48)84.2 (3.31)93.3 (3.67)87.6 (3.45)90.5 (3.56)92.5 (3.64)78.3 (3.08)87.6 (3.45)1,005.3 (39.58)
Source: Environment Canada

Demographics

Historical Census Data – Trois-Pistoles, Quebec
YearPop.±%
19211,454
19311,837+26.3%
19412,176+18.5%
19513,537+62.5%
19564,039+14.2%
19614,349+7.7%
19664,710+8.3%
19714,678−0.7%
19764,554−2.7%
19814,445−2.4%
19864,290−3.5%
19913,886−9.4%
19963,807−2.0%
20013,635−4.5%
20063,500−3.7%
20113,253−7.1%
20163,246−0.2%
20213,115−4.0%

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Trois-Pistoles had a population of 3,115 living in 1,562 of its 1,727 total private dwellings, a change of -4% from its 2016 population of 3,246. With a land area of 7.63 km2 (2.95 sq mi), it had a population density of 408.3/km2 (1,057.4/sq mi) in 2021.

202120162011
Population3,115 (-4.0% from 2016)3,246 (-6.1% from 2011)3,456 (-1.3% from 2006)
Land area7.63 km2 (2.95 sq mi)7.64 km2 (2.95 sq mi)7.66 km2 (2.96 sq mi)
Population density408.1/km2 (1,057/sq mi)425.1/km2 (1,101/sq mi)450.9/km2 (1,168/sq mi)
Median age59.6 (M: 57.6, F: 61.6)58.0 (M: 55.9, F: 60.0)55.2 (M: 53.0, F: 56.7)
Private dwellings1,727 (total)1,770 (total)1,757 (total)
Median household income$48,000$40,448$38,395
Canada Census Mother Tongue – Trois-Pistoles, Quebec
CensusTotalFrenchEnglishFrench & EnglishOther
YearResponsesCountTrendPop %CountTrendPop %CountTrendPop %CountTrendPop %
20212,9952,9506.5%98.5%150.0%0.5%10n/a%0.3%20n/a%0.7%
20163,1753,1556.5%99.4%150.0%0.5%0100.0%0.0%00.0%0.0%
20113,3953,3755.3%99.4%15n/a%0.4%5n/a%0.2%0100.0%0.0%
20063,2503,1956.2%98.3%0100.0%0.0%00.0%0.0%55n/a%1.7%
20013,4303,4053.7%99.3%2528.6%0.7%0100.0%0.0%00.0%0.0%
19963,5803,535n/a98.7%35n/a1.0%10n/a0.3%0n/a0.0%

Media

See also

External links

  • (in French)