Terrebonne

Introduction

Terrebonne is an off-island suburb of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, sitting in the North Shore region of the Montreal area. It lies north of Laval, across the Rivière des Mille-Îles.

Before you go

Terrebonne sits on the north shores of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and the Rivière des Prairies, just north of Montreal and Laval. The city is divided into three sectors — Lachenaie, La Plaine and Terrebonne — so it helps to know which one you're heading for before you set out, since they are distinct parts of the same municipality.

For local information before your trip, the Terrebonne City Council website is the place to check.

Getting there

By car, Autoroute 25 runs through the east end of Montreal and north to Terrebonne, a trip of roughly 25 minutes. If you prefer the train, the Terrebonne EXO station on boulevard Marcel-Therrien sits on line 15, which runs between Ahuntsic in Montreal and Mascouche; MRCLM buses 140 and 440 connect to the station. The nearby Mascouche EXO station on avenue de la Gare is the terminus of the same line, served by MRCLM buses 2, 403, 417, 418 and 427.

From Montreal by public transit, you have two options. Take Metro Line 2 to Montmorency, then Exo bus #19 (every 20 minutes) to 25/Ile St-Jean, which takes about 45 minutes. Alternatively, take Metro Line 1 to Radisson, then Exo bus #30 (hourly) to the Terrebonne terminus, about an hour in total.

Getting around

Public transit in Terrebonne is run by Exo, Greater Montreal's regional train and bus network, with Terminus Terrebonne at 4800, chemin Côte-Terrebonne acting as the hub for local and regional services. The rail backbone is the Exo Mascouche line, which links the area to downtown Montreal and terminates at Central Station; Terrebonne station sits at 4000 boul. Marcel-Therrien, and Mascouche station is the line's terminus. Service is concentrated at rush hour, with departures several times an hour during the morning and late-afternoon peaks, but thins considerably outside those windows — late evenings may see roughly one departure per hour or less, and weekend service is light. If your plans involve atypical hours, an Exo bus or a car can be a more reliable backup. Each station has free park-and-ride for Exo pass holders, and these lots are central to how the network is used: drive to the station, leave the vehicle, and take the train or bus onward.

Exo also runs several bus routes covering Terrebonne and the north shore, and local MRCLM buses connect to the rail stations — 140 and 440 at Terrebonne station, and 2, 403, 417, 418 and 427 at Mascouche station. From Montreal, two common approaches reach Terrebonne: Metro Line 2 to Montmorency then Exo bus #19, or Metro Line 1 to Radisson then Exo bus #30 to the Terrebonne terminus. Which mode makes sense depends on where you are going: for downtown Montreal, the Mascouche train from Terrebonne station is the simplest option, while for Montreal's east end or Laval, certain Exo express bus routes can be more direct. For the north suburbs or Lanaudière, a car is almost always more efficient, since the network is oriented toward Montreal. Greater Montreal is divided into fare zones managed by ARTM, and Terrebonne sits in Zone C; a trip to downtown Montreal requires the ALL MODES ABC pass, and an ALL MODES A pass is not valid for Terrebonne. The OPUS card is the standard fare medium, available at ticketing machines in Exo stations or at participating pharmacies and convenience stores, and reloadable online through the ARTM site. Fares are adjusted yearly, so confirm current prices at artm.quebec before you travel. Exo posts delays and interruptions in real time on the Chrono app and on exo.quebec, and the Mascouche line has experienced disruptions linked to REM construction in past years, so it is worth checking Exo's notices at peak times.

Where to stay

Lodging in Terrebonne is spread between the town itself and the Lachenaie area, with a handful of options that suit different kinds of trips. Motel Chateau Terrebonne sits off Highway 640 on Chemin Gascon, convenient if you're passing through by car; rooms come with cable TV, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi, some include a fireplace or spa bath, and there's a 24-hour front desk and free on-site parking. Super 8 Lachenaie/Terrebonne on Yves Blais is the choice for families and longer stays, with an indoor pool, fitness centre, free breakfast, in-room microwaves and refrigerators, pet-friendly policies and free parking.

For something more polished, Imperia Hotel et Suites Terrebonne on Boulevard de la Piniere offers a restaurant, swimming pool and parking. Closer to the historic heart, Auberge Hotel St-Andre on Rue Saint Andre provides private bathrooms, Wi-Fi and a terrace, a quieter base for exploring the old town on foot.

Food & drink

You'll find most of the eating concentrated along Rue Saint-Pierre, where several of the city's restaurants sit within a short walk of one another. Le Baluchon d'Or serves Szechuan and Thai dishes and is bring-your-own-wine, so you can pick up a bottle before you sit down. Nearby, Restaurant Chez Fabien turns out gourmet Italian, from pizzas and pastas to meat and fish courses. For something more grill-focused, Steakerie Sainte-Marie on Rue Sainte Marie does barbecue and steaks and has a terrace.

For drinks, head to Bieres and Compagnie on Gascon Road, which pours beers from many countries around the world and serves sausages, mussels and fries, and game dishes alongside them. The Aparte Bistro Bar on St-Pierre St is another option for a drink with your meal.

What to see and do

Start in Vieux-Terrebonne, the old quarter along the banks of the Rivière des Mille-Îles, where the town's historic core is concentrated and you can walk between the main sights. At the intersection of Boulevard des Braves and Rue Saint-Pierre, Île-des-Moulins is classified as a historic site of national interest by the Government of Quebec; its pre-industrial complex was among the most important in the province in the 19th century, and five buildings remain. The fourth seigneur of Terrebonne, Abbot Louis Lepage, ordered the first flour mill built in 1721 and the first saw mill around 1725; the bakery followed in 1803, the saw and flour mills in 1804 and 1846, and the Moulin neuf (New Mill) and the seigniory office around 1850.

Nearby in Vieux-Terrebonne stands the Saint-Louis-de-France Church on Rue Saint-Louis, built around 1878 and the third since the parish was founded, equipped with a Casavant organ in 1946. For an evening out, the Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne on Rue Saint-Pierre stages performances in the old quarter.

Three days in Terrebonne

Day one: Base yourself in Terrebonne and get your bearings in the historic centre, then take the short trip into Montreal to compare city life with the calmer streets you came from. Use the Exo train from Central Station or the metro connections via Montmorency and Radisson to move between the two, and plan your return to Terminus Terrebonne in the evening.

Day two: Head east along the Mascouche Exo line to explore the communities strung along the route, including Mascouche and Lachenaie, and continue toward La Plaine for a look at the more open, rural edge of the region. If you are driving, the Autoroute makes the same loop straightforward, and you can finish back in Terrebonne for a quiet evening.

Day three: Take the North Shore direction and follow the Rivière des Mille Îles through the Prairies and Côte areas, where the water and green space give the day a slower pace. Loop back through Ahuntsic or Ile St-Jean if you want one last taste of Greater Montreal before returning to Terrebonne to wrap up your stay.