Boulevard Saint-Joseph
Encyclopedia
Boulevard Saint-Joseph is an important commercial boulevard in the former city of Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...

, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 (now Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...

). It runs from Boulevard Alexandre-Tache
Boulevard Alexandre-Taché
Boulevard Alexandre-Taché is an east-west road located in the city of Gatineau, Quebec. It is named in honour of former National Assembly of Quebec member for the Hull electoral district, Alexandre Taché who served as the MNA for 15 years with the Union Nationale political party when they were in...

 to the boundaries of the city of Gatineau and the suburban town of Chelsea
Chelsea, Quebec
Chelsea is a municipality located immediately north of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada and about 7 miles north of Ottawa. Chelsea is located within Canada's National Capital Region. In 2006 the population was 6,703....

.

Southern section

Also known as Route 105
Quebec route 105
Route 105 is a north-south highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Hull , where it is known as Boulevard Saint-Joseph , to Grand-Remous where it ends at Route 117....

 that travels all the way to Route 117
Quebec route 117
Route 117 is a provincial highway within the Canadian province of Quebec, running between Montreal and the Quebec/Ontario border where it continues as Highway 66 east of Kearns, Ontario...

 in Grand-Remous, north of Maniwaki
Maniwaki, Quebec
Maniwaki is a town north of Gatineau and located north-west of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is situated on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, not far south of Route 117...

, this road travels through one of the busiest commercial districts of the entire city. Numerous types of business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...

es are located all along the road. Most of them are small independent companies by local entrepreneurs for the Association professionnelle des gens d'affaires de Hull. However, in the recent years the affluence dropped due to the development of the Plateau de la Capitale commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...

 district in which big-box stores were built in conjunction of the booming residential development in the area which drove away many customers from the Saint-Joseph commercial strip.

At its southern end is the Salaberry Armoury
Salaberry Armoury
The Salaberry Armoury , is an historic armoury in Gatineau, Quebec, that is home to the armoured Régiment de Hull. The armoury was built in 1938, and was named after Colonel Charles de Salaberry, a hero of the War of 1812. It was one of a series of armouries built across Canada during the 1930s...

 in which has a militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...

 from the Hull regiment and a large park called "Parc des Chars de Combat". The Université du Québec en Outaouais's
Université du Québec en Outaouais
The Université du Québec en Outaouais is a branch of the Université du Québec located in Gatineau, Québec, Canada. As of September 2010, combined enrolment at UQO's Gatineau and Saint-Jérôme campuses was 6,017, of which 4,738 were undergraduates and 1,279 postgraduate students...

 two campuses are also located just off the road and in the future, a possible merger of the university's two campuses will result of new buildings being built at the road's southern end at Boulevard Alexandre-Taché. The university had acquired land around the area. It is also possible that a future O-Train expansion to Gatineau will serve portions of the Saint-Joseph area as a railroad track that links to the Prince of Wales Bridge
Prince of Wales Bridge
The Prince of Wales Bridge is a rail bridge across the Ottawa River joining Ottawa, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec. It connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway line just west of Lebreton Flats, and crosses the south channel of the river to Lemieux Island; it then continues across the northern...

 towards Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and Bayview Station
Bayview Station (OC Transpo)
Bayview Station is a transitway and O-Train station in Ottawa, Ontario. The bus stop is at the eastern end of Scott Street when it becomes Wellington Street. The O-Train station, the northern terminus of the current line, is located on a stub-end track branching off from the railway line,...

 is located beside the Armoury's facility.

This road also has the distinction of having the province's first roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

s as two of them were built in 2004 and 2005, one at Montcalm Street and the other at Boulevard des Allumettières (formerly Boulevard Saint-Laurent) in which it serves as a direct link to the Aylmer
Aylmer, Quebec
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...

 sector and Le Plateau when the freeway (Route 148
Quebec route 148
Route 148 is a major east-west highway in Quebec, Canada. It runs from Autoroute 25 in Laval in the Montreal region to the Ontario-Quebec border in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes in western Quebec. For most of its length, Route 148 follows the north shore of the Ottawa River where it acts as the principal...

) was completed during the fall of 2007.

Central section

There are also two major shopping centres near Boulevard Saint-Raymond
Boulevard Saint-Raymond
Boulevard Saint-Raymond is a major boulevard located in Gatineau, Quebec. It starts at Boulevard Saint-Joseph and ends at Boulevard Alexandre-Tache just west of the limits between the Hull and Aylmer sectors...

. At first there is Les Galeries de Hull, built in 1972 and owned by Ivanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge is a property management and development company that formed from the merger of two former companies, Ivanhoe and Cambridge, in 2001.-Ivanhoe Corporation:...

, which includes among its 75 stores and services, a Sears
Sears Canada
Sears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...

, a Marché Frais (Market Fresh
Market Fresh
Market Fresh is a Gatineau, Quebec-based supermarket chain which is mainly specialized in fresh food products including fruits, vegetables, dairy and breads as well as prepared-products including some meat....

), a Pharmaprix (Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is Canada's largest pharmacy chain with more than 1,241 stores operating under the names Shoppers Drug Mart in nine provinces and two territories and Pharmaprix in Quebec as well as in Hawkesbury, Ontario....

), an East Side Mario's
East Side Mario's
East Side Mario's is a Canadian casual dining restaurant, managed by its parent holding company Prime Restaurants, which operates in Canada and the United States. The restaurant specializes in Italian-American cuisine. Individual locations claim to recreate the historic ambiance found at the corner...

 and a large food court that contains several fast-food stores. The Village Place Cartier is another mall that contains a Zellers
Zellers
Zellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....

, an IGA
IGA (supermarkets)
IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...

, a book store, an SAQ
Société des alcools du Québec
The Société des alcools du Québec , often abbreviated and referred to as SAQ, is a provincial Crown corporation in Quebec.-Organization:...

 liquor store
Liquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....

, a Nautilus
Nautilus, Inc.
Nautilus, Inc. , located in Vancouver, Washington, United States, is the marketer, developer, and manufacturer of branded health and fitness products sold under such names as Bowflex, Nautilus, PEARL iZUMi, Schwinn Fitness, StairMaster, Trimline and Universal.Nautilus and its corporate...

 fitness center as well as a Quizno's restaurant. In the vicinity of these malls lies a Maxi
Maxi (supermarket)
Maxi is a grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Loblaw Companies and the largest of Loblaws' Quebec supermarket chains. Maxi is the Quebec equivalent of No Frills, a chain of franchised discount grocery stores outside Quebec, except that Maxi stores are company owned. Over...

 superstore and a strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...

 called Place Fleur de Lys which contains a video store, an M&M meat shop
M&M Meat Shops
M&M Meat Shops is the largest specialty frozen food store chain in Canada. The company is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, and has locations in all ten provinces, the Yukon and Northwest Territories; the company formally had operations in the Midwestern United States under the MyMenu brand...

, an office of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co.
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. is a Canadian insurance firm. Currently, the company's executive offices are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba with several branch and service offices located throughout Canada.-History:...

, a Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...

 and a local bar called Lounge 426.The hotel "auberge de la gare" is also located in the vicinity. A 21-story building called Place Vincent Massey which houses Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...

 staff is located in the same area as well.

There are also some residential sections including three apartment towers called Le Blackburn, Place Versailles and Le 700 St-Joseph which all contains 16 floors.

The intersection of Boulevard Saint-Joseph and Boulevard Saint-Raymond is one of the most congested
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...

 intersections in Gatineau during afternoon peak hours and also during weekends, since it's loaded with heavy traffic going to Aylmer via Boulevard Saint-Raymond and to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and Gatineau via Autoroute 5
Quebec Autoroute 5
Autoroute 5 is a short Autoroute in the Outaouais region of western Quebec. It connects the central urban area of Gatineau with the recreational areas of Gatineau Park and the exurban rural areas of Chelsea and La Pêche...

 and drivers heading to Highway 5 often block the intersection, which results lengthy delays on Saint-Joseph heading north. The traffic jam is also caused by the configuration of the junction of southbound Highway 5 with eastbound Autoroute 50
Quebec Autoroute 50
Autoroute 50 is an Autoroute in western Quebec. Once completed, it will link the Outaouais region to the Greater Montreal area....

 where there is only one lane of traffic to access the 50 and traffic must change lanes immediately.

Northern section

North of the junction of Autoroute 5
Quebec Autoroute 5
Autoroute 5 is a short Autoroute in the Outaouais region of western Quebec. It connects the central urban area of Gatineau with the recreational areas of Gatineau Park and the exurban rural areas of Chelsea and La Pêche...

, Boulevard Saint-Joseph is also known as Boulevard de l'Automobile due to numerous car dealerships (including all GM, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

 and most Daimler Chrysler brands) located through this stretch all the way towards Chelsea
Chelsea, Quebec
Chelsea is a municipality located immediately north of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada and about 7 miles north of Ottawa. Chelsea is located within Canada's National Capital Region. In 2006 the population was 6,703....

. Retailers from Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

, Toyota, Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...

, Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...

, Nissan, Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...

 and Nissan are also located on this road as well as an auction dealership called Mega Auto. Every spring, a portion of this road is closed to traffic on a particular Sunday for a mega-sale involving the majority of the retailers. In that same area lies the southern terminus of Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield
Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Railway
The Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway is a heritage railway in Quebec, Canada, running tourist trains through the scenic Gatineau Hills and beside the Gatineau River between Hull and the tourist town of Wakefield from May to October, using a 1907 Swedish steam locomotive and 1940s-built Swedish...

 steam train line which is one of the most important tourist attraction in the Outaouais region.

Transportation

Many of the city's Société de transport de l'Outaouais
Société de transport de l'Outaouais
Société de transport de l'Outaouais is the transit service of the Outaouais region of Quebec. It operates public transit routes in Gatineau, Quebec, including the Hull, Aylmer, Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers sectors, plus limited service to suburban communities such as Chelsea and...

's routes travels on that stretch of road particularly near the shopping district near Saint-Raymond
Boulevard Saint-Raymond
Boulevard Saint-Raymond is a major boulevard located in Gatineau, Quebec. It starts at Boulevard Saint-Joseph and ends at Boulevard Alexandre-Tache just west of the limits between the Hull and Aylmer sectors...

 and Montclair as well as near a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...

 facility at corner with Chemin Freeman.

The speed limit throughout all this stretch is 50 km/h. When it exits Gatineau it climbs to 70 km/h.

Neighbourhoods

  • St-Jean Bosco
  • Wrightville
  • Parc de la Montagne/St-Raymond
  • Mont-Bleu
  • Hautes Plaines

See also

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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