Drummondville, a city nestled in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, is a vibrant community located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. With a population of 79,258 as per the Canada 2021 Census, Drummondville is a bustling city under the leadership of Mayor Stéphanie Lacoste.
Drummondville was founded in June 1815 by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Heriot. The city was established to provide a home for British soldiers during the War of 1812 and to guard the Saint-François River against American attacks. The city was named after Sir Gordon Drummond, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1813 to 1816.
The construction of the Hemmings Falls hydro-electric dam in 1920 ushered in a new wave of industrial growth in the Drummondville area. Since the 1950s, several outlying municipalities have been amalgamated into Drummondville, including Saint-Joseph de Grantham, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Drummondville-Ouest, Drummondville-Sud, Grantham, Saint-Nicéphore, Saint-Charles-de-Drummond, and Saint-Joachim-de-Courval.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Drummondville had a population of 79,258 living in 36,727 of its 37,931 total private dwellings. This represented a 5.1% increase from its 2016 population of 75,423. The city spans a land area of 247.11 km2, resulting in a population density of 320.7/km2 in 2021.
The city is predominantly white/European (92.7%), with visible minorities making up 5.6% of the population and Indigenous people accounting for 1.7%. The largest visible minority groups are Black, Latin American, and Arab. French is the mother tongue for 93.8% of the population, followed by Spanish, English, and Arabic.
Drummondville prides itself as Quebec's Capital of Expression and Traditions, with attractions that celebrate both past and present cultures. The main attraction is the Village Québécois d'Antan. Since 2008, Drummondville has hosted the Festival de la Poutine, a three-day event featuring concerts and a variety of poutine dishes. From 1982 to 2017, Drummondville was home to the Mondial des Cultures, one of the world's largest folk dance festivals.
In 2017, Drummondville added a new attraction, Laser Force, a massive amusement park offering laser tag, indoor mini golf, arcades, virtual reality, indoor climbing, and more.
Drummondville experiences a humid continental climate with warm, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters.
Drummondville is served by Autoroutes 20 and 55. Local transit is provided by Drummondville Transit, which operates six routes. Intercity bus service is provided by Orléans Express and Groupe La Québécoise. Via Rail provides passenger train service towards Montreal and Quebec City. General aviation services are available at the Drummondville Airport and the Drummondville Water Aerodrome.
Drummondville has established sister city relationships with La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France; Braine-l'Alleud, Walloon Brabant, Belgium; and the Community of Communes Ackerland and Kochersberg, France.
