Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by Pamela MacNaughtan
I fell in love with the Rouyn-Noranda within a few hours of my arrival from Ville-Marie. Wrapped around Lake Osisko, the city is a cultural hotspot in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. It’s retro and laidback, with terrific cafes and restaurants, lakeside boardwalks, gardens, and greenspaces.
In summer, there are pedestrian streets, and a plethora of festivals. In autumn, vibrant fall foliage frames the city, creating a stunning masterpiece.
I arrived in Rouyn-Noranda ready to see, do, and eat as much as I could in 24 hours. I didn’t expect to fall in love with the city and start planning my return before lunchtime.
Coffee, Croissants, and More Coffee
Le St-Honoré
On the recommendation of a friend, my first stop in Rouyn-Noranda was Le St-Honoré, a boulangerie/pâtisserie/café on rue Perrault Ouest. “They have the BEST croissants”, I was told. Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. Originally opened in 2002 by Philippe Maschinot, Le St-Honoré was passed on to Jonathan Bolduc in 2016.
Le St-Honoré is known (and rightfully so) for its bread, coffee, and delicate flavourful French pastries. It’s long with plenty of seats for enjoying a light lunch, coffee or a little work. In the morning, natural light cascades through the cafe, and in summer the outdoor patio is a lovely place to sit back and relax with an iced coffee.
As for the croissants… I can confirm, they are indeed fabulous. God, I love a proper buttery croissant. Le St-Honoré, I will be back!
Bar-Librairie Livresse
In Vieux-Noranda, a short walk from Agora Arts, is Bar-Librairie Livresse, a trendy bookshop café. A vintage olive green velvet chaise rests in a corner, there are tables with mismatched chairs, a piano, walls lined with books, and a coffee bar along the back wall. The ambiance is chill, with locals working on laptops, reading or chatting with friends over a drink.
Livresse opened its doors in late 2019. It’s a fabulous community gathering space, and while skimming the shelves of books for sale I wished I could read French well enough to go broke. Sitting at a table near the counter, I ordered an iced cappuccino and pulled out my laptop for a little writing. My time, unfortunately, was short, but I’ll fix that on my next visit to Rouyn-Noranda!
Note: There are other cafés in Rouyn-Noranda, but they’ll have to wait until my next visit.
Lake Osisko
The layout of Rouyn-Noranda makes it easy to discover the beauty and charms of the city. An 8.5 km path winds along the west side of Lake Osisko, from Parc des Pionniers to Grande Place Edmund Horne. It’s a perfect place for a leisurely walk on a warm day, and bicycles are available for rent on the other side of Magasin Général Dumulon. Nearby is the gorgeous Lake Osisko Fountain (also known as Fontaine du cinquantenaire because it was created for the city’s 50th anniversary), which captured my attention far longer than I want to admit.
Rouyn-Noranda’s copper mining and smelting practices in the 20th century negatively impacted Lake Osisko, but the city is working to reverse the environmental damage. Swimming in the lake is not possible, but fishing is now permitted. Anyone who really wants to splash around in a lake can head over to Plage Kiwanis, which has a nice little beach, waterslide, and picnic area.
Honestly, strolling the path along the lake and taking time to relax and enjoy the view is an ideal sunny day activity.
Public Art
Rouyn-Noranda’s public art initiative started in 2015 and today, 19 murals and bas-relief pieces are scattered throughout the city. Walking or cycling around the city on a self-guided art walk is fairly easy, especially with the Balado Discovery app (which can be downloaded from Google and Apple). I love “Inflexion”, a steel and copper sculpture created for the World Guitar Festival, by Sébastien Ouellette and Lancelot St-Amour.
It’s a little harder to choose my favourite murals, but here are a couple that I really enjoyed.
- “Vent nouveau-from there to here” mural by Annie Boulanger and Ariane Ouellet was sponsored by Heritage Canada for Canada’s 150th anniversary. It’s located on Avenue Murdoch, between rue 6e and rue 7e.
- “Défricheuses, fortes et fabuleuses” by Ariane Ouellet and Valéry Hamelin for SDC Centre-ville de Rouyn-Noranda in 2020. It’s on the exposed side of Cafe Parazar, on rue Perreault Est.
- “Murale Proxim” by Jason Botkins in 2016 for Proxim Pharmacy and Festivaal de musique émergente. This mural is on Avenue Murdoch near rue 8e.
Musée d’Art de Rouyn-Noranda
Sharing a building with the municipal library, Musée d’Art de Rouyn-Noranda is proof that great things come in small packages. The museum, which opened in 2017 (and can trace its roots to the creation of the Rouyn-Noranda Exhibition Centre in the late 1970s), features work by artists from Abitibi-Témiscamingue and around Quebec.
Royal blue carpet, pale pink walls, and a squiggly neon ceiling light act as a canvas for Sous la lumière du Nord, the museum’s permanent exhibit. A walk through the exhibit takes you on a journey through the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, from the mid-19th century to today.
From there, it’s a short walk to the other exhibits. There’s a fascinating multimedia exhibit called L’exposition collective SONS MÊLÉS. In the gallery next door are quite a few pieces from the museum’s collection that are usually in storage. It is an eclectic mix of art pieces, from paintings to sculptures cast to a massive stuffed bear.
The museum is a must when visiting Rouyn-Noranda. Entrance is pay-what-want, with a suggested donation of 10 CAD. In summer the museum is open daily 11h to 17h (until 19h Wed & Thurs), the rest of the year it’s open Tues to Sunday 11h to 17h.
A Delicious Food Scene
One day is not enough time to explore a destination’s food scene, but oh, how I wish I could eat all the things without feeling full or gaining weight (I really need to find a lamp with a magic genie inside). I did manage to hit up a couple of places.
Les pâtissières de ruelle
The pastries, cakes, cookies, brownies and other desserts at Les pâtissières de ruelle had me drooling the moment I walked in the door. The pâtisserie is small, with pink walls, and incredibly friendly staff. I watched as someone picked up a gorgeous custom cake, made a mental note for the future, and then tried to decide if I wanted cupcakes, brownies or cookies. Owners Valériane and Claudia are truly gifted.
After careful deliberation, I opted for a couple of cupcakes and a Nutella-filled cookie (which I saved for my glamping night in Val d’Or).
Olive et Basil
Olive et Basil is a health-forward restaurant with a menu of panini sandwiches, salads, and pizza. It’s a beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen, a long Instagram-worthy booth for an intimate meal with friends, and a delicious cocktail menu.
Joined by a friend, we shared an artichoke dip that was so good I’m still salivating over it. Next up was a large Greek salad and a Limoncello basil cocktail. Everything was fresh and flavourful. A perfect choice after a day of indulgence.
Chocolate-dipped ice cream seemed like the perfect dessert choice, so we paid the bill at Olive et Basil and headed over to Glåss bar laitier. I ordered a Nutella chocolate-dipped cone and savoured every single bite – but quickly because the ice cream melted faster than I anticipated. An excellent way to cap off the evening.
Le Saint-Exupéry
I’m not a breakfast person, but I couldn’t resist going to Le Saint-Exupéry before leaving for Val d’Or. It’s a lovely restaurant, with quotes from Antoine Saint-Exupéry on the walls, and an antique wood general store counter.
They opened in 2008, and are known as one of the best breakfast spots in Rouyn-Noranda, and if I was more hungry I would have ordered eggs benedict. Instead, I opted for a smoked salmon bagel. I wasn’t expecting to assemble it myself, but it worked out just fine and when I asked for a wedge of lemon (I always add a bit of lemon juice to my smoked salmon bagels) they were more than happy to grab one from the kitchen.
It was a tasty way to end my time in the city.
Are you ready to visit Rouyn-Noranda?
As an anglophone, I try my best to communicate in French wherever I go in Quebec. I do okay, but I definitely get stuck or panic and break out a translation app when words fail me. In Rouyn-Noranda (and throughout Abitibi-Témiscamingue) I was surprised by how often locals switched to English when I began to struggle.
Honestly, the locals here are so incredibly friendly, even before I opened my mouth.
There is a thriving arts scene, beautiful landscapes, good food, and a joie de vivre here that is contagious.
Spend a night or more in Rouyn-Noranda
I stayed in Le Noranda Hôtel & Spa in Vieux-Noranda, which was quite comfortable and in a peaceful part of the city near performing arts centres and Bar-Librairie Livresse (Yay!).
There are other hotels and accommodations here too…
Disclaimer: I visited Rouyn-Noranda as part of a press trip with Abitibi-Témiscamingue Tourism. I genuinely fell in love with the city, and the opinions expressed in this article are my own.
