Réserve faunique des Laurentides (), also known by its former name of parc des Laurentides, is a
wildlife reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, located between
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
and the
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. This reserve is part of the network of
wildlife reserves of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
(
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) managed by the
Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (Quebec)
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (French: ''Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles'') is responsible for the management of natural resource extraction in the province of Quebec.
The current Minister is Jonatan Julien.< ...
and the
Société des établissements de plein air du Québec
The ''Société des établissements de plein air du Québec'' (English: Quebec Outdoor Establishments Company), also known as ''Sépaq'', is the agency of the Government of Quebec that manages parks and wildlife reserves. Sépaq falls under the a ...
. It is located halfway between
Saguenay and
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
.
The territory of the reserve () has over 2000 lakes and many summits of over 1000 meters. The reserve is known by outdoor enthusiasts for hunting and fishing.
History
![Riviere Pikauba - 1940](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Riviere_Pikauba_-_1940.JPG)
Parc des Laurentides was created in 1895 as a forest reserve and as a recreational area for the public. In 1981, two large parcels were split off to become
Jacques-Cartier National Park in the south and the
Grands-Jardins National Park
Grands-Jardins National Park is a provincial park, located in the Unorganized Territory of Lac-Pikauba, Quebec, Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, an administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec, Canada.
The Gr ...
in the east, while the remaining territory was established as a wildlife reserve.
The
Jesuit trail, the first road to cross the sector, was cleared in 1676 and linked Quebec to
lac Saint-Jean
Lac Saint-Jean (Canadian French: ) is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area ...
in three days via
Saint-Charles Lake
Lake Saint-Charles (french: Lac Saint-Charles) is a lake located in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. It is located partially within the Quebec City borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles (section West) and partially within the united ...
, the valley of the
Jacques-Cartier River
The Jacques-Cartier River is a river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is 161 km long and its source is Jacques-Cartier Lake in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, and flows in a predominantly southern direction before ending in the Saint Lawr ...
to
Jacques-Cartier Lake
The lac Jacques-Cartier, main source of the Jacques-Cartier River, is a glacial lake located in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, about 90 km to the north of the city of Quebec, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La ...
, the
Pikauba River
The Pikauba River is a tributary of Kenogami Lake, flowing in the province of Quebec in Canada, in the administrative regions of:
* Capitale-Nationale: in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality;
* ...
, the
rivière aux Écorces and the
Métabetchouane River
The Metabetchouan River (French: ''Métabetchouane'') is a tributary of Lac Saint-Jean in the centre of the province of Quebec, Canada. The course of this river successively crosses the regional county municipalitys (MRC) of:
* La Jacques-Cartier ...
.
The first more or less passable road, the "road of Quebec" allows from 1881 to connect
Hébertville to Lac Saint-Jean in Quebec in 40 hours. A branch to
Chicoutimi
Chicoutimi () is the most populous borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay in Quebec, Canada.
It is situated at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers. During the 20th century, it became the main administrative and com ...
was built in 1882. The reserve was created in 1895 under the name of "Parc des Laurentides".
In 1944 and 1945, survey work enabled the current road to be put in place, the
route 175, inaugurated in 1948. The park being of limited access, there were barriers at the three entrances to the road to check the comings and goings. These barriers will be removed in 1977. At the center of the route, there is a rest area called
L'Étape, located on the shores of
Jacques-Cartier Lake
The lac Jacques-Cartier, main source of the Jacques-Cartier River, is a glacial lake located in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, about 90 km to the north of the city of Quebec, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La ...
, and the
Provincial Police
In Italy, the ''polizia provinciale'' (Italian for 'provincial police') are the provincial-level police forces.
Functions
Each Italian province can, by statute, have its own police force. ''Polizia provinciale'' are small police organisati ...
. After a fire, they will be demolished in 2005. In 2009, there is an old chapel, several chalets, a reconstructed franchise restaurant, the Patrouille Secours post (a special unit of the
Transports Québec
Le ministère des Transports du Québec ( en, Ministry of Transportation of Quebec), known by its short form name Transports Québec, is a Quebec government ministry responsible for transport, infrastructure and law in Quebec, Canada.
Since 2022 ...
specializing in the extrication of vehicles involved in accidents in the wildlife reserve), an ambulance vehicle and a CTAQ barracks.
![Chalet des Portes-de-l'Enfer - 1940](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Chalet_des_Portes-de-l%27Enfer_-_1940.jpg)
In July 1952, a
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by North Ame ...
radar station was established at
Mont Apica, in the center of the reserve, as part of the establishment of a line of defense of North America against bombers from the Soviet Union. The radar station was officially closed in 1993.
In 1981, the reserve was cut from two portions of its territory at its southern border and its eastern border to allow the creation, respectively, of
Jacques-Cartier National Park and
Grands-Jardins National Park
Grands-Jardins National Park is a provincial park, located in the Unorganized Territory of Lac-Pikauba, Quebec, Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, an administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec, Canada.
The Gr ...
.
The traditional practice of moose hunting among Native communities is the cause of disputes between the
Hurons-Wendat and the
Montagnais of
Mashteuiatsh.
Geography
As its name suggests, the reserve is included in the
Laurentian Mountains
The Laurentian Mountains ( French: ''Laurentides'') are a mountain range in southern Quebec, Canada, north of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River, rising to a highest point of at Mont Raoul Blanchard, northeast of Quebec City in the Laurentid ...
range, and more particularly the
Jacques-Cartier Massif. It is essentially mountainous territory, the highest peak of which,
Mount Belle Fontaine, culminates at 1151 m.
The wildlife reserve is located in the regions of
Capitale-Nationale
Capitale-Nationale (; en, National Capital region) is one of the 17 List of Quebec regions, administrative regions of Quebec. It is anchored by the provincial capital, Quebec City, and is largely coextensive with that city's Communauté métropol ...
,
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and
Mauricie
Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km² (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...
. It shares its limits with the
zec Mars-Moulin
The Zec Mars-Moulin is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting zone) of , located in the unorganized territory of Lac-Kinistuk, in the Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region Saguenay-Lac ...
to the northeast, the
zec des Martres and the
Grands-Jardins National Park
Grands-Jardins National Park is a provincial park, located in the Unorganized Territory of Lac-Pikauba, Quebec, Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, an administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec, Canada.
The Gr ...
to the east, the
Jacques-Cartier National Park to the south, the
zec Batiscan-Neilson
The Zec Batiscan-Neilson is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (Controlled Harvesting Zone), ("ZEC" in French) located in the unorganized territory of Lac-Blanc, in Portneuf Regional County Municipality, in the administrative area of the Capitale ...
to the west, the
Zec de la Rivière-Blanche to the west and the
zec Kiskissink
The Zec Kiskissink is a "zone d'exploitation contrôlée" (controlled harvesting zone) (zec), located in the administrative region of the Mauricie, the Capitale-Nationale and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, in Quebec, in Canada. This wild territory, us ...
to the north-west. The reserve also encloses the
ecological reserves Thomas-Fortin and
Victor-A.-Huard. A part to the east of the reserve is part of the
Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve.
Natural heritage
Vegetation
Parc des Laurentides is part of the boreal forest. There are mainly firs, spruces and white birches. The bioclimatic domain varies according to altitude, from balsam fir to yellow birch further south, going up to certain places to black spruce-cladonia on certain dry summits.
Fauna
Insects, mammals, birds and fish live together in Réserve faunique des Laurentides.
Insects
![Polygonia faunus MHNT ventre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Polygonia_faunus_MHNT_ventre.jpg)
*
Polygon with green spots (''Polygonia faunus'')
* Histeridae (''Mylabris quadripunctata)''
Mammals
*
Caribou
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...
s (reintroduced in the 60s and 70s after the destruction of the original herd)
*
Castors
*
Cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
s (increasingly seen in certain specific sectors)
Université de Montréal
/ref>
* Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
s from America
* Wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
* Lynx
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
* American martens
* Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
s
* Black bear
Black bear or Blackbear may refer to:
Animals
* American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species
* Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species
Music
* Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...
*
* Porcupines
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...
* Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
es
Birds
* Ruffed grouse
The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only specie ...
* Heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...
* Common loon
The common loon or great northern diver (''Gavia immer'') is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish o ...
* Spruce Grouse
The spruce grouse (''Canachites canadensis''), also known as Canada grouse, spruce hen or fool hen, is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is the only member of the genus ''C ...
Pisces
* Char
Char may refer to:
People
*Char Fontane, American actress
*Char Margolis, American spiritualist
* René Char (1907–1988), French poet
*The Char family of Colombia:
** Fuad Char, Colombian senator
** Alejandro Char Chaljub, mayor of Barranquilla ...
* Ouananiche
* Brook trout
The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...
(speckled trout)
* Touladi (lake trout)
Activities and facilities
In the middle of the Réserve faunique des Laurentides, on the shores of Jacques-Cartier Lake
The lac Jacques-Cartier, main source of the Jacques-Cartier River, is a glacial lake located in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, about 90 km to the north of the city of Quebec, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La ...
, we find L'Étape, a busy rest area where you can eat and do refueling. This stopover is the only one between Stoneham and Hébertville (Lac-Saint-Jean
Lac-Saint-Jean () is a federal electoral district in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, northeast Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1925 to 2004, and has been represented since 2015.
Demographics ...
) or Saguenay.
Nearby, there is a rescue patrol station ( extrication clamps) as well as an ambulance station. There is also the La Loutre reception center with its chalets and several camping pitches with or without services.
Further south, exactly at km 94, is the Camp Mercier reception center with 19 cabins.
You can practice fishing, small and big game hunting, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling depending on the season on the provincial snowmobile trail only.
Access
The reserve, often called "the park" by locals, is split in half by route 175, linking the cities of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and Saguenay. Route 169 leads to Hebertville, the main entrance to the Lac St-Jean
Lac Saint-Jean (Canadian French: ) is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an are ...
area.
The route 175, named Boulevard Talbot in honor of Antonio Talbot
Antonio Talbot (May 29, 1900 – September 25, 1980) was a Canadian politician from Quebec. He once served as interim leader of the Union Nationale.
Background
He was born on May 29, 1900, in Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec, near ...
, Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi
Chicoutimi () is the most populous borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay in Quebec, Canada.
It is situated at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers. During the 20th century, it became the main administrative and com ...
and Minister of Roads under Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis (; April 20, 1890 – September 7, 1959), was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A conservative, nationalist, anti-Communist, anti-unionist and fervent Catholic, he and his ...
, crosses the wildlife reserve between the city of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, on the one hand, and the cities of Saguenay and Hébertville, on the other hand. It is a road which had, depending on the sector, one or two lanes in each direction.
Significant work was undertaken in 2006 and was completed in 2012, the road now has two lanes in each direction.
The year 2020 will be the 125th anniversary of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. On this occasion, historian Marc Vallières will publish a book.
References
External links
Réserve faunique des Laurentides
- official site
{{Authority control
Wildlife sanctuaries of Canada
Protected areas of Capitale-Nationale
Geography of La Tuque, Quebec
Protected areas established in 1895
1895 establishments in Quebec