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Where are we?

The Laurentians region includes 3 sub-regions. It is located near Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau and is open to main markets via four major highways: Highways 13, 15, 50 and 640.

Why the Laurentians?

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Quality of life!

More than 630,000 people live in the Laurentians and a large majority of them would recommend the region to their friends and family. Why would they do so? For its quality of life!

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Accessibility!

The Laurentians region is made up of three sub-regions: the Lower Laurentians, the Central Laurentians and the Upper Laurentians. Each sub-region is divided into regional county municipalities (RCMs), each of which includes several municipalities.

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Diversity!

The Laurentians region is characterized by a great diversity of industrial hubs that are sometimes also related to the diversity of landscapes and reliefs that vary in every sub-region. Globally, the most represented sectors are aeronautics, bio-food, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, services, commerce and forestry.

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Entrepreneurship!

In addition to offering numerous quality jobs, the Laurentians is also the Quebec region with the highest proportion of entrepreneurs and self-employed workers.

The Laurentians is the 4th most populous region in Quebec and its demographic growth surpasses that of all other regions in Quebec. Among other things, the Laurentians stands out because of the availability of space to ensure its growth. Indeed, residential construction is constantly on the rise and it is still possible to buy land in a large number of municipalities. In addition, the average cost of housing is much more affordable in the Laurentians than in the Greater Montreal region.

To get there, you can take highways 13, 15, 50 and 640, which connect the region to the Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau areas. You can also take the commuter train between Montreal and Saint-Jérôme, the capital of the Laurentians. The area also offers bus transportation. For the pleasure of travellers, it is very easy to access the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport via the Lower Laurentians. There is also a smaller international airport north of Mont-Tremblant.

The Lower Laurentians has an internationally renowned aeronautics hub that includes large-scale companies designing airplanes and helicopters, manufacturing, assembling aerostructures (e.g., parts, landing gear, engines, etc.) and their maintenance. Being strategically located near the Mirabel International Airport, it is the perfect place to conduct flight tests. Moreover, considering the all-cargo service offered without interruption at this airport, we can also count on the presence of large companies working in international cargo transportation.

The bio-food sector is also strongly represented. This includes all business segments from field to plate:  agriculture, processing, distribution, retail, wholesale and food services. In fact, among all goods manufacturing industries in the region, food processing ranks second with regard to GDP behind transportation equipment manufacturing. In the same vein, you should know that more than 2/3 of the region’s agrotourism offer is located in the Lower Laurentians.

Next comes the Central Laurentian which includes the city of Saint-Jérôme, the region’s capital. An industrial, commercial and manufacturing zone also includes choice businesses with excellent employment opportunities.

There is no doubt that this sub-region is well known to those who enjoy outdoor activities and sports. Indeed, there are a large number of ski resorts north of Saint-Jérôme. There are also prestigious golf courses, spas, a 200 km cycling and multipurpose trail, magnificent parks, cross-country skiing and hiking trails as well as impressive hotels and restaurants! Once you’ve navigated the Central Laurentian, in summer and winter, you’ll quickly understand why it’s a must-see tourist destination in North America.

Next comes the Upper Laurentians, which represents about 75% of the region’s territory. This sub-region, riddled with lakes, rivers, mountains and forests, is home to many vacationers and outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and fishermen.

However, the forestry industry, which includes silviculture and the manufacture of wood products (e.g., furniture, construction materials, bioproducts), accounts for 75% of the local economy.

The mining sector is also present, since this is where we find the only graphite mine in Quebec, which is a mineral of the future as it is an essential component for the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

It encourages entrepreneurship and offers many services to promote business start-ups or acquisitions. The proximity of major influential centers, namely Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau, clearly favours the connectivity of businesses to these metropolitan zones which include more than 5 million consumers!

Would you like to live, work, study or do business in the laurentians?

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22 517

km2

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83%

Sense of belonging
to the region

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9 000+

Lacs and rivers