If Abitibi-Témiscamingue was a country, it would be the 120th bigger with its 65 000 km2. An interesting fact: there is almost as much people in AT than in Montreal's Villeray – Saint-Michel – Parc Extension district (about 145 000 inhabitants), but the population density is completely different: 2,5 inhabitants per km2 in AT compared to 9000 inhabitants per km2 in Villeray… The least we can say is that here we don't walk on each other's feet…

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Which is the Festival de musique émergente that take place each year at the beginning of september, and in 2010 gave more than 65 shows in fifteen theatre, for a total of 17 000 spectators! In fact, since 2000, it is no less than 20 festivals in the area; partying is something we know!

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And it is not even us that says it, but judges from an international contest that held each year in Virginia, United States. The city of Amos won the first prize in 2001; next year Barraute arrive before Senneterre to give a double medal to the region. It is also here that water Eska is bottled.

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Considering our links with the Cris and the Inuits; the Pavillon des Premiers Peuples of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue; the Hydro-Québec offices, the mining company in the Nord-du-Québec and the commercial flights to James Bay, we can truly say that Abitibi-Témiscamingue is the link between the south and the north of Québec!

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At least that is what the legend says; it sure has enough room to roam : the lake is about 108km long and 213 metres deep! While the lake St-Jean is 63 metres deep and the lake St-Pierre is 3 meters deep. Témiscamingue means “deep waters” in Algonquin.

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Indeed, the village located at the north-west extremity of the region builded two giant doors called « doors of the end of the world »; they look out to La Reine river, at the core of a spectacular nature.

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The name of the movie was « En pays neufs », a movie of the abbot Maurice Proulx that come out in 1937, which tells the foundation of the village of Sainte-Anne de Roquemaure in West-Abitibi. Cinema holds a great rank in the cultural life of the region. Each autumn take hold the Festival du cinema international en Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the Espace Vidéo; in summertime is the Festival du Documenteur; the regional college offers a training in Arts and Letters, option cinema, that is well renowned all over Quebec; finally UQAT is envied by other universities for its programs in multimedia and 3D creation.

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Even if UQAT only has 3500 students, it does everything right : there is campuses in Rouyn-Noranda, Val-d'Or and Amos, it has departments in Gatineau and Sherbrooke, some centres in La Sarre, Ville-Marie, Chibougamau and Mont-Laurier.

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It is said that there is a lake for every 7 persons in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which means approximately 20000 lakes. Wherever you are in the area, you are only a few minutes from the watershore. That is the very reason why each year 100 000 fisherman comes in Abitibi-Témiscamingue!

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There is so much jobs in Abitibi-Témiscamingue that local newspaper had to increase the number of pages to be able to include every job offer. Here we do not lack jobs but workers! 11500 jobs will be available in Abitibi-Témiscaaingue until 2014, to support the economical growth or to fill vacant position left by the retired.

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Here there is no brown and dirty mud or drastic weather change and no humidity that crosses through the clothes and freezes the bones. Here winter is winter and we can truly enjoy the thousands of kilometers of ski trails and thousands of outdoor and indoor skating rinks, and two ski centres with modern installations…

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The Rodéo du camion de Notre-Dame-du-Nord and the Foire du camionneur de Barraute attract each more than 50000 visitors (the population of Blainville) that enjoys truck races and shows! Indeed the region is the paradise of ATV and snowmobile, with its thousands of kilometers of trails that attract tourists from all over Québec, Europe and the United States.

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Nobody ever check up but with the greatest gold mine with open pit, it would not be surprising! To make room for the 800 m wide and 2 km long pit, 20 % of the houses and buildings in Malartic were moved over the late years. The mining industry is booming; it offers very high salaries and contribute to the economical dynamism of the region, while exporting its expertise all over the world. So there is temiscabitibian workers in Africa, south America and even Australia! But many of them stays in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: after all, 70% of all Canadian gold mines are exploited here!

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Despite what we usually think, Rouyn-Noranda is southern than those three european capitals. Our summers are hot and dry, and our nights are pleasantly fresh. It is in Ville-Marie that the highest weather of the 20th century in Québec was registered: on the 6th of july 1921, the mercury cross over the limit of 40 degree Celsius! Moreover in summer we get more sun than the south of the province, which makes our strawberries and blueberries more tasteful! Those who think that Abitibi-Témiscamingue means eternal snow should get out more!

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