Forestville, Quebec: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Forestville is a Côte-Nord city in Quebec’s Manicouagan region, on Route 138 facing the St. Lawrence and Rimouski. Forestry history, river falls, ferry planning and road services are the strongest visitor themes.
The best Forestville article starts with the town itself: its sawmill origins, river setting, local services, seasonal ferry context and public outdoor stops.
How Forestville Started
Official place-name records say Forestville was formerly identified in parallel as Sault-au-Cochon because of its position at the mouth of the Sault aux Cochons River. The first village opened in 1844 when Edward Selvin of Les Éboulements built a sawmill; it was sold to William Price in 1849.
The Price enterprise prospered between 1870 and 1890, then declined and closed in 1890. Forestry revived in 1937 with the Anglo Pulp Company. Forestville became a town in 1944, Saint-Luc-de-Laval was created in 1950, and the two merged in 1980 to form the present city. The Forestville name likely honours Grant William Forrest, a Price Brothers superintendent.
This development pattern explains the town’s layout and role better than a general Côte-Nord summary. Forestville grew where forest work, river movement and St. Lawrence travel met, then became a service centre for people moving along the upper North Shore.
What Forestville Is Like Today
Forestville had 2,892 residents in the 2021 census. It remains a practical Haute-Côte-Nord service centre with fuel, food, lodging, municipal services, St. Lawrence views and access to Route 138.
Forestville’s visitor identity is practical and coastal. It can be a ferry-linked stop, a river-falls stop or a route reset between Baie-Comeau, Tadoussac, Longue-Rive and other Côte-Nord communities.
The St. Lawrence setting is part of the local feel. The Commission de toponymie notes that the river is more than 50 km wide opposite Forestville, which helps explain the scale of the ferry crossing and the weather exposure that visitors can feel from the waterfront and harbour area.
Forestville is also a town of ordinary travel services. For many visitors, the useful stops are fuel, food, lodging, a ferry check, a short walk and a river or falls outing before continuing east or west. That practical role should stay visible in the article.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Start with the local tourism information from Forestville. The municipal tourism section and history page give the town its own frame before adding wider Côte-Nord stops.
Check the Forestville-Rimouski ferry when planning a St. Lawrence crossing. The ferry is seasonal and weather-sensitive, so it should be confirmed before lodging, meal timing or a long Route 138 drive is built around it.
Use the river-falls and local outdoor context as secondary anchors. Chutes du Faux Canal, Chute du Quatre Milles and Route 138 services can make a short stop worthwhile when conditions and access are posted. Keep forest roads and industrial areas to public, signed routes.
If the ferry is part of the trip, build the day around it. Arrival time, wind, fog, loading rules and seasonal schedule changes matter more than distance on the map. When the ferry is not running or does not fit the itinerary, Forestville can still work as a Route 138 break with services and a short outdoor stop.
For a half day, combine the municipal tourism information, a river-falls or waterfront stop, food or fuel, and a route check before driving on. For a full day, add a local trail, posted recreation area or a slower look at the town’s forestry-and-river history.
Do not make Forestville only a connector to Baie-Comeau or Tadoussac. The town has enough local context to stand on its own when the itinerary includes the river, forest history, ferry planning and Route 138 services.
Quick Facts
- Province: Quebec
- Region: Manicouagan
- Municipality type: Ville
- 2021 census population: 2,892
- Official website: https://www.forestville.ca
- Main travel areas: town services, St. Lawrence ferry context, river-falls areas, Route 138 and local tourism stops
- Key routes: Route 138, Forestville ferry approaches, local Côte-Nord roads and forest-service routes where public access is posted
Travel Notes
Confirm ferry schedules, weather, road construction and lodging before arrival. A missed crossing can change a Côte-Nord itinerary by hours.
Forestville has useful services, but the surrounding distances are still long. Plan fuel, meals, daylight and backup stops before leaving the Route 138 corridor.
If you are using Forestville for a crossing day, keep ferry confirmation, fuel, food and lodging in the same planning pass. The town is useful because it lets travellers reset before committing to the next long Côte-Nord or Bas-Saint-Laurent leg.
For outdoor stops, verify whether access is public, seasonal and safe after heavy rain or spring melt. Forest roads, riverbanks and falls areas can change quickly, and mobile coverage may be uneven outside town.