Route des zinques
One trail leads to another!
Two new trails will be added to the MRC Pontiac Trail Network this year:
Giant Beaver Trail: This 13.5‑km linear trail, intended for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding, links Chutes Coulonge Park and Leslie Park. The rustic trail is interspersed with footbridges, rest areas, and interpretation panels about beavers and their habitat.
Kichi Sibi Canoe Route: A 60‑km section along the Ottawa River, between Chapeau and Bryson, will open first, the inaugural segment of a proposed 250‑km canoe route that will run from the City of Gatineau to the western limit of the Outaouais region. Key attractions along the route include sandy shores, four ancient forests, numerous rare species, and several cultural and heritage sites (including Oiseau Rock, Fort William, and the Marchand Covered Bridge). Media: Danielle Belec, 819‑648‑5689, ext. 213, dbelec.cld@mrcpontiac.qc.ca, www.tourismepontiac.com.
A new way through the woods: the Route des Zingues
Designed and built entirely by two volunteers, the Route des Zingues trail (a play on the Route des Indes, or “passage to India”) was inaugurated in September 2011, in Duhamel. The 8‑km linear trail (a designated national trail) presents many interesting viewpoints as it winds among lakes and through majestic forests that have remained virtually untouched for over 100 years. Keep your eyes peeled: you may come upon a conifer with a circumference of more than four metres! Media: Richard Chartrand, 819‑428‑7971, r.chartrand@xittel.ca, www.aplg.ca/cartes/carteZingues.pdf.