Canoe-camping | Heading for the wild beauty of La Vérendrye

Huge and isolated, La Vérendrye wildlife reserve is a canoe-camping paradise. But it can intimidate those new to this activity, which benefits from the enthusiasm for the outdoors in Quebec. With a minimum of preparation, it is nevertheless an accessible destination. And terrific.

Text: Simon Chabot
The Press

The crescent moon, made milky by a veil of clouds, is reflected on the flat surface of a narrow bay at the head of Lake Antostagan, barely disturbed by slow paddle strokes. To the northwest, the horizon still takes on the faded colors of the setting sun. However, it will soon be 10 p.m. The days are long in the summer in the North.

In the South, holidaymakers are taking the roads and airports by storm at the start of July. But in the heart of the La Vérendrye wildlife reserve, on the borders of the Outaouais and Abitibi regions, the little group enjoying their first day of canoe-camping until the end is, after all, alone in the world.

Oh no, it’s true, in the distance appear the glow of a fire lit by other campers in this territory twice the size of Prince Edward Island… Otherwise, the illusion is perfect.

And nothing comes to disturb the calm of the place. Otherwise the laughter of fellow travelers. Then, upon returning to dry land, the magnificent concert given by two vocal loons.

The Domaine, where the only canoe rental center in the reserve is located, is however not far away. It was enough to canoe for 8 or 9 km mainly in Lac Jean-Péré, then to cross two short portages. “A lot of people avoid porterage: good for us! laughs Jeff Thuot, guide emeritus at the head of the team organized by SEPAQ, who has just taken over the management of this activity formerly provided by Canot Kayak Québec.

Between experts and beginners

With 800 km of trails and 500 campsites reserved for canoeists, La Vérendrye wildlife reserve is a popular destination for long-distance canoe-camping enthusiasts.

Without wanting to harm canoe-camping enthusiasts worried by the recent changes, she assures us, SEPAQ wishes to better welcome neophytes to La Vérendrye, most of whom pass through Le Domaine. The two most popular tours of the reserve, those of Antostagan (36 km) and Poulter (45 km) lakes, loops of three to five days, depart from the rental centre. Currently, the Crown corporation estimates that up to 30% of the more than 20,000 days of canoe-camping visits are made on these two routes.

“We want to give more options to those who want to learn canoe-camping,” says Johanne Vienneau, director of the wildlife reserve. Within a maximum of three years, we would like to open a second rental center, on the Abitibi side, in the northern part of the territory, and offer more accessible circuits, without portages or rapids. SEPAQ wants to promote the next generation. »

Nature has the last word

When we wake up the next day, the clouds reign supreme in the sky. Fortunately, the rain is shy at first. From one bay to another, passing by a beaver dam, the canoes progress quickly on the watercourse, where the wind remains discreet. Loons show their beaks. Then a colony of terns loudly defends a rock where chicks are gathered.

The sky darkened shortly after noon. Then, the rain begins to fall heavily. And relentlessly until nightfall. Nothing to worry Jeff Thuot, imperturbable in his raincoat. We quickly understand by rubbing shoulders with the generous man of his advice why politicians and Hollywood stars call on his services when the desire for wilderness takes them.

Nevertheless, with his two accomplices, Éric Laforest (physical education teacher at the Sophie-Barat school) and Martin Lavoie (equipment manager at Canot camping La Vérendrye), the one who gives the adventure at Cégep de Saint-Laurent struggled for long hours, saw and ax in hand, to light and maintain the fire on which the excellent evening meal was prepared. Meanwhile, the other members of the group tried somehow to stay dry under a large canvas.

“The bodies of water are large. Sometimes the wind forces us to stay in a camp. »

Other times, it’s the rain that plays the spoilsport…

The advantage at La Vérendrye is that by reserving a course, canoeists have access to almost all the sites (with outhouses) there, generally 1 km away from each other and often on a small beach. Paddlers can get ahead in good weather, and stay sheltered when the elements hold them back. SEPAQ therefore maintains the flexibility put forward by Canot Kayak Québec.

Unlike most other activities in the public network, moreover, reservations are always made by telephone, in order to validate the knowledge of the participants. “Canoe-camping isn’t extreme, but it’s still an adventure. We want to make sure that people have understood the code of ethics and that the course chosen corresponds to their physical abilities, it is non-negotiable for us. Not all tours are for everyone,” says Johanne Vienneau. Sometimes, however, ill-prepared canoeists have to be rescued. Note: large swaths of territory are off-net for cell phones.

For the moment, SEPAQ does not offer a tour guide service. But that could change, says M^me Vienneau. “We will not be training guides on the SEPAQ side, but we want to partner with people who have that expertise. »

Find his place

The great outdoors have their challenges. But their advantages too. While some canoe-camping destinations are already sold out for the summer elsewhere in Quebec, it’s not too late to plan an outing to La Vérendrye by the end of this season, September 11. Unsurprisingly, there are more availabilities at the beginning of the week than on weekends. During busy periods, visitors are sometimes forced to take a paying shuttle to launch a distance from the rental centre. “But it’s so big here, reassures Jeff Thuot, that everyone ends up finding their place! “We are never really complete,” adds Johanne Vienneau.

On the morning of the third day, the sun resumed its rights. And the wind blowing from the north without too much haste pushes the canoes to the south of Lake Antostagan, where this taste of adventure ends at midday.

The faces have regained the smiles of the first evening. Many would have preferred to continue paddling rather than heading back to Montreal and its traffic jams. The report is clear as the water of the lake: the group “got the bug” of canoe-camping. Which makes you forget all those mosquitoes, black flies and other weeds… fortunately rarer as the summer progresses.

When are we leaving?

The travel expenses for this report were paid by SEPAQ, which exercised no right of inspection over the content.