On the occasion of the celebrations of its 150the anniversary, Parc Jean-Drapeau organized a camping weekend for about twenty families. The goal? To promote the outdoors and test the river shuttle between Parc Jean-Drapeau and the urban campsite of Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville, which will become a permanent offering in the future.
Although close to Montreal, the campsites at Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville are difficult to access without a car and are located approximately 3 km from the nearest parking lot. To facilitate access, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) has joined forces with Parc Jean-Drapeau. Campers will therefore be able to arrive by metro at Parc Jean-Drapeau and then take the river shuttle that will transport them close to their campsite.
Met by The Duty During the camping initiation weekend, Danny Moïse explains that he doesn’t have a car and that the shuttle service is the perfect solution for him to go camping with his whole family. “It’s really a service, you feel like a superstar,” he explains.
Danny Moïse is the “left arm” of the Hike MTL group, which seeks to introduce people from visible minorities to the outdoors. Hike MTL was contacted by SEPAQ and Parc Jean-Drapeau to offer the group’s member families the opportunity to participate in the weekend of activities and testing.
So it was curious families, but often with little experience in the outdoors, who found themselves trying urban camping. This was the case for André-Robert Marsan who “had never been camping in his life”. “The experience was mind-blowing, I became an ambassador for this type of event,” the father of four children jokes a few steps from Jean-Doré Beach at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Families camp at Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville and do activities at Parc Jean-Drapeau during the day, using the river shuttle as transportation.
Beyond the wonderful times spent with his family, what André-Robert Marsan remembers most from the experience is discovering “what Quebec nature has to offer us.” Before the weekend, the 38-year-old didn’t know, for example, that there was a beach at Parc Jean-Drapeau. A “great discovery,” according to him.
A “turnkey” weekend
Reached by phone, the general manager of Parc Jean-Drapeau, Véronique Doucet, indicated that to allow anyone to enjoy the weekend, the offer is “turnkey”. Campers do not have to provide their equipment – they are housed in ready-to-camp tents – the majority of meals are provided and the activity calendar is full.
Supervision that will not be offered when the river shuttle officially arrives. Without the context of the activities and supervised camping, André-Robert Marsan admits that he probably would not have participated with his whole family. “If I were alone, I would have done it for sure, but with my family it would have been more complicated,” he says.
Danny Moïse is of a similar opinion that events like this are “good introductions to camping” that can make you want to do it again later. Even if without the easy access offered by the weekend context, “diving into the world of camping can be more difficult,” with the preparation and equipment required.
Being in a “pilot project” during the weekend, the route between the two parks will eventually be added to the river shuttle offer, it currently serves the Old Port of Montreal and Parc Jean-Drapeau, specifies Véronique Doucet. “It will surely be a similar service offer or maybe we will be on a more punctual basis. All of that is being evaluated,” notes the latter.