Building on last year’s success, the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert is reopening its facilities this winter, from December to March, offering more food and accommodation services. New walking and cross-country skiing trails and a 170-meter slide will also be added to the winter offer.
After opening its doors for the first time in winter in more than two decades, last year, the Historical Village of Val-Jalbert noted a craze for the site and for outdoor activities. “We had extraordinary success last year,” said Martin Cloutier, the “mayor” of Val-Jalbert, who hosted the press conference in a friendly atmosphere worthy of 1921.
To restart on a success, Val-Jalbert opened soberly last year, offering campfires and slides to visitors. The launch of the blueberry taffy was a success and will be back this winter. “We wanted to go there gradually by adding activities around the trails that are developed by the Ouiatchouan Outdoor Club,” notes the general manager, Patrick Savard.
The Moulin restaurant will therefore be open every Friday and Saturday. New winter accommodation packages, in period rooms, some of which are accessible to people with reduced mobility, will also be tested for Valentine’s Day and during spring break.
The great novelty of the site will be the Labrecque slide, with a length of 170 meters. With a slope of 25 degrees, the speed of the sliders can reach 50 km / h. This is why wearing a helmet will be compulsory in this expert category slide, for ages 10 and over. Only single sleds and wild sleds will be admitted. If necessary, helmets and sleds can be rented on site. Two other slides are also arranged on the site.
As usual, the village will be animated by actors, under the leadership of Mayor Cloutier. During the holiday season, a musical choir will be present near the general store. During spring break, competitive period games will also be in the spotlight, such as the traditional potato pocket race or knocking a nail while blindfolded.
More trails
The Club Plein-Air Ouiatchouan, which is in its 47e season, including 22 in Val-Jalbert, will also enhance its trail offering, with the development of a new shared cross-country ski trail, for classic and skating, of five kilometers, announced Vanessa Fortin, interim president.
Mme Fortin also pointed out that the club is part of “la petite expé”, an initiative of the Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie, which financed the purchase of 50 cross-country ski equipment to provide rental and free access to the trails for children. 12 years old and under, especially for school groups.
All in all, the club offers more than 45 kilometers of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails. “Looking forward to playing outside together this winter,” said Vanessa Fortin.
The village of Val-Jalbert will also maintain an additional kilometer of hiking trails on the site, for a total of approximately three kilometers.