Chicoutimi, Quebec, is the most populous borough of the city of Saguenay. Located at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers, it has been a significant administrative and commercial centre since the 20th century. As of the 2021 census, Chicoutimi boasts a population of 69,004, making it the heart of the 5th-largest urban area in Quebec.
Chicoutimi's history dates back to 1676 when French colonists first settled the area as a trading post in the fur trade. The Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers, used as waterways by the Montagnais tribes for centuries, played a crucial role in the settlement's establishment. The name Chicoutimi originates from the Innu term for 'the end of the deep water'.
The Chicoutimi trading post continued to operate until 1782, even after the British seized Lower Canada. The city of Chicoutimi was officially incorporated in 1845 by Peter McLeod, a Métis timber contractor. In 1855, the town was designated as the seat of Chicoutimi County and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicoutimi in 1878.
The arrival of the Canadian National Railway in 1893 stimulated the growth of Chicoutimi's pulp and paper industries. The Chicoutimi Pulp Co., founded in 1896, became the biggest producer of mechanical pulp in Canada by 1910. Since the Great Depression, the city has evolved into an administrative and commercial centre, hosting the Quebec Summer Games in 1972 and establishing new centres of education and culture.
In 2002, Chicoutimi merged with several neighbouring towns to form the new city of Saguenay, becoming a borough of Saguenay. Despite a devastating flood in 1996, Chicoutimi has continued to thrive and grow.
Chicoutimi is situated in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region on the western end of the Saguenay Fjord. The borough, including the downtown section, is on the south shore of the Saguenay River. It is the geographical centre of the city of Saguenay, with the Jonquière and La Baie boroughs adjoining on the west and east sides.
The landscape of Chicoutimi consists of hills, valleys, and plains, with the terrain becoming steeper near the Saguenay River. Its two major physical features are the Saguenay Graben, a rift valley of the Laurentian Highlands, and the Saguenay Fjord, the glacier-carved steep shores of the Saguenay River. Mount Valin, the tallest mountain of the region, overlooks Chicoutimi from the northeast.
Chicoutimi has produced several professional hockey players, including Luc Dufour, Johnny Gagnon, Leo Gaudreault, Sylvain Locas, John Smrke, and Georges Vezina.
Chicoutimi is twinned with Angoulême, France, and Camrose, Alberta, fostering international relations and cultural exchange.
