We’re tired, we’re lonely, we’re longing for the lives we enjoyed before this dreaded virus wreaked havoc across the globe.
But there are glimmers of hope – and plenty of local opportunities for people of all ages to make this summer a fun and exciting one.
Vaccinations are ramping up, warmer weather is upon us, and we’ve come to learn how to best get through the current situation – patience, digital connections, and self-care that for many of us includes exercise and the great outdoors.
Nowhere is the importance of activity and the outdoors underscored more than at Chutes Coulonge Park in Mansfield, Quebec. 2020 was a record year at the park and 2021 is shaping up to be another banner season.
“We’re really hoping that it continues. With the population not being able to travel outside the country and trying to stay in our own region, it’s really helping us with the Gatineau population really discovering the rest of the Outaouais, which is our region – the Pontiac – which is very unknown,” said park director André Piché.
If you’re looking for adventure, Chutes Coulonge is for you. Not only will you find zip lines and obstacle courses, but also Via Ferrata, an exciting activity that is the only one of its kind in the region and one of the few in Canada. Located in the Canyon of the Coulonge River, Via Ferrata consists of a climb/walk along the canyon’s rock face, using cables and anchor points to help you progress along the way.
Park director André Piché knows first-hand just how awesome the region’s, and the park’s, opportunities are.
He’s been park director for the past two years, was born and raised in the Pontiac region and spent 15 years as a raft guide on the Ottawa River.
“We’re in paradise,” said Piché. “It’s always an unforgettable opportunity here at the Chutes. Nobody ever leaves disappointed.”
Along with the spectacular views of the falls and the canyon, the adventure features do not disappoint.
“The Via Ferrata is classed the second most beautiful Via Ferrata, which is the climbing section, in the province of Quebec,” said Piché. “And our canyon ziplines are bar none a unique experience.”
“Not everybody who comes to the site has to do something crazy and
adventurous,” said Piché. “They can just do the historical walk, which is 1.2 kilometres and leads you around the site. You get to cross some really beautiful bridges with five different lookout points onto the beautiful falls, which are 48 m high. You also get to see also the log, which is a big part of the history. And we finish off the walk with a tour literally into history, into our museum, where you see the log drive video.”
Included with the historical park admission fee is access to a low-ropes obstacle course for all ages and a children’s splash pad.
“It’s an all-around site for everybody to come, whether it’s grandpa, grandma or mom and dad, the kids, to come and visit a bit of history and live some really, really big adventures,” said Piché.
In 1800, Philemon Wright came from Boston to Ottawa and sent the first Canadian-squared timber raft down the mighty Ottawa River to Quebec City.
George Bryson Sr. and family were largely responsible for developing the Pontiac’s timber industry. In the late 1830s/early 1840s, large timber firms began to take over. Around this time, Bryson left Lanark County and made his way to the Pontiac, settling near the mouth of the Coulonge River and acquiring thousands of acres of timber surrounding the Coulonge Falls.
The Coulonge waterfall was a huge obstacle in the transportation of this precious timber. Bryson constructed a wooden slide along the rock wall of the waterfall that measured 3,000 ft. (915m).
So what are you waiting for, plan your trip to Chutes Coulonge – where history meets adventure – today!
Public health guidelines are observed and must be followed.
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