Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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La Tuque
city, Mauricie-Bois-Francs region, southern Quebec province, Canada, situated on the Saint-Maurice River. During the French regime, the site was occupied by a trading post of the Company of New France. The original lumbering settlement of 1908 was named for a rock on the river's edge that was shaped like a tuque (toque), the woolen headgear that was worn by early French trappers. The town's economy depends chiefly on forestry and allied industries (pulp and paper) and a large hydroelectric installation on the river. The area is noted for its hunting, fishing, and skiing. A three-day lumberjacks' canoe race from La Tuque to Trois-Rivieres city (103 miles [165 km] south) is held annually in late summer. In 2003 the town merged with several surrounding communities, greatly expanding its area. Inc. town, 1911; city, 2003. Pop. (2006) 11,821.
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