Bonjour Nature specializes in destinations in Lanaudière, while Navette Nature targets the Laurentians, Montérégie, Estrie, Mauricie, and even the major parks of Montreal. In both cases, it’s simple: book online, show up at the meeting point, and off you go, into the great outdoors.
Bonjour Nature began offering excursions at the end of 2018.
“This had been a topic of discussion in the tourism community in the region for a long time, especially in Mattawinie,” explains Marylou Pelletier, coordinator of Bonjour Nature. “A lot of businesses mentioned the lack of accessibility to their attractions and accommodations. At one point, the MRC, Tourisme Lanaudière and a few major players said they had talked enough, that they were going to put a solution in place, and that’s how the cooperative was born.”
![](https://mobile-img.lpcdn.ca/v2/924x/d4cc3a59336134d2b0ba7984643370f9.jpg)
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Chute-à-Bull is one of the beautiful natural attractions of Lanaudière.
The main product of this cooperative is day trips from Montreal.
It could be hiking, it could be a gourmet tour, a cruise on Lake Taureau. In the winter, we go to ski resorts, we go dog sledding, it’s super varied.
Marylou Pelletier, coordinator of Bonjour Nature
The cooperative has started offering three-day stays. “We choose accommodations that have a lot of activities on site,” says M.me Furrier.
Thanks to financial assistance from Tourisme Lanaudière, the cost of transportation is reasonable.
“The Lanaudière en bus program is an incentive program to encourage the use of public transportation,” explains Mme Pelletier: Agencies like us can submit activities with collective transportation to Tourisme Lanaudière. If the products are accepted, it allows us to apply a 25% discount. It’s really a great offer.”
Bonjour Nature’s clientele is divided roughly equally between Montrealers and international travelers passing through Montreal.
“These travelers might not have had the chance to leave the city during their stay,” notes Marylou Pelletier.
Bonjour Nature does business with concierges at several hotels in Montreal, with youth hostels, in addition to listing its activities on resale sites such as GetYourGuide, Viator and Manawa.
![](https://mobile-img.lpcdn.ca/v2/924x/379f78f0c01133a99dd588fb522a549a.jpg)
PHOTO KARENE-ISABELLE JEAN-BAPTISTE, ARCHIVES SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Mount Ham is one of the Navette Nature destinations.
For its part, Navette Nature offers a transportation service to parks located in several regions of Quebec. Simon Girard, involved for years in tourism in Mauricie, took over the small business founded by Catherine Lefebvre and Sarah Bernard-Lacaille after the forced pause of the pandemic.
“I had followed the development of Navette Nature, I knew what the mentality was behind it and I didn’t want to distort that,” says Mr. Girard.
![](https://mobile-img.lpcdn.ca/v2/924x/7df4463096c93cc5a84c474d1a841932.jpg)
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE NAVETTE NATURE FACEBOOK PAGE
The use of school buses helps to limit travel costs with Navette Nature.
One of the foundations of the service is its accessibility. To reduce costs, Navette Nature uses school buses for nearby destinations. For longer trips, it can use 40-seater buses or coaches.
Agreements with SEPAQ and the City of Montreal allow for reduced prices for visiting national parks and large Montreal parks.
At the beginning, the co-founders were mainly targeting a tourist clientele, only to realize that the need was also elsewhere, within the local population.
“The tourism side is perhaps 15 to 20% of our clientele,” says Mr. Girard. “Otherwise, we have a core of ultra-loyal customers since the beginning.”
It’s fascinating to see the commitment of people who don’t have a way to get around in nature. Our service becomes a necessity for them.
Simon Girard, General Manager of Navette Nature
After serving Montreal for years, Navette Nature began offering destinations from Quebec City. “There is a good pool of people who do not have vehicles and there are a lot of tourists. We tested the service last fall and the results were really excellent.”
![](https://mobile-img.lpcdn.ca/v2/924x/32177004c8d338b0ac7a389213709ebd.jpg)
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Navette Nature offers transportation to the Bras-du-Nord Valley, where you can admire the Delaney Falls.
Navette Nature arrived at a time when Quebec’s tourism industry was looking to relieve congestion in Old Quebec and offer tourists the opportunity to get out of the city and into nature.
“We are entering a timing “It’s a strategically interesting thing,” says Mr. Girard.
In Quebec, the clientele is made up of approximately one third local residents, one third tourists and one third students.
Navette Nature is considering the idea of a service in other regions, but this is a very long-term project, which will have to be done in partnership with local public transport.
“We don’t have a recipe yet, it’s a work in progress,” concludes Simon Girard.
Visit the Bonjour Nature website
Visit the Navette Nature website
Video suggestion
Strange landscape
Niky Ceria rock climbing in a fantastic landscape of Sardinia.
Watch the full video
The number of the week
89 km/h
It is from this speed that we consider that a wind is a storm wind.