Thurso, Quebec is a charming city nestled in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of western Quebec, Canada. It sits opposite Clarence, Ontario on the Ottawa River and is part of Canada's National Capital Region. As of the 2021 Canadian Census, Thurso is home to 3,084 residents.
In 1807, Thurso, Quebec was settled by a group of Scots from Thurso in Scotland, the Highlands, and other parts of northern Scotland. They established their homes in the southern part of the Blanche River valley, in the township known at the time as Lochaber Gore. The 1830s saw the arrival of Irish immigrants, followed by French Canadians around 1840.
In 1822, a Baptist Church was established, and in 1853, the post office opened. The naming of the post office sparked a controversy between the Catholic community, who suggested the name Fraserville, and the Scottish community, who favored Cameron. The postmaster settled on the name Thurso, as there was already a place called Fraserville in Canada.
Thurso was incorporated as a village municipality in 1886, and the religious and civil parish was established the following year. Starting in 1850, Thurso became an important center of the wood industry. In 1929, the Singer Manufacturing Co. opened a sewing machine plant there, and around the same time, construction began on a 90-kilometer-long railroad for the transportation of lumber from the interior. The railroad closed in 1986. In 1956, a paper mill opened, and in 1963, Thurso changed its statutes and became a ville (town/city).
Thurso, Quebec has experienced its share of seismic activity. An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 was centered north in Thurso at 8:39 pm, on February 24, 2006. Another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 was centered in Thurso at 3:39 pm on September 18, 2006.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Thurso had a population of 3,084 living in 1,421 of its 1,510 total private dwellings. This was a change of 9.4% from its 2016 population of 2,818. With a land area of 6.65 km2 (2.57 sq mi), it had a population density of 463.8/km2 (1,201.1/sq mi) in 2021.
The mother tongue of the residents is predominantly French, with 94.0% of the population speaking it as their first language. English is the first language for 2.9% of the population, while 1.8% speak both English and French as their first language. Other languages make up 0.8% of the first languages spoken.
Thurso's main access roads are Route 148 (running west–east) and Route 317 (running south–north). Autoroute 50, approximately 3 km north of Thurso along Route 317, complements Route 148 as Thurso's second connection to Gatineau and Ottawa. The Quebec Gatineau Railway provides rail freight transport. A seasonal ferry operates between Thurso and Clarence-Rockland, Ontario, adding to the city's transportation options.
