In Coaticook | The Press

(Coaticook) The cream of the crop

You can’t visit Coaticook without stopping at the dairy, founded in 1940, which has made its name known throughout Quebec. In the summer, don’t let the lineup put you off; it quickly disappears thanks to the efficiency of the dairy bar employees. Sometimes, it stretches all the way to the small milk museum set up at the back of the building, where old production machines and period advertisements are on display. Rumour has it that there are flavours that aren’t sold in supermarkets, but are sometimes offered in other dairy bars. Some tempting examples? Pineapple and coconut, cotton candy, rum and raisin, pecan-chocolate and double caramel, ribambelle (vanilla, blue raspberry and cherry), etc. Will these less common versions end up on the shelves? Not sure. “Our production capacity does not currently allow us to market any of these flavors on a large scale,” explains Roxanne Provencher, the dairy’s marketing director, who admits to having a personal penchant for “praline and cream.” Also suggested on site is a sharing bowl, ideal for the undecided or the curious, composed of five flavors to choose from and as many toppings. “In the summer, every Thursday at noon, we reveal the flavor of the week for our soft cream [le jour de notre passage, il s’agissait d’une excellente cerise-amaretto]. Sometimes, customers contact us the day before to try to find out in advance!” says M.^me Provencher. Less well known, the dairy also produces various cheeses, including cheddar (in blocks, sliced ​​or curds), with surprising variations with spices or onions.

Poetic drops of air

Coming back from the Eastern Townships and saying that you slept in a drop of air would be enough to raise a few eyebrows, right? However, that is the project of the Auberge du changement d’ère, run by Joël Larouche and Chloé De Wolf, who have been working hard for 10 years to transform a former spa into an “ecofuturistic” and humanist accommodation site. The result? A trio of tiny pear-shaped cabins, lifted into the air and immersed in the woods, resembling both insects and aliens. “We are targeting clients who are looking to be immersed in a natural environment, enveloped by the forest. There is a minimalism in the volume, where we apply certain principles of tiny house “, explains the couple, who have backgrounds in architecture and the arts. Placed in such a way as to preserve maximum privacy, they can accommodate two adults in the small living room that can be converted into a bed, and two children on a mezzanine net (you have to provide bedding for the latter). The space is limited, but the arrangements to maximize it and the quality of the materials chase away the ghosts of claustrophobia. A sanitary block with quality toilets and showers has been placed nearby, as well as a large community tepee with barbecue and kitchenette.

Chiaroscuro at the Gorge Park

A must-see in the heart of the village of Coaticook, the Parc de la Gorge-de-Coaticook has two distinct faces to seduce. During the day, four loops of trails totaling 19 km allow you to crisscross a site of great beauty. The plunging view from the suspended pedestrian bridge – the longest of its kind in North America, stretching 50 m to 169 m high – is worth lingering over before heading into the woods. Once night falls, the magic of Foresta Lumina, which has been operating for a decade, comes to life. The park then takes on a new dimension, totally magical, punctuated by lighting that is sometimes enchanting, sometimes disturbing. “Foresta Lumina has improved year after year. Our goal is to make the park even more accessible [pour les visiteurs à mobilité réduite]to focus on sustainable development with a GreenStep certification and to develop the evening event side,” predicts Josée Petit, marketing director of the park. For enthusiasts, a disc golf course has also been added this year.

Part of the costs of this report were paid by Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est, which had no say over its content.